J-1 Waivers

Students and researchers who have obtained a J-1 visa (Exchange Visitor Program) subject to the two-year home-country physical presence requirement in Italy (the visa must expressly state “two years rule does apply” or “bearer is subject to 212(e)”) and who wish to extend their research in the United States beyond the two-year period or accept job offers from U.S. entities or institutions must apply for the issuance of a “No Objection Statement” at the Embassy of their country of origin or permanent residence in order to obtain the Waiver from the U.S. Department of State (DoS).

Italian citizens and aliens holding a long-term Italian residence permit can request a “No Objection Statement” exclusively at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC.

To request the “No Objection Statement,” it is necessary to:

1. Submit the application online through the DoS website at the following link: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange/waiver-of-the-exchange-visitor.html
2. Send the following documentation in PDF format to the address J1waivers.washington@esteri.it :

• • A brief request in Italian, dated and signed, requesting the Waiver citing your reasons;
  • A copy of your passport (limited to pages with personal data);
  • Copies of all J1 visas (even expired) obtained from the U.S. Government;
  • A complete and up-to-date curriculum vitæ in Italian (CVs in English will not be considered), including contact information;
  • A copy of the DoS document entitled “Third Party Barcode Page” (a single sheet, not the entire packet).

For the issuance of the “No Objection Statement,” the average waiting time is 45 working days from the date of receipt of the request or, in case of a request for additional documentation, from the fulfillment thereof.

Requests will be processed, without exception, in the order they are received.

The process is as follows:

• After reviewing each request, the office responsible requests clearance from the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR), which normally responds within one month.
• Upon receiving clearance from the MUR, the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC/J1 Visa Waiver Office forwards the “No Objection Statement” to the DoS.
• The applicant can track the status of the waiver request on the DoS website at the following link:  http://j1visawaiverstatus.state.gov.

The Embassy of Italy in Washington also forwards waiver requests for Fulbright scholarship recipients. However, it is necessary to note that in such cases, a response from U.S. authorities may take a considerable amount of time.

Please note that the email address J1waivers.washington@esteri.it does not respond to inquiries regarding the granting of entry visas to Italy.