How to establish a J1 sponsorship

Do you have a desired or have you accepted a residency/fellowship position at an institution without an existing J1 program? It will take some work and may take some convincing, but the process typically takes less than two months. It is actually free for the training program because the true sponsor of your position is the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECMFG). However, you as the trainee must pay an annual fee, which is your responsibility to pay in timely manner. This fee is paid after you get a contract renewal with your program. Your training program must do minimal paperwork, do a tutorial, and assign someone as the “training program liaison” (TPL). Here is the website where your training program can get started.

I was on a J1 visa as a resident, and my residency program already had a history of accepting J1-visa holders a decade prior. Additionally, the hospital was sponsoring J1 visa holders in other departments. My fellowship program did not sponsor J1 visas and even after educating them during my interview, they did not realize that there was some work to be done on their end. I was about 5 months away from moving across the country when I found out that the sponsorship was not established…and then I entered panic mode.

After being told that I may no longer be eligible to be a part of that fellowship program, I put the Gradual Medical Education officer at my residency program in touch with my fellowship program, and she was able to guide them through the process of establishing the J1 sponsorship. The process is not difficult, but government websites can be overwhelming and people may have preconceived notions of what is required to accept J1 visa holders as trainees. Within 2 months, the fellowship established the sponsorship, and my career was back on track.

PRO TIP: 

If you are interviewed for a position in residency or fellowship and you find that your program likes you because you have done audition rotations and is inclined to offer you a position as a resident/fellow, have a real conversation about J1 sponsorship and take the time while you are in their presence to show them the website above. An even better situation is if you are directed to the administrative section of that department as you will have a direct hand in securing a position for yourself. In this phase of your immigration journey, you will not need a lawyer on your part to help you establish this sponsorship. Likely, as in my situation, the county council (lawyers from the employment side), looked at the J1 sponsorship and gave their blessing.

Good luck and do not give up at the first no. Your ultimate no will be from the Program Director and/or Chairman of that department.