About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Today, we are launching the new J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website. Each year, more than 350,000 students, professors, summer work travel participants, Au Pairs, and camp counselors travel to work or study in the United States. J-1 visas are a critical component of our mission to promote mutual understanding.

This new site will make it easier for visitors, program sponsors and host families to find the information they need. Enhancements include an interactive facts and figures map, participant and sponsor information, and our “participant testimonials” section, providing first person accounts of experiences in the United States. Videos and interactive content extend the site’s reach into the social media forum. The site also allows those with only mobile… more »