Yes, many people switch from J-1 to H-1B, but some face a 2-year home residency requirement.

Filing for an H-1B petition alone won’t override the residency requirement—you must handle both.

Planning this transition early with legal advice is strongly recommended.

Hey Ali,

A friend was talking about this recently.

You can switch from a J-1 visa to an H-1B visa. But you must first get a job offer from a U.S. employer willing to sponsor you.

If you are subject to the two-year home residency requirement, you need to obtain a J-1 waiver or fulfill the 2-year requirement before applying.