U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Teacher Program offers a rapid solution to the acute teacher shortage crisis. By providing qualified educators from abroad, schools can quickly fill vacant positions and reduce class sizes, thus improving student-to-teacher ratios. These teachers bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to the classroom, enriching the educational environment and enhancing the learning experience for students. Exposure to different teaching styles and cultural perspectives not only invigorates classroom dynamics but also fosters global awareness among students, preparing them for an interconnected world.
GEC is a designated visa sponsor for the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Teacher Program. GEC is headquartered in Nashville, TN, and is a member of the Southwestern Family of Companies, founded in 1885. GEC sponsors thousands of exchange visitor visas each year in a variety of program categories. Different from the recruitment agencies, GEC serves as the direct sponsor for your teachers’ J-1 visas and oversees their activities throughout their stay in the USA. As a result, you won’t need to engage with various agencies and visa sponsors for your international educators.
GEC receives thousands of applications each year from teachers around the world and provides you with teachers for all subjects and grade levels, including dual immersion, special education, elementary education, math, science, world languages, and more. Each GEC teacher is selected after a careful screening and interview process. We ensure that GEC teachers have professional experience and competence. They have a police clearance, speak English at an advanced level, and meet licensing requirements. Many GEC teachers have master’s and PhD. Degrees. You can interview with GEC teachers before making a hiring decision.
All accredited public and private U.S. primary and secondary schools (K-12) are eligible to host exchange visitor teachers. Teaching positions, including duties, responsibilities, hours of employment, and compensation, are commensurate with those of similarly situated U.S. teachers. You don’t have to pay for other expenses like housing, transportation, or food.
If you choose to use our services, we will provide your HR team with access to our teacher database through our online recruitment platform, where they can shortlist teachers for your open positions and easily schedule interviews with GEC teachers. If you decide to hire a GEC teacher, we will take care of the visa process to ensure your teachers arrive on time.
In consideration of the performance of the services, for each pre-approved candidate which GEC successfully recruits to work with the Client, the Client shall pay the GEC one time placement fee of $4,750. A non-refundable reservation payment of $500 is due when the client makes a hiring decision. The Client will pay the remaining fee of $4,250 within 90 days of the presented candidate’s exchange visitor program start date (DS-2019 form). An Early Bird discount rate of $3,250 will be applied only to candidates hired by April 1st 2025.
| Application fee (non-refundable) | $500 |
| Early Bird Placement Fee (One-time fee) – hired by April 1st | $3,250 |
| Standard Placement fee (One-time fee) – hired after April 1st | $4,250 |
The pricing detailed above applies to teacher candidates hired for the 2025-26 academic school year.
Our capacity to sponsor teacher visas is limited by State Department quota. We offer our services on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, we urge our partner schools to secure visa slots for their openings as soon as they can.