Q-1 visa
The Q-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows travel to the United States to participate in a cultural exchange program. The purpose of the program is to allow for practical training and employment, and the sharing of history, culture, and traditions.[1]
Roughly 2,000 Q-1 visas have been issued in each fiscal year from 2014 to 2018.[2] The visa is frequently utilized by the Walt Disney Company to staff the various pavilions around the world showcase portion of its Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World.[3][4] Because of this, the visa is sometimes referred to as the "Disney visa."[5]
Participants must be 18 years or older and be able to communicate effectively regarding elements of their culture.[1] The duration of stay may be up to 15 months, and participants must then remain outside the US for a period of one year before they may be admitted under a different visa type.[6]
The Q-1 visa is similar to the J-1 visa, except that J-1 cultural exchange programs must be designated by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.[7]
References
- "Q Cultural Exchange". US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
- Table XVI(A): Classes of Nonimmigrants Issued Visas (Including Border Crossing Cards): Fiscal Years 2014-2018, Report of the Visa Office 2018, U.S. Department of State (2018).
- Johnson, Kit (February 8, 2013). "The Wonderful World of Disney Visas". Florida Law Review. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- Lam, Bourree (July 8, 2015). "America's Mixed Feelings About Immigrant Labor: Disney-Layoffs Edition". The Atlantic. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- Berestein Rojas, Leslie (May 26, 2011). "It's a Small World: The story of the 'Disney visa'". Southern California Public Radio. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- Immigration pocket field guide. Matthew Bender & Company, Inc. 2013. p. 29.
- "Exchange Visitor Visa". US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs. Archived from the original on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2016.