The Department of State has revised the Exchange Visitor Skills List effective December 9, 2024. The Skills List identifies countries that require specialized knowledge or skills, determining if J nonimmigrant exchange visitors are subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement under Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
The list is updated based on economic development, country size, and outbound migration rates. Countries with a per capita GDP below $7,500 or those with significant outbound migration are presumed to benefit from specialized skills. The Department of State reviews the Skills List every three years and publishes updates as needed.
The revised list supersedes the 2009 Skills List. J nonimmigrants subject to the two-year requirement based on previous lists may no longer be subject if their country is not on the revised list.
For further details, you can check the full notice here.
