J1 waiver 2020 NOS update timeline

[Natasha Sichula 6]

Got my Favorable Recommendation on November 8, 2021

Here’s my timeline:

•May 24, 2021 Zambian Embassy sends NOS to State Department

•May 25, 2021 Immigration lawyers and I pay and file for all my documents

•July 6, 2021 all documents aside from my NOS marked as received

•August 6, Immigration Lawyers send an Inquiry to State Department about my NOS

•August 11, I ask the Zambian Embassy to resend the NOS as we wait to hear from State Department, and they resend it.

•September 29, 2021 State Dept emails my lawyers saying there’s no record of my NOS in the Waiver Review dept

•September 30, 2021 Zambian Embassy mails NOS and also sends it as an email attachment to the generic email on State dept website just in case they’re having trouble with the mailing service 

•October 10, 2021 NOS still not reflecting, the Zambian Embassy sends it using priority FedEx shipping and they give me a tracking number. At the State Dept, J. Harrison signs my Fedex package.

•October 24, 2021 NOS still not reflecting as received. I submit an inquiry through a Chicago congress representative.

•October 25, 2021 State Department responds to Chicago congress saying my NOS is not at the Waiver Review division of the State Department 

•October 27, 2021 State Department asks Chicago Congress to tell my embassy to fax my NOS to State Department. Zambian Embassy doesn’t have a Fax. State Department then provides an Email for Zambian Embassy to mail the NOS

•November 4, 2021 NOS Marked as received and backtracked to show July 5th as received date on State Department website

•November 8, 2021 Favorable response

Note that the J1 visa in my passport clearly started that I am not subject to the 2 year residency requirement. My work lawyers still advised me to get it as a precaution before they filled for my H1B visa.

Good luck everyone with your journey ❤️Sending you prayers, and positive vibes

 

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by Natasha Sichula

[vabhi6 7]

All my documents except NOS were mailed on July 06 and were acknowledged as received on Sept 07,2021. NOS just got updated on the website as received on Sept 06. Hoping to get the waiver by Jan!

[J1_Visa waiver 1]

On 11/4/2021 at 5:30 AM, Cris Santos said:

New update in my timeline, sponsor views requested 🙌🏻 I’ll contact my sponsor today 

Can any one tell me what is sponsor views? why its required for J1 scholars? My case just updated today sponsor views (received) after  a long wait...

[fguazuma 15]

21 minutes ago, J1_Visa waiver said:

Can any one tell me what is sponsor views? why its required for J1 scholars? My case just updated today sponsor views (received) after  a long wait...

Who was your sponsor during your J1 program? 
My understanding is that the DoS sent a request to your sponsor asking them whether they should grant you a waiver or not. Some people in this forum have contacted their sponsor asking for the waiver. I'd do the same, so the sponsor knows they'll receive this request from the DoS.
Disclaimer: I'm not an attorney, I'm just trying to understand the waiver process as best as I can, so I'm aware of the steps and possibly can help others! Good luck!!! 

[erdpin 0]

20 hours ago, vabhi6 said:

All my documents except NOS were mailed on July 06 and were acknowledged as received on Sept 07,2021. NOS just got updated on the website as received on Sept 06. Hoping to get the waiver by Jan!

What is the section "other" here? Thank you!

[Cris Santos 22]

1 hour ago, J1_Visa waiver said:

Can any one tell me what is sponsor views? why its required for J1 scholars? My case just updated today sponsor views (received) after  a long wait...

DOS requests sponsor views whenever the J1 scholar received any sort of government funding. As @fguazuma described they will send their opinion to DOS on whether you should be granted the waiver or not. Each sponsor has its own rules so if possible try to contact your sponsor to both understand their rules and speed up the process. Good luck! 

[vabhi6 7]

58 minutes ago, erdpin said:

What is the section "other" here? Thank you!

I dont know exactly but I sent some evidence to support an error in my name in my previous passport.

