J1 no objection statement from the British Embassy
Some J1 exchange visitors are subject to the 2-year home residency requirement in Section 212(e) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. Asking the U.S. for a waiver can involve a statement from the home government that it has no objection.
Who can ask for it
The Embassy can only issue the statement if you have a UK passport, according to its J1 page on gov.uk. If your passport is from another country, you ask that country's embassy. The statement is neither a visa nor a waiver decision: it is one document inside the U.S. file.
What you need
| Item | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Your UK passport | You |
| Case file number and third party barcode page | The U.S. Department of State waiver application |
| Completed J1 application form | Downloaded from gov.uk, filled out and uploaded |
You apply and pay online through the FCDO's document service; the fee is shown when you apply. The form can be edited online or printed, completed and uploaded as a scan or photo.
Start the U.S. waiver application first: you need its case number and barcode page for the UK side.After you apply
The Embassy sends the statement directly to the U.S. Department of State, which runs the waiver process. Questions about the waiver decision go to the Department of State, not to the Embassy.
The Embassy's gov.uk page lists this alongside its other consular services; it does not require a visit. Our page on the British Embassy in Washington has its address and contacts.
Filling out the form
You download the J1 application form from gov.uk. It can be edited on screen, or printed, filled out by hand and uploaded as a scan or a photo. The online service is the FCDO's «get a document from the British Embassy», the same route the Embassy uses for other letters.
Because the statement depends on a UK passport, check yours before you start: if it has expired, see renewing a British passport from the USA. Dual U.S.-UK citizens should read our dual citizenship guide too.
What the Embassy does not do
The Embassy issues its statement; it does not decide the waiver, chase the U.S. file or advise on U.S. immigration. The FCDO's guide to living in the U.S. says the Embassy cannot help with U.S. visa, residency or citizenship applications, and points to the U.S.
Department of State and to U.S. lawyers (living in the USA).
The Embassy's other consular work
The same consular team in Washington covers DC, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia for emergency travel documents, notarial appointments and citizenship ceremonies, all by appointment. The J1 statement is different: it serves British exchange visitors anywhere in the U.S. and needs no visit.
If your UK passport was lost or stolen, cancel and replace it first; our guide to a lost or stolen passport explains both routes. The online service asks for the passport, the case file number, the barcode page and the completed form before you can pay, so gather all four first.