Is it easy to be approved when petitioning for a J-1 visa waiver, or do most people get denied?

Question

Does anyone know what the requirements are to become one of the people who are approved?

Answer 1

The US State Department provides information about J visas here:

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/jex...

To be approved, your program must be a reputable and established program. It was established in 1961 under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act:

"The Act promotes mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through educational and cultural exchanges. Sponsors and exchange visitors are required to comply with the Exchange Visitor Program regulations. For a successful Program, it is essential to become familiar with the governing regulations."

Whether you will be approved or denied depends entirely on your nationality, the number of J visa holders from your country and all other countries doing a similar program, and the existing refusal rate. For example, if your specific program has a high rate of fraud and of visitors who don't return home after the program (=they overstay illegally) your chances of being refused are higher.