State Department proposes new rules for ending, extending and reinstating J-1 programs
The State Department published a proposed rule on July 30 that would rewrite the parts of the exchange visitor regulations covering termination, program extensions and reinstatement, last updated in 1999. It would require sponsors to end a participant's program for false statements, let the Department itself terminate a program after a visa is revoked, set a firm three-month deadline for extension paperwork beyond the maximum duration, and replace the current reinstatement categories with a 30-day window to correct a SEVIS record. It applies to J-1 and J-2 exchange visitors, not F-1 students. The comment period closed September 28; the current rules stay in place unless a final rule is issued.