Form I-612 | Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement (under Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as Amended)

Purpose of Form

If you are the member of any exchange program, you have a possibility to get J-1 or J-2 visas. These programs are created in order to exchange cultural and professional experience, that’s why US citizens can leave the US in order to live in another country, while non-American citizens can live in the US and develop their language skills or learn something new about our culture. Holders of these visas can stay in the US until the end of the exchange program. In most cases, you cannot come back to the US within two years after this program. However, there is a legal possibility to overcome this prohibition.

Special Instructions

If you are a former J-1 and J-2 visas holder and you want to visit the US before the expiration of two years after the exchange program, you have to file USCIS form I-612 (Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement (under Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as Amended) in order to cancel this restriction.

Where to File