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J1 Visa Teacher Exchange Fees

ALL Visa Sponsorship Fees are paid by school or school district, not the teacher:

• Year 1: $1,400
• Year 2: $800
• Year 3: $400
• Year 4 & 5 (flat fee): $1,200 + State Dept $367 fee
• Year 5: $00

Either the teacher or the school can pay the remaining costs and fees:

J-2 Dependents upon request – not automatic

Spouse – $300/year   
Child – $200/year (must be school age)

American Embassy J-1 visa passport stamp issuance fees: 

• $185 for J-1 nonimmigrant visa application
• $220 for SEVIS fee
  +possible charges for courier envelope or services to send passport

Miscellaneous non-refundable fees: 

You may be required to pay for background checks and credentialing, the cost of which is set by procedures in your home country, through either the government directly or independent agencies.  After you arrive in the US, if you work in a public or charter school, the individual school administration will walk you through the application and details.  The fee varies from $0-$200 according to individual school districts,  In the US Education is run differently in each of the individual 50 states plus the separate school district in Washington, DC.  If you work in a private school, you do not always need an American teaching certification.

Housing will vary from location to location and may range from $800 to $2400 per month depending on locale.  You can click on the Cost of Living Estimator, and also the Cordell Hull Foundation works with each individual school or school district to produce an individualized cost of living estimate for your area of the country.

You may have to pay teacher union dues which can range from $50 to $100 per month and are determined by the school district in which you will be teaching.  Note that union membership is usually optional. Weigh the benefits against cost before joining. Note that there are not teacher unions in every
state.  Right-to-work states are not forced to have unions.  See this nifty map:  https://www.nrtw.org/right-to-work-states/

Your host school may enroll you (at their discretion) in a retirement program and deduct a percentages  of your salary as your required contribution.

Schools – HOW TO APPLY
(not accepting application from teachers directly)

Fill in the NEW SPONSOR FORM.  

Watch our 5-minute New Program Video in English:
www.vimeo.com/387833348
or Spanish:
www.vimeo.com/272480420
or read the SET-UP GUIDE for detailed instructions.

Confirm if a teacher is qualified for a J-1 teacher visa before going through other steps. (See ELIGIBILITY at the top of this page.)

For late starts (after October) there are additional steps necessary, and the fee rises to $1,600.  

Exchange sponsorship fees to CHF are paid by the school, school district, or Charter School company, not by the teacher individually.

The American Embassy charges $160 + $220 to issue the J1 teacher visa in the passport.  A teacher may pay these fees or be reimbursed by the school.

J-1 teacher visa Eligibility Requirements

J-1 Exchange Visitor Program Regulations (22 CFR Part 62) require foreign nationals invited by a school, district or state to:

(1) possess the qualifications for teaching in kindergarten, primary or secondary schools in country of nationality or last legal residence;
(2) have two years of full-time teaching experience previous to application for J-1 teacher visa;
(3) satisfy the standards of the US state in which they will teach;
(4) be proficient in the English language;
(5) be of good reputation and character, and teach full time a minimum of 32 hours per week;
(6) teach at a similar level (kinder, primary, middle or secondary) at which they are trained in home country;
(7) posses the equivalent of a four-year U.S. university degree in teaching or the subject they will teach;
(8) be working as a TEACHER (not a principal, curriculum coordinator, etc.) at the time of application.

Restrictions on previous recruitment guidelines (after 2-29-2016):

(a) A candidate who has been a teacher for 20 years but promoted to school principal the year before application can be disqualified.
(b) The candidate must actually be teaching at the time of application (submitting candidature to the school).
(c) A candidate may not be placed at the K3 or K4 level unless teaching foreign language immersion in an elementary, K-8, or K-12 school.

Although CHF is not an International Teacher placement or recruitment agency, we collect resumes/CVs from exemplary educators seeking J1 visa support.  For U.S. schools who consider hiring an International Teacher, we search applications in our database and provide them free of charge. Teachers may apply by filling out our interactive application in Zoho.

Schools have certain responsibilities which are spelled out in the CHFHost School Responsibilities Course spelled out on ourwebpage.

Please note: Administrative Fees are generally non-refundable. 

Health Insurance Requirements

Teacher or school must pay cost for one school year of $100,000 health insurance with minimum $500 deductible for J-1 teachers plus all J-2 dependents.  We offer a group plan for $47/month per J-1 or J-2 regardless of age.  Teacher or school self-enrollment.  The Cordell Hull Foundation covers medical evacuation and repatriation free of charge to all J-1 and J-2 participants as part of the sponsorship fee.

Click on CHF blog for details:  http://j1visateachexc.blogspot.com

J-2 Dependent Fees – spouse or child only

J-2 dependent spouse – $300 per year 
J-2 dependent child – $200 per year 

CHF will consider sponsoring children on a case-by-case basis.  We do not automatically agree to sponsor young children, taking into account support and supervision available and other factors.  A child must be at least school age (3-5), depending upon the minimum age entrance available in the particular region or city.

Cordell Hull Foundation offices are centrally located in midtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue across from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Visit by appointment only.  CHF has been designated since 1962 to administer teacher exchanges and sponsor J-1 and J-2 visas by the US government. 

*Teacher sponsorship fees include:

1. school and teacher screening,
2. five-hour new-teacher orientation seminar in major U.S. cities or online orientation course in English, French or Spanish,
3. pre-arrival and orientation manual in three languages,
4. visa and immigration booklets in six languages,
5. instructions and advice on how to apply for and interview for the J-1 teacher exchange visa at American Embassies worldwide,
6. 40 instruction videos on various aspects of the exchange program in four languages, such as how to conduct yourself on visa interview, prepare cultural activity reports, extend the term for the 4th-5th years, interact with parents, cope with culture shock
7. continual monitoring and consultation throughout the 1-5 year term.

Schools and public school districts are invited to learn more about the teacher exchange J-1 visa program and that which we stand ready and able to do for you.  After enjoying the experience of teaching in the United States on a temporary basis of one to five years, program participants are expected to return home to share realistic feedback on American culture.
For details, click on FAQs … Frequently Asked Questions.

CHF Teacher Exchange blog:  http://j1visateachexc.blogspot.com/
CORDELL HULL FOUNDATION Memo of Understanding

Pictured below:  All-Saints-Day Tribute to deLesseps S. “Toni” Morrison, former Executive Director of CHF 

Teachers are contracted by the school, school district or state education system on a temporary basis for a period of one year at a time, extendable to five years. Participants are expected to remain at the original host school for 1-5 years, then return to their native countries to exercise skills and knowledge acquired in the United States, thus strengthening the ties which unite us with other nations.

Other initiatives include production of a film series on the life of Cordell Hull in partnership with DVA Productions, New York.  CHF recommends through the d.s. Toni Morrison Summer Studies Program in Antigua, Guatemala the expert one-on-one instruction offered by native-speaking specialists at the Escuela San Jose el Viejo for short-term intensive study.  Students have the opportunity of living with a Guatemalan family.

Webpage written by CHF Trustees and edited by Joseph Scott, Communications Director.

	Click here to go to CHF Teacher Application in English. Save the file using your last name.
	CORDELL HULL FOUNDATION Memo of Understanding – Required for Teacher Applicants to print and sign
	Haga click al lado de la bandera española para la solicitud de la Fundación Cordell Hull para Maestros en español
	Ficher de candidature de CHF en français