TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite — The United States is considering expanding the list of skills covered under its J-1 exchange visitor program following positive assessments of Filipino participants’ compliance with visa requirements, a Philippine official said Friday.
Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Chairperson Secretary Dante Ang III said American authorities have expressed satisfaction with how Filipinos have adhered to the program’s conditions, particularly the requirement to return home and contribute their expertise after completing their exchange activities in the US.
Speaking during a media training on the Philippine migration landscape in Tagaytay City, Ang noted that the favorable compliance record could pave the way for the inclusion of additional fields in the program’s skills list.
“Because of that, we are looking at possibly expanding the list. The US has already added some areas that reflect the Philippines’ evolving development priorities,” he said, citing nuclear power technology as one example.
The J-1 visa is a non-immigrant program intended to promote educational and cultural exchange. Participants whose fields are included in the US Department of State’s Skills List are generally required to return to their home countries for at least two years before becoming eligible to apply for immigrant visas.
Ang also reiterated a previous advisory from the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., warning Filipinos against misleading claims that the J-1 visa can serve as a direct route to permanent residency or US citizenship.
The embassy earlier reported receiving complaints about unauthorized recruiters and individuals posing as immigration experts who falsely advertise the program as a pathway to long-term immigration.
“If your goal is permanent migration, we encourage applicants to pursue the proper immigration channels,” Ang said.
He stressed that exchange programs such as the J-1 visa and au pair arrangements should be used for their intended purposes and not as alternatives to established residency and immigration processes.
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