Adventure Park Insider—Boulder, Colo., June 6, 2025—As part of the Trump administration’s immigration control effort, ICE and the State Department have been scrutinizing J-1 students more closely, and in some cases have revoked or denied visas. Often, revocations have been based on minor infractions, sometimes far in the past. And in the past few months, the State Department has stepped up its reviews of applicants’ social media. This has led to a pause on new appointments that applicants must complete in their home countries, as embassies learn about and implement the new social media reviews.
While J-1 sponsors have told API that they expect this pause in appointments to end soon, it has slowed down the process for those waiting for an appointment.
However, J-1 sponsors are quick to say that, aside from the increased social media scrutiny (and revocation or rejection of visas for students whose public views conflict with those of the Trump administration), the program has been operating much as it has in the past.
Greenheart Exchange, in an email to its partners last week, described the pause in J-1 visa appointments as “an effort to share and then implement new social media vetting guidelines as part of the visa issuance process. Note that all already scheduled appointments have continued to take place.”
Greenheart noted that in April, the State Department had declared that the new social media guidelines would be coming soon. Greenheart believes State “was not targeting the J-1 visa specifically,” and that State does not plan to re-evaluate the program overall.
Greenheart also said that appointments will likely resume soon, noting, “Several embassies have stated that their appointments may be available as early as this week.” Greenheart encouraged applicants to check their U.S. embassy’s website daily for updates, as each embassy operates on its own schedule.
In any case, Greenheart added, “There is a strong indication that all visa issuance should proceed as normal overall in the next week or so.”
Making It Work
The American Camp Association (ACA) has also offered advice for successfully using and implementing the J-1 program in the current environment. Among the suggestions:
Maintain a strong relationship with your J-1 sponsor. Stay in touch regularly to keep abreast of any policy changes and to address any questions or needs you or your J-1s may have. Your staff should know which person or persons to speak with if they need to reach out.
Make cultural exchange a key point of focus. That is a primary goal of the program, and your operation should be proactive in promoting experiences that enrich your J-1s cultural adventure. To that end, ACA recommends group outings to baseball games (is there anything more American, aside from apple pie?), fairs, and festivals, along with themed dinners, talent shows, and other events where everyone can share customs from their respective countries.
Pay attention to compliance issues. It’s essential to employ J-1s in roles that reflect their visa category, “for example, camp counselors leading cabin activities and Summer Work Travel (SWT) participants supporting areas like food service,” ACA says.
J-1s must be careful to respect and abide by all laws. That applies to drinking, drugs, and driving. Beyond the law, J-1s should be respectful of local customs—and avoid political activity of any kind, lest they run afoul of government officials. Make sure J-1s understand what the legalities and expectations are, and do so with “sensitivity,” ACA advises.
Documentation also deserves heightened awareness. That means J-1s should carry their passport, DS-2019 form, and sponsor and camp contact info at all times. J-1s should store them on their phones, in bags, and in a safe location at the facility, says ACA.
