Two-Year Rule

Some J-1 students are subject to the U.S. Department of State two-year home residence requirement.  As a J-1 student, you will be subject to the two-year home-country residency requirement if your academic program is funded by either your home government or the U.S. government, or if it involves specialized knowledge or skills deemed essential by the home country.

• The student may not change to certain other U.S. visa types (H, L, K, or lawful permanent resident (LPR))
• The student must return to the home country for at least two years or apply for a waiver of the requirement.

There are many aspects to determining whether someone is subject to the two-year rule, so we strongly recommend that you contact the International Student & Scholar Center (ISSC) for help with this question.

Learn more about about J-1 visa and the two-year home residence requirement.