J-1 visa??????????

Question

I came to the USA on a J1 exchange program visa. I'm going to leave this program and just leave with some friends but people in my agency told me that if I do that they are going to cancel my visa. Anyone know something about this?

Answer 1

All J-1 visa holders have a sponsoring organization in the States. According to the State Dept rules governing J-1 programs, if the visa holder breaks State Dept or sponsor agency rules, they are out of status and should leave the country immediately. In practice, it's unlikely that someone is going to come and hunt you down, but you are illegal. When you do leave the country you can forget abou coming again for about 10 years.

     Anyhow, the bottom line is that your agency is 100% correct and they have the ability, right and responsibility to withdraw sponsorship and declare you out of status.

     I mean, what are you thinking of? Did you think that the J-1 visa is an immigrant visa? Do you also understand that this sort of thing makes it more difficult for people from your country to get visas to the US?

Answer 2

A J-1 visa is a cultural visa that REQUIRES you to be in a program approved by the US government. If you leave the program your visa becomes invalid and you are required to leave the country.

Answer 3

You sole reason for being in the U.S. is to work for organization which sponsored your J-1 visa. If you leave the organization and cease your employment with them, then you have broken the conditions of your visa and you are deemed out-of-status and therefore you right to be in the U.S. ends, when you break your contractual agreement with the organization.

Do so and you must return home, refuse to go home and you illegal and subject to deportation.