President Trump issued a new Executive Order (EO) on April 22, 2020 temporarily suspending the issuance of immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visa classifications, such as the J-1, are not included in the EO and are, therefore, exempt from the provisions of the order.
As previously reported, the U.S. Department of State has advised that physicians and other health care workers are deemed to be mission critical to fighting and mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Potential J-1 applicants who have been issued Form DS-2019 by ECFMG are encouraged to review the website of their nearest embassy or consulate and request a visa appointment.
For more information on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on ECFMG|FAIMER programs and what we are doing in response, please visit our COVID-19 (Coronavirus) web page.