The following message was sent by email to all active and incoming J-1 exchange visitors sponsored by ISO on May 30, 2025:
News outlets have reported that the U.S. Department of State has temporarily paused visa appointment availability for F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa applications at U.S. consulates abroad. Because there have been no official communications from the Department of State regarding this pause, we do not know its exact scope or when it will end. However, it seems likely that it will affect visa availability and processing times for any J-1 exchange visitor who:
- is currently outside the U.S.,
- needs a new J-1 visa stamp to enter or reenter the U.S., and
- has not already scheduled an interview at a U.S. consulate abroad.
ISO is therefore making the following recommendations for J-1 exchange visitors sponsored through ISO:
- If you have recently scheduled a visa interview at a U.S. consulate, you may want to contact the consulate to confirm that your interview is still scheduled.
- If you are in the process of applying for a J visa stamp but have not yet scheduled your interview, you will be unable to do so until this pause has ended; however, you should continue to check regularly for available appointments, since we don’t know how long the pause will last.
- If you already have a valid, unexpired J visa stamp, you are free to travel internationally as long as you return to the U.S. before that visa stamp expires.
- If you are in the U.S. and do not have a valid, unexpired J visa stamp, you should not travel internationally unless your planned travel would be eligible for Automatic Visa Revalidation.
We hope to be in touch with more information soon.