The exchange of professors promotes the exchange of ideas, research, mutual enrichment, and linkages between research and academic institutions in the United States and foreign countries. The professor category is for a foreign national who enters the United States for the primary purpose of teaching, lecturing, observing, or consulting at accredited post-secondary academic institutions, museums, libraries, or similar types of institutions. A professor may also conduct research, unless disallowed by the sponsoring organization.
Professor Eligibility Requirements (Visit the Limitations on Participation page for details):
- Primary duties of the position must be teaching
- May not be a candidate for a tenure track position
- May not have been present in the US in the J-1/J-2 Professor or Research Scholar categories within the last 24 months
- May not have been present in the US in any other J-1/J-2 visa program within the last 12 months unless they meet at least one of three exceptions
- Undergraduate students are not eligible for the Professor category
Duration of Participation—Maximum 5 Years, Minimum 3 Weeks: The maximum period of program participation is continuous and begins with the initial program start date printed on the Form DS-2019 and ends 5 years from that date.
