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Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Washington DC

Request for a ‘No Objection Letter’ for J1 Visa Holders

Find out how to apply for a ‘No Objection Letter’ for J1 Visa Holders.

Last updated 6 November 2025

A J-1 Exchange Visitor who is subject to but unable to comply with the two-year foreign residence requirement of Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) may apply for a waiver of that requirement by obtaining a “No Objection Letter” which can only be issued by the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC. For more information on J-1 waiver, and to check whether you are subject to the two-year home-country physical presence please refer to the United States Department of State website at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange/waiver-of-the-exchange-visitor.html.

Documents required 

  1. A cover letter providing your local contact address and number as well as reason(s) for the request of the "No Objection Letter"

  2. A copy of the ‘Third Party Barcode Page” which also indicates your US INS Case file reference number

  3. A copy of the Certificate of Eligibility (DS-2019)

  4. A copy of your passport bio-data and visa pages

  5. For Singapore Permanent Residents, in addition to (d), please provide a copy of your valid Re-Entry Permit

  6. A copy of a letter of no objection from your programme sponsor, i.e. from the relevant Singapore Government Agencies when you obtained your J-1 visa.