CICD sponsors teachers from all over the world on the J-1 visa to the United States. This program allows American students to experience a new culture firsthand and for teachers to learn more about American schools and pedagogy. Through a variety of cultural lessons designed by the foreign teachers, students learn about their home country and customs. J-1 Teachers facilitate many cultural exchange activities between the American students and students in their home country, fostering global friendship and understanding.

J-1 Teachers gain relevant professional experience in their field, while bringing a unique worldview to American classrooms by sharing their culture. Here’s one teacher describing a Chinese Spring Festival celebration with her students in Oregon:

“All the students were happy for a whole week, because not only did they celebrate the festival but they also got to know more about Spring Festival as the biggest traditional festival in China. On this day, kids would typically get a red envelope with lucky money in it from their parents and grandparents. I could tell how excited the students were when they got a red envelope from me.”

Benefits of the J-1 Teaching Program

J-1 Teachers may teach at an accredited public, charter, or private school in grades K-12, as well as in pre-kindergarten language immersion and international school programs across the United States.

CICD sponsors J-1 Teachers in the U.S. for up to five years. After the program, teachers return to their home countries to share their experiences and knowledge of the United States, its educational system, culture, society, and teaching practices. The J-1 Teacher Program creates friendships and connections across borders, as well as opportunities to increase the number of cultural exchanges and school partnerships worldwide. J-1 Teachers enhance the American host communities’ knowledge of foreign customs and teaching methodologies.

CICD’s Education team are experienced former international teachers who provide individualized program support.

Teach in the USA – Qualifications

To qualify as a J-1 Teacher, you must:

• Meet the qualifications for teaching at the primary, including pre-kindergarten, or secondary levels in schools in your home country; be working as a teacher in your home country at the time of application; and have at least two years of full-time teaching experience;

OR

• Not be working as a teacher in your home country at the time of application, but otherwise meet the qualifications for teaching at the primary (including pre-kindergarten) or secondary levels in schools in your home country;
  Have had at least two years of full-time teaching experience within the past eight years; and
  Within 12 months of your application submission date for the program, have completed an advanced degree (beyond a degree equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree) in education or in an academic subject matter that you intend to teach or that is directly related to your teaching subject field.

For additional eligibility requirements, please read through our website.

Ready to get started?

CICD would be happy to discuss the J-1 teaching program with you in greater detail. Please send us your questions on our website or call us in Seattle at +1 (206) 985-2115.