How to expedite J1 Waiver?

Updated: Aug 2

Expedited processing of the J1 waiver application is not a normal case scenario. But expedited processing is available for those J1 waiver cases which have urgent/justifiable humanitarian needs, or there is clear and significant US government interest.

Mostly J1 waiver cases are expedited on humanitarian needs. I know one of the scenarios when my friend has to travel back to India for a couple of months as she was unable to get a J1 waiver on time, luckily she was able to get it after 2 months and she traveled back to the USA. Apart from this I also know some people who have successfully expedited their J1 visa waiver process.

There are a couple of ways that I am aware of and this can help you expedite the J1 waiver application, however, this is not 100% guaranteed since, in the end, everything is at the discretion of the Department of State (DOS).

01. By Email

One of the options is to send an email to 212ewaiver@state.gov. I am not sure how effective is this but it depends on case to case as an expedited option is only for humanitarian reasons. It depends on how strong is your reason.

Related: Urgent humanitarian reasons USCIS expedite request

You need to send an email explaining your circumstances and attach supporting documents that prove your basis of expedited reason. Department of State usually responds within 10 days but one can always send follow-up emails. Include the following details while structuring your email:

Case number

First name

Last name

Date of birth

The basis under which you are applying for a waiver

A brief explanation of your inquiry

Supporting documents

One of the reasons could be a financial loss where you can explain how your family, house mortgage, kid's education, etc.. depends on your income, and if you don't get a waiver on time you will have to quit your job, sell the house, interrupt kids education. You can show your monthly mortgage statement or your kid's education some sort of proof.

Another reason could be a job offer and you can share the offer letter explaining how important is this job offer for you and that you need a waiver to join a firm from so and so date. If you don't get a waiver on time you will lose this opportunity. One of my friends expedited his case as he had a job offer and he was able to get it.

02. Contacting a Member of Congress or Senator

Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states. -- Reference house.gov

The second option to expedite the J1 waiver application is by contacting congressmen or a senator. This should be your last option and should be done only in case of an emergency.

First, you need to know who is the congressman in your zip code. You can find it here.

After you know who is your congressman, you can try reaching out to them via email or phone. Email is the most effective way as it's convenient and easy to keep track of.

If there is an emergency or if you prefer to speak over the phone, you can also contact them over the phone. You will find the contact number on the same page after searching for your congressman by zip code.

Usually, there is a dedicated staff member who takes care of immigration services. and he will be able to help you by contacting DOS on your behalf and expediting your case based on your situation. They will ask you for the reason (which you need to summarize in the letter), perhaps you have to send the proof of reason as to why you need an expedition.

Thank you! Please comment if you have any questions, I will try to help to the best of my knowledge.