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J-1 Cross-Cultural Component

J visa Requirements at UIW

Students under the J-1 exchange student visa must meet the cultural exchange requirement by building mutual understanding between Americans and of their home residence. UIW exchange students meet this cultural exchange requirement by living on-campus and experiencing typical day-to-day interactions accompanied with formal and informal campus cultural activities with their peers from the U.S.  Exceptions to the on-campus housing requirement are granted for medical reasons only and must be processed by the UIW Office of Disability Services and approved by Vice President of International Affairs.

Optometry and Physical Therapy students are pre-authorized to live in alternate housing and shall meet the cultural exchange requirement by experiencing cross-cultural experiences within the assigned program and/or within the community to comply with the J-1 exchange student Federal Regulatory Requirements of the exchange visitor program.

Written description of such cultural activity is required to be submitted to the office of the International Student & Scholar Services Office and on this website. This report shall be included in the Department of State’s J-1 Visa Annual Report to demonstrate compliance of the Federal Regulatory Requirement