Exciting immigration update: the U.S. Department of State has announced a significant update to the Exchange Visitor Skills List (which dictates the J-1 visa two-year home-residency requirement) effective December 9, 2024 — the first revision in 15 years!
This change removes certain specialized fields from the skills list for 34 countries, meaning many J-1 visa holders from those countries will no longer be subject to the two-year home residency rule. This update is expected to ease the path to U.S. permanent residency or work visas for affected exchange visitors, as fewer will be obligated to return home for two years. It's a welcome modernization of a long-standing rule.
