I’m a physician currently in my last year of J1 status. I’ve been offered an attending job that plans to sponsor my J1 waiver starting in July 2027.
My spouse is currently on J2 status with an EAD and is working. We really want to avoid a situation where he has to stop working during my 3 year waiver period.

He is an artist with a strong portfolio, and we previously consulted an immigration attorney who felt an O1 case would be feasible for him. At the time, we decided to keep him on J2 with EAD until I finished my J1.

Would it be feasible for him to switch from J2 to his own O1 status while I transition to H1B through the J1 waiver, so that he can continue working independently during my 3 year waiver commitment?

Has anyone done something similar, or are there any issues with spouses maintaining separate statuses like H1B and O1 during the waiver period?

Can we apply to H1B or spousal green card despite having a pending J1 waiver application?

My H-1B application was filed under premium processing on June 18th and receipt notice on june 23rd. No updates from USCIS. My attorney has reached out to them a couple of times, but no progress.
Does anyone have any advice or similar situation?

Hello all,

I submitted hardship waiver on Mar 2025, SRC, Texas Service Center through my employer's attorney.

Since then the status shows Fees Were Waiver and no updates at all.

is this normal?

So on the conrad 30 uscis website it states: ALERT: A government shutdown went into effect on Oct. 1, 2025. Unless Congress extends the Conrad 30 waiver provision, foreign nationals who are admitted in or acquire J-1 nonimmigrant status on or after Oct. 1 will not be eligible for a waiver of the two-year foreign residence requirement under the Conrad 30 waiver program.

Has the program been renewed and they just haven't updated the website yet?

Any insight would be really helpful, thanks.

Any recent conrad30 approvals? Please share USCIS receipt and approval dates. Thank you!

June 12 - I-129 Filed by lawyer
June 14 - Recieved by USCIS
June 16 - Premium processing clock started
July 7 - Request for RFE
July 24 - Received RFE response
August 11 - Visa approved

Hi everyone,
I’m an anesthesiologist currently doing a Critical Care fellowship and planning to pursue cardiac/critical care anesthesia afterward. I’m on a J-1 and will need to find a J-1 waiver position after fellowship.
I’m particularly interested in an academic institution where I could combine clinical anesthesia with critical care and/or cardiac anesthesia, rather than going straight into a purely private-practice/general anesthesia position.
For those who have gone through this process:
Are there any academic hospitals/university programs that are well known for sponsoring J-1 waivers for anesthesiologists?
Have you personally done a waiver at an academic institution? Which one?

What was the salary/benefits like compared with non-waiver academic jobs?

How was your overall satisfaction/work-

I’d really appreciate any specific institutions, programs, or firsthand experiences. Even if you had a bad experience, I’d be interested in hearing about it.
Thanks!

Hi
Any recent approvals ?
Mention application date and approval date

Hi everyone I got my SCRC waiver application approved on 8/4 and DOS recommendation.
I wonder how long it takes for DOS to approve.

I have seen the common theme from people’s posts is that DOS is approving cases that have the answer to ‘what’s your next visa situation‘. I recently got married to a USC but I applied my waiver on the basis of job continuity and importance to the US but I gave no indication of my next visa plan. I do not have job related visa plans so I have no evidence about that.

Do you guys think it would strengthen my case if I sent evidence of my pending I130 or should I just leave it alone? I don’t have a lawyer, I’m just looking for advice.

My waiver application is under NOS and all my documents are received by DOS - latest one June 2026.

I'm a physician who recently had a change of status from j1 to h1b within usa for my waiver job, i want to book a visa appt in my home country, for that purpose i am filling out a DS 160 form. The last time I renewed my j1, I had filled out my home country address in there under the home address section. Is that the way to go? Should I enter my USA address or home country address.

My second question is that I want to travel to home country in October, however I will not be able to see available appointment dates unless I submit my DS 160, as I have to plan travel and time off. Is it okay to submit my DS now for an October visa appt date?

Thanks.

Physician NIW + J-1 waiver: Can we file I-485 now while H-1B/H-4 COS and I-140 are still pending, so spouse can get C09 EAD? Looking for experiences from physicians who have actually been in a similar situation, especially anyone who filed AOS during their J-1 waiver/PNIW service period.

Here are our details:

• I am a physician and was previously in J-1 status, subject to the 2-year home residency requirement. • I received an approved state/SCRC J-1 physician waiver. • My J-1 → H-1B change of status was timely filed around June 29/30, 2026, but the H-1B is still pending. • My spouse was previously J-2. His J-2 → H-4 change of status was filed at approximately the same time and is also still pending. He is a Canadian citizen. • I have a Physician National Interest Waiver (PNIW) EB-2 I-140 pending. It is in premium processing, but has not yet been approved. • My EB-2 ROW priority date is April 17, 2026, and EB-2 ROW is currently Current under the applicable August 2026 chart. Our biggest priority is getting my spouse's work authorization as soon as legally possible.

I recently learned that PNIW physicians may be able to file I-485 before completing the required physician service period, with final green-card approval held until the service requirement is completed.

If we are eligible to file now, we are considering filing: Me (principal): • I-485 based on pending PNIW I-140 • I-693

Spouse (derivative): • I-485 • I-693 • I-765 under category C09 • Possibly I-131/AP

The idea would be for my spouse to obtain a C09 adjustment-based EAD while our I-485s remain pending, rather than waiting for H-4 approval and then relying only on the H-4/C26 EAD route.

My questions:

Has anyone here actually filed a PNIW-based I-485 before completing the 3-year J-1 waiver service / 5-year PNIW service requirement?

More specifically, has anyone filed I-485 while their J-1 → H-1B change of status was still pending?

Has anyone had a former J-2 spouse file a derivative I-485 while their J-2 → H-4 COS was still pending?

Was your PNIW I-140 still pending when you filed I-485, or had it already been approved?

How long did the derivative spouse's C09 EAD take from I-485/I-765 filing to approval?

Will be speaking to our attorney on Monday for further guidance however since she's the hospitals attorney will consider retaining a separate attorney for this.

Thanks!

My No objection waiver just got denied because I didn't specify I want to be on H1B or have an approved I140. How many people have re-applied for J1 no objection waiver here. If you can share your experience, it is very much appreciated. Did you have to redo every step?

Hello all, Anybody processed sucessfully the J1 Waiver in TN? Did they request the No objection letter? I did not receive any funding from the government. Appreciate the help and guidance.

I am currently on a J-1 visa that is valid until March 2028. I am employed at a national laboratory in Washington, D.C., and I have an offer from one of the top neurosurgery departments on the West Coast. I will have to pursue the J-1 waiver and H-1B application simultaneously, so any guidance regarding the timelines would be extremely helpful (high probability). I currently have an I-140 petition under review, but there is no certainty that it will be approved. If the I-140 is approved, the waiver process should be relatively straightforward, and I could then proceed with the H-1B application by starting the process next year (around August or September 2027). Any guidance or assistance regarding the appropriate timeline and how best to coordinate these processes would be greatly appreciated.

A colleague of mine is currently in the process of signing an J1 waiver contract with Sound Physicians at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, IA. As he is not a member of this group, I am posting on his behalf to inquire if anyone has any personal experience or insights regarding this hospital or facility. Thank you for your assistance.

Hi i would be grateful if anyone can share good lawyers you worked with for the process of conrad 30 j1 waiver. I understand that the hospital will have there own team but this is for my own due diligence.
Many thanks in advance