[J1_Visa waiver 1]

57 minutes ago, Cris Santos said:

DOS requests sponsor views whenever the J1 scholar received any sort of government funding. As @fguazuma described they will send their opinion to DOS on whether you should be granted the waiver or not. Each sponsor has its own rules so if possible try to contact your sponsor to both understand their rules and speed up the process. Good luck! 

Thanks @fguazuma and @vabhi6. My program sponsor is University of Chicago.  I was told Fulbright Scholarships are the govt funded one. Correct me if I am wrong!  My case is updated in the DOS yesterday - Sponsor views received. Do I need to do anything further?

Edited November 10, 2021 by J1_Visa waiver
typo

[Cris Santos 22]

5 minutes ago, J1_Visa waiver said:

Thanks @fguazuma and @vabhi6. My program sponsor is University of Chicago.  I was told Fulbright Scholarships are the govt funded one. Correct me if I am wrong!  My case is updated in the DOS yesterday - Sponsor views received. Do I need to do anything further?

Fulbright is the most common but there are others (eg NIH, NASA, FDA, etc). It could have been a mistake but since it says “received” I don’t think you need to do anything at this point 

[fguazuma 15]

1 hour ago, J1_Visa waiver said:

Thanks @fguazuma and @vabhi6. My program sponsor is University of Chicago.  I was told Fulbright Scholarships are the govt funded one. Correct me if I am wrong!  My case is updated in the DOS yesterday - Sponsor views received. Do I need to do anything further?

Just for curiosity, what do you see on your DS-2019 as the "program sponsor"? University of Chicago or the agency that actually funded the program? Thanks!

[J1_Visa waiver 1]

5 minutes ago, fguazuma said:

Just for curiosity, what do you see on your DS-2019 as the "program sponsor"? University of Chicago or the agency that actually funded the program? Thanks!

 

5 minutes ago, fguazuma said:

Just for curiosity, what do you see on your DS-2019 as the "program sponsor"? University of Chicago or the agency that actually funded the program? Thanks!

Univ of Chicago

[J1_Visa waiver 1]

10 minutes ago, J1_Visa waiver said:

 

Univ of Chicago

Ok. My previous DS2019 was from OHSU- public academic health center. So they might have asked.

[cocomomo122 8]

Update on my case  -

I got Favourable Recommendation on my application today. I had mailed my documents end of May and everything except NOS was updated on the portal on July 6. I emailed three times to update my NOS, no reply.  My embassy sent the NOS twice. The NOS showed up on Oct 27 ( my last email to DHS was on Oct. 21 ). Favourable recommendation on Nov 10.

 

I am now awaiting the approval notice and receipt from USCIS. Best of luck everyone!

[fguazuma 15]

1 hour ago, cocomomo122 said:

Update on my case  -

I got Favourable Recommendation on my application today. I had mailed my documents end of May and everything except NOS was updated on the portal on July 6. I emailed three times to update my NOS, no reply.  My embassy sent the NOS twice. The NOS showed up on Oct 27 ( my last email to DHS was on Oct. 21 ). Favourable recommendation on Nov 10.

 

I am now awaiting the approval notice and receipt from USCIS. Best of luck everyone!

@cocomomo122 So nice to hear that! Congrats!!
@J1_Visa waiver it seems that this "OHSU- public academic health center" is a state-funded institution, if that's the case, I think you're good. I think it's hard to get a waiver when you had a federal agency/government sponsoring you. By the way, did anyone here get a favorable recommendation on a program sponsored by a "State University"? This is my situation, my program sponsor was a "State University".

Thanks and good luck!!!

[J1_Visa waiver 1]

13 minutes ago, fguazuma said:

@cocomomo122 So nice to hear that! Congrats!!
@J1_Visa waiver it seems that this "OHSU- public academic health center" is a state-funded institution, if that's the case, I think you're good. I think it's hard to get a waiver when you had a federal agency/government sponsoring you. By the way, did anyone here get a favorable recommendation on a program sponsored by a "State University"? This is my situation, my program sponsor was a "State University".

Thanks and good luck!!!

@fguazuma  You're right. But I have already been waiting for more than five months(24 weeks) without any updates all the documents to be received and reflected on their DOS site.