Your next classroom could be in New York, California or Texas. The J-1 Teacher Exchange Program places qualified international K-12 teachers as full-time teachers of record in US elementary, middle, and high schools, for three years or more. Most available teaching positions are expected to start in July or August 2027.
You'll lead your own lessons, pick up new skills, and bring a piece of your culture into a room that's never seen it before.
Please review these carefully. Applicants who don't meet these requirements will not be eligible for the program, so read this section before starting your application.
If you are not currently teaching, you may still qualify if you meet the home-country teaching qualifications above AND both of the following apply:
If you meet these requirements, we'd love to hear from you. If you don't meet them yet, please hold off on applying. It saves your time and ours, and you're welcome to apply once you do.
We recruit teachers across a wide range of subjects and grade levels. Openings shift depending on what schools need, so apply even if your subject isn't listed below. We'll check current demand.
First, the requirements:
Beyond that, schools want teachers who bring:
What you'll be doing
You'll be a full-time K-12 teacher of record, leading your own classroom in a US elementary, middle, or high school.
None of this shows up on a diploma. It shows up in how you teach for the rest of your career.
Salaries up to $100k per year. Typical range is $50k to $100k, depending on the school district, state, role, qualifications, and experience.
Eligible teachers may bring their spouse and dependent children. A J-2 spouse may be eligible to apply for work authorization under applicable US rules.
Your students get a perspective they won't find in a textbook, and you get to represent your country's teaching approach and traditions in a US school. It's part of what makes this program a cultural exchange, not just a job placement.
US classroom experience carries weight with hiring committees anywhere your career goes next.
Grocery runs, weekend road trips, a neighbor who invites you to a Fourth of July barbecue. The everyday version of America, not the postcard.
A different curriculum and a different set of students will push you to rethink how you plan, manage, and teach.
Educators and school leaders who'll remember you long after you've gone home.
The kind that only comes from building a life somewhere unfamiliar, on your own terms.
Six steps stand between your profile and a US classroom. Here's the full route.
Tell us about your education, teaching experience, subjects, grade levels, and certifications, and send your current resume.
Our team checks your profile against current openings and the eligibility rules above.
That might mean requesting a US-style resume, qualification documents, or proof of teaching experience.
You'll get guidance on presenting your experience the way US schools expect to see it.
We weigh your subject, experience, qualifications, and location preferences against what the school needs.
If a school likes your profile, you'll go through their interview and selection process. J-1 participation and visa issuance follow from there.
It's a formal cultural and educational exchange through which eligible international teachers may teach in US elementary, middle, or high schools. You teach, share where you're from, and learn how the US system works. Program length, employment terms, and visa details depend on your specific J-1 sponsor and school, and we'll explain how they apply to you once we review your profile.
You need to currently be working as a teacher, have a minimum of two years of full time teaching or related professional experience, hold a bachelor's-equivalent degree in education or your subject field, and meet the teaching qualifications of your home country. If you're not currently teaching, you may still qualify with a recent advanced degree plus two years of teaching experience within the past eight years. If you don't meet these requirements, please don't apply, as we won't be able to move your profile forward.
A degree equivalent to a US bachelor's degree, in education or in the subject you plan to teach. Chances are, if you're already working as a teacher, you've got this covered.
A minimum of two years (24 months) of full time teaching or related professional experience.
Yes. For this recruitment, applicants must currently hold a teaching position, unless they meet the alternate path described above: a recent advanced degree completed within the last 12 months, plus at least two years of teaching experience within the past eight years.
It just means your placement gets matched to a state where your background fits its teaching standards, something we confirm together once your placement takes shape. One more thing we handle with you, not something you need to figure out alone.
It's one of the strongest things you bring to your application. This program is built for teachers already leading K-12 classrooms as the full-time teacher of record, not university lecturers or corporate trainers. If that's the work you're doing now, you're exactly who US schools are hoping to find.
A strong professional reputation and sufficient English proficiency, assessed through your teaching background, your interview, and where needed, a language assessment.
Please review the eligibility rules above closely before applying. You should only apply if you meet the core requirements, including current teaching status, minimum experience, degree, and teaching qualification. If you don't meet these requirements, please don't submit an application, as it won't move forward and will delay processing for eligible candidates.
You're compensated as a working teacher under your placement school's standard employment terms. Salaries typically range from $50k to $100k per year, depending on school, state, role, qualifications, and experience.
Yes. Eligible J-1 teachers may bring their spouse and dependent children to the United States in the appropriate dependent status. A J-2 spouse may be eligible to apply for work authorization under applicable US rules.
Most available teaching positions are expected to start in July or August 2027, depending on the school district's academic calendar and hiring requirements.
It moves at the pace of your sponsor, your target school's hiring cycle, and visa processing, and plenty of teachers move through it faster than they expect. Once we know your subject and location preferences, we'll give you a realistic timeline to plan around.
Submit your profile and we'll check it against current openings, program requirements, and the schools looking for someone exactly like you.
Start your applicationSubmitting a profile doesn't guarantee eligibility, placement, employment, a specific school, salary, visa issuance, or program participation. Every opportunity depends on teacher qualifications, school requirements, program rules, availability, and applicable J-1 visa regulations.