The U.S. Department of State recently updated its list of countries subject to the J-1 visa two-year home-country residency requirement. This change significantly impacts many foreign nationals who came to the United States on a J-1 visa for work or study. What is the J-1 Visa Two-Year Home-Country Residency Requirement? The J-1 visa is a temporary visa for people coming to the U.S. for exchange programs, like studying, teaching, or working. In some cases, J-1 visa holders are required to return to their home country for two years before they can: Apply for certain other U.S. visas (like an H-1B work visa) Apply for a green card (permanent residency) What Changed? The Department of State revised the list of countries whose citizens are subject to the two-year home-country residency requirement. Many countries were removed from the list , including: China India South Korea Brazil Several other countries What Does This Mean for J-1 Visa Holders? If you are from a country that was removed...