The J-1 Teacher Exchange Visitor Program was established by the United States Department of State to increase understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through educational and cultural exchanges. This important exchange program assists the Department of State in furthering the foreign policy objectives of the United States.

Our program offers the opportunity for qualified teachers from around the world to participate in a three-year cultural exchange program in the United States. Selected teachers will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in an English-speaking environment and learn about the culture of the United States through working and interacting on a daily basis with the people of the United States.

Host schools in the United States will benefit from hosting an IAG teacher in many ways – by sharing the rich culture that the teacher brings from his or her home country and by exposing teachers from the United States to different ideas and professional techniques that the exchange teacher offers.

IAG Partners with Universties and Ministries of Education:

• Government: Ministry of Education in Guatemala; SEC in Sonora, Mexico; Insituto de Educacion, Aguascalientes in Mexico; Secretary of Education in Nuevo Leon, Mexico; Secretary of Education in Baja California, Mexico; Secretary of Education and Sports in Chihuahua, Mexico. 

• Universities: UABC Baja California in Mexico, IPN in El Salvador,  University of Sonora in Mexico, Codigo Azul, Colima in Mexico. 

We encourage you to work directly with IAG and not pay any fees to a third-party recruitment or placement agency located in the Participant’s home country or in the U.S. If you have already registered with a recruitment or placement agent, it is important that you disclose the agent fees paid and provide IAG with a copy of the agreement signed between you and the agency. 

Participating teachers are required to complete at least two
cross-cultural activities per year. The activities must include at
least one of each of the following:

• An activity for the classroom, host school or district, or the
  host community to give an overview of the teacher’s culture of
  his or her home country (this can include, but is not limited to
  history, traditions, heritage, economy, and educational system).
  Teachers placed at international schools must conduct at least
  one cross-cultural activity per academic year in nearby schools
  or communities.
• An activity that involves dialogue between U.S. students and
  students in another country, preferably the teacher’s home
  school.

More information on the cross-cultural activity requirement can be
found here: Cross Cultural Competencies PDF

IAG program fees are covered by cooperating host school districts’ program fees. These fees will cover IAG administrative costs for screening, orientation, and supervising participants, as well as the participant’s supplementary medical insurance (from departure from home country to when you transfer to your school’s medical insurance coverage, plus repatriation and evacuation coverage throughout your program).

Beyond the program fees paid by the host school, IAG will not charge participants program fees, other than collecting and paying direct costs of the program on behalf of the applicant.

Exact cost of living may vary by location of teaching assignment; more specific information for each area is provided in the FAQ section https://iagusa.org/teacher-faq and in the IAG Handbook provided to all program participants upon acceptance.

Costs that participants will likely incur while in the United States include:

• U.S. Government fees:
  
  • Visa application fee ($185)
  • SEVIS fee ($220)
• Union fees: typically range from $100 to $500 per Year, depending on the location and membership status. Participation in the union is optional, allowing individuals to decide whether to join.
• Retirement Benefits: $50- $100 Options vary by individual. Participants can decide how much they wish to contribute to their private retirement plan.
• Childcare expenses: range from $250 to $350 per month for full-time care. *Varies by state and participant.
• Licensure Exams –  $100 and $300 varies by location and participant
• Foreign credential evaluation fee ($250, estimated) – recommend utilizing AZICE for the required transcript evaluation if seeking employment in Arizona or Texas. IAG also recommends SpanTran ….SpanTran Application – International Alliance Group for any state in the USA other than CA; fee is $190; WES is another recommendation for CA included ; Fee, $225
  
  • Teaching requirements: Background check, teaching certificate, fingerprinting, etc. ($200, estimated).  IAG may collect these fees from you to pay on your behalf. IAG will guide you through the processes needed for these certification tasks.
• Travel to host school – airfare/bus to the U.S. host school (varies by participant*)
• Housing* – rent, housing deposits, utilities (varies by location and participant*)
• Transportation* (varies by location and participant*)
• Personal expenses – mobile phone, travel, savings, entertainment
• Medical insurance premiums or out-of-pocket expenses not covered by medical insurance policy (Insurance is included in the IAG program.)
• Taxes Estimated at 10% for federal taxes, 3-4.4% for state taxes (varies by state), and 7.65% for FICA.
• Food* (varies by location and participant*)
• J-2 spouse/dependent visa fees ($500 for one J-2 Visa and $250 for any subsequent J-2 Visa; J-1 will be responsible for J-2 insurance enrollment and costs)

*See budget exercise for estimates/ranges for these costs: Sample Budget Exercise

Are there foreign or domestic third party or partner fees?

IAG partners, including universities and foreign departments of education, have committed to not charging applicants fees for their referral services. If any third-party attempts to charge you additional fees for the IAG program, please contact an IAG team member for support.
IAG does not partner with any third-party recruitment or placement agencies in the administration of its J-1 Exchange Teacher program. Accordingly, we encourage participants to work directly with IAG and not pay any fees to a third-party recruitment or placement agency located in Participant’s home country or in the U.S. If you have already registered with a recruitment or placement agent, it is important that you disclose the agent fees paid and provide IAG with a copy of the agreement signed between you and the agency.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Possess a valid passport from your home country

If expiration date is within three years, renewal will be necessary.

• Be licensed/credentialed to teach in your home country

Evidence of official certification/documentation from the home country’s department of education is required.

• An education degree earned at an accredited school equivalent
to a four-year degree in the U.S.

An approved foreign credential evaluation (FCE) must be completed. (*See below.)

• A current resume/CV in English

This should include credential areas, teaching experience, skills/work experience relevant to teaching, and any previous work/travel abroad.

• Approximately two or more years of related professional
experience

Applicants must provide a signed and dated letter verifying a current, full-time teaching job from a school administrator written in English on official letterhead.

• Excellent command of the English language, both spoken and
written

Valid results on a approved/standardized English proficiency test administered within
two years of application data are required. Accepted tests include:

• CBEST (official), TOEFL, ACTFL
• EF SET + ITEP conversation test (must complete -both)
• EF SET + English Language Level Test – International House (free and online, links
  below)
  • lhworld
  • Efset

*FCE (Foreign Credential Evaluation) is required to be an applicant with us. If you do not have one currently, you must apply for one now and wait for it to be completed to submit your application. FCE’s are good for 5 years so it is worth this initial investment. Be sure to submit transcripts for all degrees
earned for evaluation (bachelor’s, master’s, Ph.D. etc.).

For teaching jobs in Arizona and Texas: go to
https://iceinaz.com and select Application for Teacher Certification as your  purpose and then select Course-by-Course.

For other states, we recommend SpanTran

If you have questions about the requirements, please contact:
[email protected].