J-1visa teachers from the Philippines are participants of the exchange visa program (EVP) between the US and Philippines (PH). Through this program, teachers are required to meet a 2-year home-country residence requirement under Section 212(e) of the US immigration and nationality act.

Prior to the pandemic(before 2020), the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) - a government agency in the Philippines in charge of J-1 Visa Teachers, allows teachers to file for a No Objection Statement (NOS) to waive the 2-year home-residency requirement especially on the grounds of having a US citizen minor child. After pandemic, the CFO changed their guidelines under the EVP resolution No. 02-2021 which does not grant automatically NOS for having a US citizen minor child.

Due to this change, J-1 visa families with a US child are affected by not giving the right to the child to enjoy the benefits of being a US citizen which we believe is against the human rights. Many families are obliged to go back to Philippines with their US citizen child and force to live under poor economic conditions. We believe this change in guidelines after the pandemic is giving injustice to many the families of the J-1 visa holders compared to those who were given the opportunity prior to the pandemic. We would like to make our voice heard by the CFO and PH embassy that they review and possibly change this revisions especially to those who are currently in the US. If this revisions will be changed and NOS for a US citizen child can be automatically granted, many families will not have to suffer and sacrifice to go back to the PH with their US citizen child and not having their child enjoy the benefits and their rights living their homeland. It is our human rights and the best interest of every parents to give what is best for their children.