J1 Visa Categories: Private Sector

j1 visa categories private sector

Are you planning to travel on a J1 visa? The type of J1 visa you have limits your stay on the program you are following in your host country, as well as the activities you are allowed to take part in. Here are some of the J1 visa categories in the Private Sector program.

The Alien Physician category is for foreign medical graduates who are pursuing medical training at schools of medicine or scientific colleges that are properly accredited. There are certain criteria to be met including the evidence of prior qualifications and training, competency in English and acceptance into a US medical school. The second category is Au Pair. Through the Au Pair program you can provide child care services to a host family for up to 10 hours a day, and not more than 45 hours a week. With this visa you are compensated for your work according to the Fair Labor Standards Act. There are a variety of regulations attached to the visa, which you need to be familiar with before you take up work in this category.

Third is the Camp Counselor visa category. Camp Counselors are young people who work with children in summer camps but are not employed as staff. In order to travel on this visa you are limited to four months of work in total. Summer camps must be accredited and the visa holder will receive pay and benefits equal to those offered to US camp counselors. You may also take up a J1 visa as a Secondary School student. This happens through the high school exchange program where students participate at a US high school for up to one year.

Further categories in the J1 visa category include the Summer Work/ Travel visa that allows a post-secondary student to work and travel up to four months during summer vacation. Teachers may also travel on a J1 visa, as can Trainees and Flight Training students.