{"id":1802,"date":"2025-09-13T12:06:22","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T12:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esta-officiel-usa.com\/overview-of-j1-and-f1-visa-requirements\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T12:06:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T12:06:26","slug":"overview-of-j1-and-f1-visa-requirements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.esta-officiel-usa.com\/en\/overview-of-j1-and-f1-visa-requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"Overview of J1 and F1 visa requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

J1 and F1 visas: what’s the difference?<\/h1>\n\n

If you’re planning to study in the USA, you’ve probably already heard of the J1 and F1 visas, but don’t know the difference between them.<\/p>\n\n

If you’re a student and your American dream is to study or work in the USA, you’ll need to apply for a specific visa. Studies don’t qualify forESTA authorization<\/a>, so you’ll have to find something else. This is where the J1 and F1 visas come into play, and the differences between them. <\/p>\n\n

What is the difference between J1 and F1 visas? This is what we are going to discover in this article. <\/p>\n\n

The difference between J1 and F1 visas: the USA J1 visa for internships and exchange programs<\/h2>\n\n

The J1 visa is a USA non-immigrant visa for people taking part in an exchange program in the USA, but also for foreign students wishing to do an internship in the USA, au pair workers, specialized workers, government visitors, etc.<\/p>\n\n

This visa is a work authorization that allows its holder to\n work on American soil for up to 18 months. \nTo obtain a J1 visa for an internship, several criteria \nare required, the most important of which is finding a sponsor.<\/p>\n\n

To do so, visit the U.S. government’s sponsor search site at \n. There’s a list \nof companies partnering the program in each country. Once you’ve \nchosen a sponsor from the list provided, you’ll need to contact \nto take part in one of their exchange programs. <\/p>\n\n

Then it’s time to pay. Fees vary depending on the \nsponsor, so it’s a good idea to contact several of them to \nget an idea of the amount and distribution of costs. <\/p>\n\n

If you are finally accepted for an exchange program, the sponsor will issue you the DS-2019 form to complete.<\/p>\n\n

After this stage, you must also pay the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fee.<\/p>\n\n

There are other costs too: after completing the \nDS-160 form, you’ll need to pay the US visa fee, which \nis $160, and schedule an interview with the US embassy or\n with the US consulate.<\/p>\n\n

On the day of the interview, please bring :<\/p>\n\n