Guide To J-1 Visa Applications Eligibility
A J-1 visa is ideally a non-immigrant type of visa issued by the government of the United States to visitors who intend to undertake various internships in the country. Since the process for visiting a foreign country is often complicated, you can either visit a reputable informational website like Canadian Immigration's website, or contact an experienced immigration lawyer.
For help with the application process, documents required, and possible petitions that may arise with your J-1 visa, an immigration attorney is a valuable resource. He /she would start by explaining to you the specific requirements for the visa and then fill you in on whether you meet the requirements or not. Many of the procedures involved in the application process are quite complex and are better handled by a lawyer, it will take a short time for them to review your immigration needs, give you advice on the most effective way forward and then set you on the right path. Hurdles are minimized any time a lawyer is involved.
Eligibility
People who are eligible to apply for this category of visa include university and college students, teachers, short-term scholars, researchers, government visitors, specialists and any other special education exchange visitors who have formal invitations from institutions in the United States.
The Process
To begin with, students who intend to travel to the United States for internship must first obtain a certificate of eligibility, typically called form DS- 2019, from the institution they plan to join. It is, as a matter of necessity, important that the names on this form be identical to those used in your passport, otherwise your offer will be declined.
Form DS-2019 usually comes with instructions on how to pay the SEVI’s fee, which is a mandatory fee paid to the department of homeland security by all applicants. Be sure to keep the receipts issued upon confirmation of payment so that you can produce them when required.
Next, you need to get the application form (DS-156) from any United States consulate in your country and complete it. Generally, you will be required to pay some money for your visa application to be processed. The consulate will then schedule an interview for you. The time it takes to have the visa issued to you differs from one country to another.
Documentation
The consulate will also require that you produce the following documents:
• Your letter of acceptance to the program.
• Evidence of sufficient funds to fund the program.
• Documents indicating that you plan to go back home at the end of the program.
Mismatched names are the biggest problem people encounter when applying for this type of visa. You ought to thus make sure that your name is in the same order on all of the documents submitted. J-1 visa applications come with minimal glitches, provided your documents are in order and you follow the application procedure. Additional data about Canadian immigration can be reviewed on the site of ehow.

