Modernization of the Exchange Visitor Skills List

By: Nabila Riaz
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
On Monday, December 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) published Public Notice 12555, updating the Exchange Visitor Skills List. The new Skills List takes effect on December 9, 2024, and is retroactive.

More than 20 countries, including China, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates, have been removed from the J-1 Exchange Visitor Skills List. As a result, nationals from these countries will no longer be required to fulfill the two-year home-country physical presence requirement after completing their program. This modernized Skills List streamlines the visa process for these exchange visitors, allowing them to change status to H-1B or pursue permanent residence, unless subject to the home-residency requirement for another reason. DOS’s update helps prevent many researchers from being forced out of the U.S. due to immigration law, enabling international visiting scholars and postdoctoral fellows on J-1 visas to continue contributing their talents to U.S. businesses and innovation.