Which Countries Are on the 2024 J-1 Skills List?
The 2024 Exchange Visitor Skills List is much shorter than the prior list. A country must appear on the current list before the Skills List ground can independently make a J-1 subject to INA §212(e).
The current country list
The Department of State currently identifies the following countries and areas as having a 2024 Exchange Visitor Skills List:
- Belize
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Burma
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Gambia, The
- Ghana
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kosovo
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Palestinian Authority (West Bank and Gaza)
- Philippines, The
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Venezuela
- Yemen
- Zambia
The official DOS list should always be checked before relying on this page because the Department controls the current designation.
A listed country does not automatically mean every J-1 is subject
Country designation is only the first step. DOS instructs the exchange visitor to determine whether the person's field of specialized knowledge or skill also appears on that country's list.
If the country is listed but the relevant field is not listed, the person is not subject on the Skills List basis unless the field falls within a broader listed subject group.
An unlisted country generally eliminates the Skills List ground
If the applicable country is absent from the 2024 Skills List, DOS states that the exchange visitor is not subject to §212(e) on the Skills List basis.
That does not eliminate other independent grounds. Government funding and graduate medical education or training must still be considered.
Older J programs must be reviewed under the 2024 transition rule
DOS announced that a person previously subject under an earlier Skills List is no longer subject on that basis when the applicable country is absent from the 2024 list.
This can matter even when an old visa or DS-2019 continues to display a subject notation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does being from a listed country automatically make me subject?
No. The relevant field must also appear on the country's list or fall within a listed broader subject group.
What if my country is not listed?
You are not subject on the Skills List basis, although government funding or graduate medical training can still independently trigger §212(e).
Can the country list change?
Yes. The Department of State controls the official list, so the current government source should be checked.
Need Help With a J-1 Waiver?
The Messersmith Law Firm represents J-1 exchange visitors, physicians, researchers, professionals, and families in complex INA §212(e) matters.
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