J-1 Culinary Trainee and Intern Programs: Rules for Restaurants

Japanese restaurant groups in the US sometimes hear that a young cook from Japan can come over "on a J-1" for a year or eighteen months. That is partly true. The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program has trainee and intern categories that include hospitality, and a restaurant can host a participant. But the rules are written to prevent exactly what many restaurants want, which is extra hands in the kitchen. This guide sets out the State Department's rules as of September 2026 so you can judge whether a program would work for you. For other routes, see US visa options for restaurants.

1. What a J-1 culinary program is, and is not

The trainee and intern categories are governed by 22 CFR 62.22. The State Department describes training programs as a way for foreign professionals to gain exposure to US culture and receive training in US business practices in their field. "Hospitality and Tourism" is one of the ten occupational categories in which sponsors can be designated, and that is where culinary programs sit.

Three principles run through the regulation:

• Training, not employment. Programs must not be used as substitutes for ordinary employment or work purposes, and must never displace American workers, whether full-time, part-time, temporary or permanent.
• No unskilled placements. Sponsors may not place trainees or interns in unskilled or casual labor positions. The regulation's list of unskilled occupations (Appendix E to Part 62) includes "cooks, short order" and "kitchen workers".
• A written plan. Every participant needs a Training/Internship Placement Plan (Form DS-7002) stating the goals, the skills to be taught and how performance will be supervised and evaluated.

2. Who can be a trainee or intern

For Japanese cooks, this maps onto two common profiles. A graduate of a Japanese culinary school (調理師専門学校) with at least a year of kitchen work, or a cook with five years' experience and no formal qualification, may fit the trainee category. A current culinary school student, or a graduate within 12 months, may fit the intern category.

3. How long it lasts

This is where much of the confusion comes from. The general maximum for a training program is 18 months, but training programs in the Hospitality and Tourism category are limited to 12 months, the same limit that applies to agriculture. Internships in any field are limited to 12 months. Extensions are only possible within those maximums, with a new DS-7002.

Two further timing rules:

• Repeat programs. A trainee can take part in another training program only after at least two years of residence outside the US. Interns can do further internships while still students or recent graduates, and can move on to a training program after two years outside the US.
• Fixed admission period from 15 September 2026. Under a DHS final rule published on 17 July 2026, J-1 exchange visitors are now admitted until the program end date on their DS-2019, capped at four years, rather than for "duration of status". They may stay up to 30 days after the program end date to depart or seek to maintain status. The rule was classified as a major rule, and DHS said it would publish a notice if congressional review changed the effective date.

4. What the host restaurant must provide

The regulation puts detailed obligations on the sponsor and, through it, on the host organization. For a restaurant, the practical requirements are:

• Full-time training: at least 32 hours a week.
• Continuous on-site supervision and mentoring by experienced staff, with structured activities such as rotations through departments, on-the-job training and classroom sessions.
• Rotations: Hospitality and Tourism programs of six months or longer must include at least three departmental or functional rotations. A cook who spends a year on one station does not meet this.
• Evaluations: for programs longer than six months, at least a midpoint and a concluding evaluation, signed by the participant and their supervisor.
• Limits on duties: no more than 20% clerical work, and no unskilled or casual labor positions.
• Workers' compensation insurance, or evidence of a state exemption, and compliance with occupational health and safety laws.
• A site visit by the sponsor if your business has not hosted successfully before and has fewer than 25 employees or less than $3 million in annual revenue.

5. Working through a sponsor

A restaurant cannot run a J-1 program itself. Programs are administered by sponsors designated by the State Department, which issue the Form DS-2019 that the participant uses to apply for the visa. The State Department's J-1 site has a sponsor search tool for finding sponsors designated in the trainee and intern categories.

Points to check when choosing a sponsor:

• That it is designated for trainee or intern programs in Hospitality and Tourism, and for the length of program you want.
• Its own fees and insurance requirements, which vary by sponsor and are separate from government fees.
• How it will review your training plan and whether it needs a site visit.

The regulation also bars sponsors from using staffing or employment agencies to recruit, screen, place or train participants. Be wary of any intermediary presenting itself as a staffing channel for J-1 cooks.

6. Costs, the home residency question and what comes next

Government fees for the participant (September 2026): the SEVIS I-901 fee for J visa applicants is $220, and the visa application fee for a J visa outside US government-sponsored programs is $185. Sponsor fees come on top.

Two-year home residency. Some J-1 participants must return home for two years before they can obtain certain US visas or permanent residence. One ground is the Exchange Visitor Skills List. The revised list published on 9 December 2024 does not include Japan, so that ground does not apply to Japanese nationals. Other grounds in section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act can still apply, so check the participant's DS-2019 and visa annotation.

After the program. A J-1 is not a stepping stone to employment by design. If you want the person back as an employee, look at the E-2 route for Japanese-owned businesses, or the EB-3 green card. See E-2 visa for Japanese restaurant staff and EB-3 green card: sponsoring a chef.

7. When it fits and when it does not

If a J-1 does not fit, compare the other routes in US visa options for restaurants. For hiring in general, start with how to hire a Japanese chef.

General information gathered from official sources in September 2026, not legal or immigration advice. J-1 program terms are set by each sponsor within the regulations. Check with a designated sponsor and a US immigration attorney before committing.