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Tips for U.S. Visa Exchange: Visitors Classification

The U.S. Visa Exchange for Visitors is a visa type that allows people to enter the United States for a limited time only to perform certain duties as their classification dictates.  Also known as a J visa, the Exchange Visa is covered by a certain program that the U.S. government has for cultivating closer ties with certain countries that can share with the U.S. certain cultural and educational exchanges.

The Exchange Visa that the government's program covers is divided into two general classifications, the private sector and the government programs. These visas are dependent on the sponsorships of the entities that will back them up and these are often supported by papers claiming sponsorship and responsibility for the person applying for the visa.

These two divisions that make up the main categories for a visitor's exchange visa also have quite a few categories under them. The privately sponsored exchange visas usually cover people who will enter the U.S. as au pairs, summer workers or travelers, camp counselors, foreign doctors and trainees for certain jobs for a company's regional branch. The government sponsored exchange visa covers certain applicants that may be research scholars, college or university students, teachers, professors, specialists and government visitors.

As with other temporary type visas, an exchange visitor visa is also subject to applications and other documents that will be perused by a consulate officer in the country of origin of the person. The person that is being sponsored by a certain entity to come to the U.S. will have to show that the reason for his or her visit to the U.S. is indeed for the purpose that the sponsorship states it is for. They will also have to prove that the visit will indeed be temporary and that once their visit is over, they will return to their country of origin.

Aside from these, they will also have to present the proof of sponsorship and other supporting documents that their U.S. sponsor will provide them with. There will be instances when, despite having these supporting papers to back them up, some people will still be denied a J visa if the consul officer that is interviewing them senses that the person can either pose a threat to the country's security or shows signs of not returning to their country of origin when the time for them to do so is at hand.

The important documents that a person applying for a J visa needs include the Exchange Visa Application or the DS-2019, the Non-immigrant Visa Application also known as the DS-156, the DS-157 or Supplemental Non-Immigrant Visa Application, a valid passport and a 2x2 picture. If a person that is applying for such a visa is allowed to bring family members to the U.S. on the same sponsorship, the other members of his family will need to apply at the same time as the sponsored individual and should also have supporting documentation from the same sponsor stating that the family is part of the company's sponsorship.

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