Understanding the 12- and 24-Month Bars
The J Bars are rules on whether or not a scholar can have repeat participation in a J-1 program in the U.S. The bars say that you are or are not allowed to have a new period of J Visa sponsorship based on how long you were in the U.S. and under which J Visa category. There are different J-1 categories, each with separate rules. The Bars only affect scholars wanting to start a new period of the J-1 Research Scholar/Professor category. Scholars are either not subject to the BARs, subject to a 12-month bar or a 24-month bar. In the extreme case, a scholar would not be able to use J-1 sponsorship for a two year period. (This is a different rule from the two-year home-residency requirement). The following chart shows how long you would have to wait before you could obtain a new J-1 Research Scholar or Professor visa based on your previous J Visa status. Please speak with an OIA advisor for details.
Scholar Visa Status for Less than 6 Months
| If you have or had this J Visa category |
Wait time for new J-1 Research Scholar/Professor Visa |
|
| J-1 Student Non-Degree |  No Wait |
|
| J-1 Student | No Wait |
|
| J-1 Research Scholar/Professor Category for any amount of time (one day to five years) |  24 Months |
|
| J-1 Short-Term Scholar | No Wait |
|
| J-1 Specialist | No Wait |
|
| J-2 Dependent | No Wait |
Scholar Visa Status for More than 6 Months
| If you have or had this J Visa category |
Wait time for new J-1 Research Scholar/Professor Visa |
|
| J-1 Student Non-Degree |  12 Months |
|
| J-1 Student | 12 Months |
|
| J-1 Specialist | 12 Months |
|
| J-1 Research Scholar/Professor Category for any amount of time (one day to five years) | 24 Months |
|
| J-2 Dependent of Research Scholar/Professor Category | 24 Months |
|
| J-2 Dependent of any J-1 category except Research Scholar/Professor | 12 Months |
