A J-1 Exchange Visitor who is subject to but unable to comply with the two-year foreign residence requirement of Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) may apply for a waiver of that requirement by obtaining a “No Objection Letter” which can only be issued by the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC. For more information on J-1 waiver, and to check whether you are subject to the two-year home-country physical presence please refer to the United States Department of State website.
Documents Required
- A cover letter providing your local contact address and number as well as reason(s) for the request of the "No Objection Letter"
- A copy of the ‘Third Party Barcode Page” which also indicates your US INS Case file reference number
- A copy of the Certificate of Eligibility (DS-2019)
- A copy of your passport bio-data and visa pages
- For Singapore Permanent Residents, in addition to (d), please provide a copy of your valid Re-Entry Permit
- A copy of a letter of no objection from your programme sponsor, i.e. from the relevant Singapore Government Agencies when you obtained your J-1 visa.
Processing Fee
No charge.
Applying Through the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC
All applications submitted in person to the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC will only be accepted between 9.00am to 1.00pm on weekdays on an appointment-only basis.
- You may apply in person, through mail or by fax (1-202-537-7086).
- Processing time is 1 to 2 business days from the date of receipt of the complete application. The Embassy will send you a copy of the “No Objection Letter” confirming that your application has been processed and forwarded to the US State Department’s Waiver Review Division.
- If you would like to receive the copy of the no objection letter by post, please provide a self-addressed and stamped US Postal Service Express (USPS) Mail Flat Rate envelope OR a self-addressed prepaid envelope from a courier service of your choice. In the latter, please make sure that pick-up service from our location is available. Otherwise, you may provide us with your email address for our onward transmission.
- US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has the responsibility for making the final determination on your waiver request. USCIS will notify you directly, whether your waiver application is denied or approved. This process may take several months. Should you have any enquries, please contact USCIS at 1-800-375-5283.
The Government of the Republic of Singapore is not responsible for any document lost in the mail or transmitted through courier services.
