Non-Immigrant Trainee or Special Education Exchange Visa (H-3)
Overview: The H-3 Visa offers a unique opportunity for foreign nationals to gain specialized training or participate in Special education exchange programs win the U.S. It is designed for fields unavailable in the applicant’s home country, excluding graduate medical training. This visa fosters global skill development while adhering to U.S. immigration laws.
- A programme that provides for practical training and experience in the education of children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
Trainees
An H-3 “trainee:” must be invited by an individual or organisation for the purpose of receiving training, in any field including but not limited to:
- Commerce
- Communications
- Finance
- Government
- Transportation
- Agriculture
- Other professions
This classification is not intended for US employment. It is designed to provide a foreign national with job-related training for work that will ultimately be performed outside the United States.
Requirements
In order to obtain H-3 classification, a US employer or organization must demonstrate that:
- the proposed training is not available in the foreign nationals own country;
- the foreign national will not be placed in a position which is in the normal operation of the business and in which US citizens and resident workers are regularly employed;
- the foreign national will not engage in productive employment unless such employment is incidental and necessary to the training; and
- the training will benefit the beneficiary in pursuing a career outside the United States.
Special Education Exchange Visitor
There is a numerical limit (or “cap”) on the number of H’3 special education exchange visitors. No more than 50 may be approved in a fiscal year.
A petition requesting an H-3 “special education exchange visitor must be filed by a facility which has professionally trained staff and a structured program for providing education to children with disabilities, and for providing training and hands-on experience to participants in the special education exchange visitor program. It should include a description of:
- the training the foreign national will receive;
- the facility’s professional staff and
- the foreign national’s participation in the training program. In addition, the petition must show that the special education exchange visitor is:
- nearing the completion of a baccalaureate
- or higher degree program in special education or
- has already earned a baccalaureate or higher degree in special education; or
- has extensive prior training and experience teaching children with physical mental or emotional disabilities