J1teachers

J1teachers was established to connect foreign J-1 teachers to schools in the United States without the use of recruiters. The program is created and sustained by HTP J-1 Visa Programs, a Department of State designated sponsor of the J-1 Teacher program. When a J-1 teacher is hired through the site, HTP issues the necessary J-1 visa and offers orientation and guides to teachers throughout their stay in the US.

J1teachers administers the BridgeUSA Teacher Program (J-1 visa program). It is a Department of State cultural exchange program that allows qualified foreign nationals to teach full-time in accredited public and private US primary and secondary schools (K-12) for up to five years. The program's aim is for exchange teachers to hone their professional skills and participate in cross-cultural activities in schools and communities, before returning home after completion of the program.

In order to qualify for the J-1 visa, these are the requirements a teacher must meet:

• When applying for the visa, applicants must be working as a teacher in a primary or secondary school in their home country and possess about two years of experience

• Sufficient mastery of the English language is required

• Applicants must possess a degree equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree either in education or the academic subject field in which they intend to teach

Before being eligible to host a J-1 teacher, a school must meet the following these are the requirements:

• The school must be an accredited public or private primary or secondary school

• Offered teaching positions must be full time with a minimum of thirty-two hours per week of teaching or teaching-related administrative activities

• The program must at start at the beginning of the academic year

• The J-1 Teachers must be able to comply with any applicable collective bargaining agreement

• Teaching positions, not excluding duties, responsibilities, hours of employment, and compensation, should commensurate with those of identically-situated US teachers

• At the beginning of the academic year, J-1 teachers must start employment with a host school

• In each academic year, the teacher is required to finish two cultural activities:

1. The first activity must be crafted to explain the history, traditions, heritage, culture, economy, educational system and/or other features of the teacher's home country.
2. The second activity involves a virtual conversation between students in U.S. schools and students in the teacher’s home country
3. The teacher is required to submit to annual reports explaining the cultural activities and their estimated result