VisaUS exchange visitors need a government statement for a No Objection waiver
This waiver basis has medical-training exclusions and a separate federal application, payment and decision sequence.
Official announcement date: not established (undated guidance)
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Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Confirm the two-year requirement and the specific waiver basis
Current or former US J-1 exchange visitors who are subject to the two-year home-country physical-presence requirement can consider a No Objection waiver only if that basis fits their circumstances. Not every J-1 visitor is subject. State Department eligibility guidance identifies government funding, a relevant skills-list programme or graduate medical education as possible triggers. A different immigration application does not by itself remove the requirement.
The No Objection option is unavailable to foreign physicians who obtained J-1 status on or after 10 January 1977 for graduate medical education or training. It is one waiver basis, not a general alternative for every doctor. Check both whether the requirement applies and whether this particular basis is available before asking the home government for a statement.
Use an advisory opinion if applicability is uncertain
The department’s Advisory Opinions procedure allows a review of the exchange-programme records to determine whether the requirement applies. Its checklist asks for descriptions of the programmes, dates and funding, all DS-2019 or older IAP-66 forms, the passport’s J-1 visa page, the supplementary applicant-information page and relevant proof of time already spent satisfying the requirement.
Requests are accepted by email, not post or fax, and the response is sent to the supplied email address. An advisory opinion is a determination about applicability, not a waiver approval. Keep that decision with the programme record before proceeding to a waiver request. The page’s stated review estimate is not an individual appointment or travel guarantee; no case-specific completion date was verified.
Prepare DS-3035 and have the government send its own statement
The application instructions require completing DS-3035 online, printing its barcode in black and white, and mailing the printed form, fee and copies of all DS-2019 or IAP-66 forms to the listed address matching the delivery method. Creating the online case number is therefore only part of the filing sequence. Do not treat the online form alone as a complete submitted package.
For this basis, the home government’s Washington embassy sends its No Objection Statement directly to the Waiver Review Division through the designated official channel. The applicant cannot submit it personally to that inbox. Alternatively, a designated home ministry sends it through the US embassy’s consular section. The statement addresses both not returning to fulfil the requirement and the possibility of US permanent residence. Coordinate the case reference, rather than asking an official simply for an unspecified employment-support letter.
Send the US$120 processing payment with the application
The dedicated fee page lists US$120, non-refundable, for the waiver recommendation application. It requires a check or money order payable to the US Department of State, in US currency, from a US bank or institution. The payment should identify the waiver case number if known, full name, and date and place of birth. Overseas applicants should read its specific international money-order or draft instructions.
The fee must accompany the application rather than be sent alone; the page says an isolated payment is returned and the application is not processed. It also states there is no additional fee for included J-2 spouses or children. This is the federal processing charge, not a quotation for any home-government consular service or a promise that the waiver will be recommended.
Recover missing records and follow the recommendation through to a decision
The waiver FAQ says to request the No Objection Statement after obtaining the waiver case number. If the home government refuses, another basis can be considered only if it actually applies. For missing DS-2019 or IAP-66 records, approach the programme’s responsible officer; if duplicates cannot be obtained, the FAQ describes a signed programme-officer letter explaining participation. The review cannot simply proceed as though missing programme history were irrelevant.
The FAQ also explains that included J-2 dependants normally do not file or pay separately, and that the J-1 applicant must list them. A favourable State Department recommendation is forwarded to USCIS, which makes the final waiver decision. The application instructions direct subsequent status enquiries to USCIS after that referral. Neither a home-government statement nor a pending waiver request should be described as a visa extension or final approval.
