![Sen. Martin Heinrich](/images/resized/images/news/2024/478_may31/4_100_100.jpg)
WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., introduced bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator John Thune, R-S.D., to support education in rural communities by allowing teachers on a J-1 visa to waive their two-year return home requirement and work up to five years in the U.S., if they enter into a contract with their employing school.
Foreign exchange teachers on three-year J-1 teaching visas fill important gaps in the educator workforce, particularly in rural, tribal, and bilingual education settings. Exchange visitor (J-1) visas are nonimmigrant visas for individuals approved to participate in exchange visitor programs, which by design require workers and students to...