Time Limits & Program Bar Information for Scholars

Time Limit

The total stay in the U.S. for Exchange Visitors in the "Professor or Research Scholar" category is limited to five years. Extensions beyond this five-year period are not possible. The total stay in the U.S. for Exchange Visitors in the "Short-Term Scholar" category is limited to six months. Extensions beyond six months are not possible.

12-Month Bar

At Carnegie Mellon University, only J-1 student interns, J-1 students, and their J-2 dependents may be impacted by the 12 month bar. 

If the program is 6 months or more as listed on the DS-2019, this person is subject to the 12 month bar. This means that if they are outside the U.S. after their program they cannot enter the U.S. as a J-1 professor or research scholar until 12 months have passed from their DS-2019 end date or departure date, whichever is later.

If the program duration is less than 6 months the person is exempt from the 12 month bar. Short-term scholars are not subject to the 12 month bar. 

24-Month Bar

J-1 research scholars and professors who have completed their J program (as evidenced by the end date on their DS-2019) or who have reached the five-year limit may not extend their stay in J-1 status. They must leave the U.S. or change to another non-immigrant status. They are not eligible to return to the U.S. in J-1 research scholar or professor status for 24 months.

Once the J program has ended, this 24-month bar applies to J-1 research scholars or professors who have used less than five years of J-1 scholar status as well as to those scholars who have been here for the full five-year period. For scholars who use fewer than five years, the remainder of the five-year eligibility period is considered to be lost, and the scholar would face the 24-month bar. Therefore, scholars who will be in the U.S. for six months or fewer should consider using the short-term scholar category. The short-term scholar category is exempt from the 24-month bar.

Note: For any J visitor who was previously and most recently in the U.S. in the research scholar or professor category, it is likely that both the 12-month and the 24-month bars will apply, effectively resulting in a 24-month bar. The bars are not cumulative.