Anyone on a J1 visa has this simple question…when should I start looking for a J1 waiver job?
In general, the search for J1 waiver follows the timeframe similar to fellowship search. If you are in a 3-year residency (or fellowship) program, you should start looking as soon as you enter year 2. You should aim to line up interviews by the middle of year 2 which would translate to October-February period of year 2. Try to seal the deal (i.e.) sign the contract by June at the latest – i.e. end of year 2.
The whole point of this exercise is to have your J1 waiver application packet ready to be filed by August. In case you missed it, the packet needs to be ready to be filed by August.
That August deadline is vital because there are hundreds of applicants just like you, going through the process. As soon as the application window opens, hundreds ARE submitted. The longer you take to send in the application, the lower down in the list you are. That in turn means that your chances of securing a waiver spot are lower. Remember, the Conrad State 30 program allows 30 spots per state per year. In high demand states like New York or Illinois, those spots fill up faster than you can say “wow”!
And by the way, you yourself don’t have to do much. The future employer’s immigration attorney will prepare everything. You only have to provide your information to them and then sign a few pages.
In short, the earlier you start looking, the better off you will be. This is especially true if you have specialized and done fellowship. The more specialized you are, the sooner you need to start looking. That’s simply because there are fewer super-specialized jobs out there and most would not fall into the waiver/underserved category.
Since this post is being written in the month of September, you should be searching NOW!
Good luck!
