What is the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program?

For more than 50 years, the U.S. Department of State BridgeUSA programs, formerly called the Exchange Visitor Program, has helped bring international students and young professionals to the United States to learn about American culture and meet real Americans. Exchange visitors experience American society as students, teachers, young professionals, and scholars.

The program advances America’s diplomatic relations and bolsters national security by improving the perception of the U.S. in the eyes of future leaders from 200 countries and territories. BridgeUSA includes such successful exchanges as Summer Work Travel, Camp Counselor, Au Pair, Intern, and Trainee. These exchanges allow participants to offset the costs of their experience through a work component, and add significantly to the U.S. economy.

Which J-1 Exchange Visitor Program categories are affected by the Presidential Proclamation?

The proclamation impacts 6 out of the 15 J-1 visa program categories: Intern, Trainee, Teacher, Camp Counselor, Au Pair, and Summer Work Travel.  

How does the proclamation impact the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program?

The proclamation prohibits issuance of new J-1 visas from June 24, 2020 until December 31, 2020. Young people from around the world will not be able to participate in these valuable cultural exchange opportunities.

Do these programs contribute to the American economy?

Yes. Cultural exchange programs such as Au Pair, Camp Counselor, Intern, Trainee, and Summer Work Travel combined contribute more than $1.4 billion to the economy each year.*

Does the inclusion of the J-1 visa programs in the proclamation help save American jobs?

No. In fact, Exchange Visitor Program participants support all types of American jobs. For example, the in-home childcare that au pairs provide allows thousands of hard working American families to continue to work despite the overwhelming number of challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has created. Without this dependable childcare, many parents have had to leave the workforce. In this way, the proclamation is having the opposite of its intended effect. 

Without BridgeUSA participants, many American host employers will have to cut back services to customers, reducing already diminished revenue, which could lead to lay-offs of American employees. More than 90% of Summer Work Travel hosts said Exchange Visitors enhance their businesses, and international students helped create more than 450,000 American jobs in 2016.*