>
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 10:07:36 -0700
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2651.58)
Laurent is right. Since I was funded by the Swiss National Science
foundation in 1997 (and employed by Stanford in 1997/8) I had a 2-year home
requirement. If I would have been founded by a private foundation (the SNSF
is private but considered govermental by the USIA, I checked :-)), you would
be able to just ask the USIA for the waiver (if you even got one).
If you are funded by a US governement source (such as Fullbright or a state
agency), it is much harder to get a waiver (at least I know a few Fullbright
fellows that did not get one), and it is up to the agency to make the
proposal to the USIA.
In mid-1998, I contacted the Swiss embassy, and they sent me all the USIA
forms to fill out and instructions on how much money and what letter and
forms that I had to submit. It took about a week between sending off the
papers to the embassy until they submitted the request on my behalf to the
USIA. The USIA makes a recommendation to the INS which took a month. The INS
took another 3 month (fortunately, the H1 process was able to run
concurrently once the USIA recommendation was received) to grant the waiver.
Do not request a waiver, if you want to renew the J1, but start at least 1/2
year before the J1 expires if you do not want to move back in the meantime.
Having offer letters of companies included in the application certainly
help, even if you are not going to work for that specific company in the end
(thanks IBM :-)).
Best regards
Michael
PS: If you are a citizen or funded by so-called second or third world
countries it seems almost impossible to get around the 2-year home req.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Laurent Vuilleumier [mailto:L_Vuilleumier_at_lbl.gov]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2000 9:26 AM
> To: Grisostomi, Corinna
> Cc: jutta.loeffler_at_imm.unibe.ch; swiss-list_at_swiss-list.com
> Subject: Re: swiss-list: 2 year's rule
>
>
> > To avoid the 2-years home requirement clause on the J-1
> visa, you would need
> > to avoid being on a fellowship from your home government
> (Switzerland) or
> > your host government (USA). So forget about getting a Swiss National
> > Foundation Fellowship or a Fullbright (they are really bad
> to get out), OK
> > are privately financed fellowships such as Novartis,
> Hoff-Roche, any private
> > American University.
>
> I do not think it matters where the grant comes from to
> obtain a waiver
> of the 2-years rule. I obtained one, and was a Swiss National Fund
> Fellow. I think that if you are not a fellow from some
> government fund,
> you may even not be a subject to the 2-years rule.
>
> Laurent
> --
> Laurent Vuilleumier e-mail: L_Vuilleumier_at_lbl.gov
> Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory phone : (510) 486-6108
> 1 Cyclotron Road, 29C fax : (510) 486-7303
> Berkeley, CA 94720
>
>
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Received on Wed Sep 13 2000 - 10:16:36 PDT
