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J-1 Language Requirement
- Sponsoring Faculty/Staff
All visitors selected to participate in a J-1 program at Cornell must provide proof of sufficient English language knowledge.
The academic department must certify that ...
-
"The prospective exchange visitor has the English language skills sufficient to function on a day-to-day basis in the United States." Functioning on a day-to-day basis is defined as being able to successfully communicate with the local community, such as negotiating with a landlord, explaining symptoms to a physician, understanding emergency instructions from police or fire departments, etc.
- "The prospective exchange visitor has the English language skills sufficient to conduct his/her proposed academic activities (research, teaching, internship, etc.) in the exchange activity environment." The prospective visitor must be able to efficiently communicate and understand academic concepts in English, including safety issues and instructions in a lab context.
This regulation impacts incoming J-1 visitors and those currently in J-1 status. Visitors whose initial DS-2019 forms were issued before January 5, 2015, are not required to demonstrate English proficiency.
English proficiency may be demonstrated in one of several ways ...
- Through an objective interview conducted in English.
- By valid test score meeting the following standards: TOEFL (79 or above) or CEFR (B1/B2).
- By documentation (for example, a letter of certification from an academic institution or English language school).
- The exchange visitor is a native speaker of English and/or from a country with English as an official language (see list below).
- The exchange visitor received education in a country with English as an official language and the language of instruction in higher education.
Countries with English as an Official Language
A
Anguilla
Antigua
Australia
B
Bahamas
Barbados
Barbuda
Belize
Bermuda
Botswana
British Virgin Islands
C
Cameroon
Canada (except Quebec)
Cayman Islands
D
Dominica
E
England
F
Fiji
G
Gambia
Gibraltar
Grenada
Guyana
I
Ireland
Northern Ireland (Republic of)
J
Jamaica
K
Kenya
L
Lesotho
Liberia
M
Malawi
Malta
Mauritius
Montserrat
N
Namibia
New Zealand
Nigeria
P
Papua New Guinea
S
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Scotland
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Swaziland
T
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
U
Uganda
United Kingdom
V
Vanuatu
W
Wales
Z
Zambia
Zimbabwe
