Waiver of the Two-Year Home-Country Residency Requirement for Exchange Visitors to the US (J-1 visa waiver)
An Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) participant may be given a Waiver of the 2-Year Home Residency on the Basis of the No Objection Statement (NOS) issued by the Philippine Government.
The EVP Committee reserves the right to grant “No Objection Statement” (NOS), upon completion of all requirements, to applicants whose cases may fall under highly meritorious circumstances, such as, but not limited to, applications from researchers or professionals whose continued stay in the United States will advance the Philippines’ national interest. These researches or studies should be sustainable, suitable to the current priorities of the Philippine government, and will improve research and development (RnD) in the Philippines.
These applications, which will include detailed research plans, are to be subjected to evaluation by relevant agencies such as DOST, DOH, CHED, among others.
The EVP Committee shall not grant NOS on the following grounds:
A. The applicant has not attended or has not completed the training program, unless the reasons for non-attendance or non-completion are any of the following:
- Violations of the participant’s recognized rights by training institution or sponsor, as proven by supporting documents; and
- Cancellation, suspension, or termination of the training program for causes not attributable to the applicant (As amended by EVP Resolution No. 02-2003).
B. The participant has outstanding financial or service obligations with any government agency, or any public or private institution in the Philippines;
C. The applicant has not submitted complete application requirements as provided in Sec. of the Guidelines; and
D. The applicant has submitted falsified documents. Submission of falsified documents may also be a ground for administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions.
Education and training opportunities in fields of professions contained in the Philippine Skills List are necessarily covered by the two-year home residency requirement. All NOS applications of EVP participants whose field of training in the US is included in the Skills List shall not be granted NOS taking into consideration the provisions of Section 3[1] and the priorities of the Philippine Government, unless the Committee deemed their applications as meritorious cases and decided to process their applications.
Please visit the EVP Committee website at www.evpcommittee.ph for information about requirements and procedures in applying for a waiver of the two-year home residency requirement through the No Objection Statement (NOS) from the Philippine Government. Inquiries/clarifications regarding NOS application may be also sent to evpsecretariat@cfo.gov.ph.
[1] It is the policy of the Philippine Government that all EVP participants return to the country as part of the two-year home-country residency requirement. However, it is recognized that under highly meritorious circumstances and after careful and rigorous evaluation by the EVP Committee, a No Objection Statement may be issued, in consideration of the following objectives of the RP-US exchange program:
a. Promote mutual understanding among Filipino and American peoples by means of cultural and educational qualifications;
b. Provide an avenue for Filipinos and permanent residents in the Philippines to participate in educational and cultural programs and avail themselves of opportunities for cultural and educational advancement; and
c. Ensure that maximum benefits shall accrue to the Philippines in its participation in the EVP by requiring participants to return to the Philippines after their cultural and educational experience in the United States, and share these with their fellow Filipinos and the Philippine Government.