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 exchange for providing the services, you will pay only a one-time fee of $7500 for each pre-approved candidate. This payment covers customized search for qualified teachers, teacher screening, documentverification, access to the GEC teacher recruitment platform, legal assistance during the J-1 visa process, pre-arrival orientation, assistance with applying for a social security number, 24/7 emergency accessibility, and first-year administration of the J1 visa program.
$500 of the program fee is due when you decide to reserve a visa spot for a teacher. The remainder of the fee ($7000) is due 90 days after the teacher arrives at your school. This is a one-time payment and GEC will not charge you again for the same teacher during the program. Program fees for subsequent years are the responsibility of the participants.
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.