Chicago J-1 Visa Waiver Attorney

Illinois Immigration Lawyer for Foreign Nationals

A J waiver allows foreign nationals that are in the United States pursuant to a J-1 exchange program visa to avoid the two-year foreign residency requirement.  If a waiver is not obtained, the legal terms of the J-1 exchange visitor visa require that the applicant return to his or her home country for a period of two years following the completion of the exchange program.  

Because the J waiver application process can be confusing and requires specific information to be provided to the U.S. Department of State and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, applicants should seek the advice and guidance of an experienced immigration attorney like the Chicago immigration attorney at Badia-Tavas Law Group, Ltd.  Located in Chicago, Illinois, we have considerable experience assisting clients with a wide variety of immigration issues, including J waivers, J-1 exchange visitor visas, L-1 visas, H-1 and H-2 work visas, and E-5 investor visas.

Waiver Options

The following types of J-1 waivers are available:

•    No Objection Statement may be obtained from the individual’s home country with both the U.S. Department of State and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services agreeing to the No Objection Statement. Unfortunately, this option is not available to physicians and medical personnel.
•    Hardship Waivers may be obtained if returning to the home country poses “exceptional hardship” on the foreign national or his or her U.S. citizen spouse or minor children caused by political or economic conditions that are overly negative in the home country.  Common examples of “exceptional hardships” include returning to a war-torn country or suffering from a life-threatening disease for which medical care in the United States is required.   
•    Asylum Waivers may be obtained if the foreign national cannot return to his or her home country because he or she will face religious, political or racial persecution.
•    Interested Government Agency Waiver is available for foreign nationals if the foreign national can show that an interested government agency in the U.S., such as the State or Federal Department of Health and Human Services, the Veteran’s Administration, Department of Agriculture or the Department of Housing and Urban Development, needs his or her skills and services because the work is critical to the goals of that particular interested government agency. Individual states can also sponsor a limited number of physicians each year pursuant to a J waiver through the state’s department of health commonly known as the Conrad 30 Program.

Experience You Can Trust

The business immigration law firm of Badia-Tavas Law Group, conveniently located in Chicago, Illinois, has years of experience helping clients with their immigration needs, including obtaining J-1 exchange visitor visas and J- waivers for those that qualify.   If you are entering the United States pursuant to an exchange program, contact the knowledgeable Chicago immigration lawyer at Badia-Tavas Law Group at (312) 442-0838 to learn more about the J-1 exchange visitor visa and a possible waiver to the visa’s residency requirements.