Q-1 Visa

For Cultural Exchange Visitors

Q-1 Visas are issued for cultural exchange visitors and it is issued to the foreign nationals coming to the United States to participate in an international cultural exchange program. Under the Q-1 visa, the foreign national can engage in practical training and employment while also sharing the history, culture, and traditions of their home country here in the US. The program must take place in a school, museum, business, or similar location where the public, can be exposed to aspects of a foreign culture as part of a structured program. The program must include a cultural component as an essential part of the cultural visitor’s employment or training and the program cannot provide for training or employment independent of the cultural component.

Q-1 visa applicants must be at least 18 years old and possess the ability to effectively convey their home country’s history and culture for a U.S. audience. Their U.S. sponsor must agree to pay them the same rate that a similar worker in the U.S. would receive.