Does two-year home residency apply to postdoctoral fellowships of national science foundations?
<p>In the U.S., J-1 visa can be subject to a two-year home residency requirement (212e) if sponsored by a US or foreign government agency.</p>
<p>Does this apply to postdoctoral researchers employed at a US university if they are funded by a fellowship of the National Science Foundation (NSF) or a similar <em>foreign</em> national science foundation? Or does this only apply to bilateral government-funded exchange programs?</p>

<p>The requirement is specified here (<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1182#e" rel="nofollow noreferrer">8 USC 1182(e)</a>). The first condition leading to mandatory return is</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(i) whose participation in the program for which he came to the United
States was financed in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by an
agency of the Government of the United States or by the government of
the country of his nationality or his last residence,</p>
</blockquote>
<p>thus a person sponsored by the Norwegian Research Council would also have to return, irrespective of any cooperation. But a person sponsored by Chase Bank (in the US) or Sparebank (in Norway) would not be subject to thatrequirement. NFR and NSF are at least indirectly financed in part by agencies of their respective national governments, and it is not limited to e.g. Fulbright exchange. The requirement also holds irrespective of funding, in the case of admission to pursue medicine, or if the director of USIA had designated as clearly requiring the services of persons in the person's field of specialized knowledge.</p>

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