Cultural Vistas - Teach USA

Participants gain exposure to American teaching methods while host schools bring a fresh perspective and valuable viewpoints into U.S. classrooms including exposing U.S. students to far away places, new ideas, and a wider understanding of the world around them and the people in it. The program creates the opportunity to build bridges across culture and instill 21st century global competency skills in our youth.

Through its role as a U.S. Department of State-designated BridgeUSA sponsor, Cultural Vistas can provide qualified individuals with the J-1 Visa necessary to pursue full-time paid teaching positions at accredited K-12 schools including pre-K language immersion programs offered as part of a wider immersion program in a primary school.

Next intake: Teachers can begin new programs in Fall 2024.

What they’re saying

• 93% of supervisors call the program Extremely or Very Beneficial. They agree it enhances student learning through adding global perspectives and encourages new approaches and exchange of ideas for staff and administration.
• 92% of teachers rate their school experience as Excellent or Very Good. They also report the most useful skills they gain are classroom management, relationship development with students, and English communication.

Details

• Program Duration: Teachers are expected to start their program at the beginning of the school year. The duration of each teaching program is determined by the host school and can be for 1, 2, or 3 school years. The program cannot exceed three years without special permission from the U.S. Department of State.
• School: The school must be a public school (including public charter schools) or a private accredited primary or secondary school offering a position in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. Schools may offer teaching positions in pre-kindergarten if they are part of a regular course of study in an accredited language-immersion K-12 institution.  We can only sponsor teachers in public schools in select states.
• Positions: The J-1 Teacher program allows for full-time positions as a teacher of record where the teacher is responsible for the delivery of instruction, lesson planning, grading, and assessment of student progress. Positions, including duties, responsibilities, hours of employment, and compensation must be commensurate with those of similarly situated teachers in the school or district. Teachers are expected to meet all applicable state licensing and background check requirements.
  • Assistants, aides, administrative positions, or other non-instructional positions are not permitted.
  • Speech, Language, and Hearing pathologists or other occupational services are not permitted.
  • Special education teachers may qualify depending on the position.
  • Teachers should be assigned to one school and cannot act as itinerant teachers
• Written Offer: The primary or secondary school in the United States must make a formal, written offer to the international candidate outlining the terms and conditions of employment, compensation, and benefits, and all costs or deductions associated. (Schools must provide a copy of this offer as part of the application)
• Medical Insurance: Teachers and their dependents must maintain medical insurance that meets the specific requirements of the J-1 visa regulations and it is our responsibility to ensure they are covered on an appropriate policy at all times. Most school policies do not offer all the coverages that are required. New teacher applicants must purchase a policy from Cultural Vistas or alternate options provided by Cultural Vistas for at least the first year. Enrollment on a school policy may be substituted later if it meets requirements. Teachers are free to enroll in both school and CV policies to secure the coverage they desire.
• Taxes: Generally speaking, a J-1 teacher is likely considered to be a Non-Resident alien for tax purposes during the first two years. Thus, a teacher may move from Non-Resident to Resident over the course of their program and the withholdings from their paycheck may change. While a Non-Resident, the teacher should NOT pay FICA (Social Security and Medicare) or FUTA (Unemployment) taxes. Otherwise, J-1 teachers are subject to all other federal, state, and local taxes unless exempted such as in accordance with country-specific tax treaties. It is important to note that J-1 visitors may be subject to the requirements of the PPACA which is also based on the teacher’s tax status. Cultural Vistas provides free software for Non-Residents for federal tax returns which also allows the teacher to file state taxes where available for a fee.

* Schools that utilize recruitment partner organizations should contact Cultural Vistas. We are not permitted to work with unauthorized recruiters.

How to apply

Complete applications (from the teacher and host school) should be received no later than June 1 for a smooth process. However, we may fill up much earlier than this. Thus, schools and teachers should be interviewing and arranging offers in the Spring!  Contact us before you begin the application process to see if we have spots left.

Teachers should begin at the beginning of the academic year in August or September.

STEP 1: REQUEST + SUBMIT APPLICATION (after an offer is made)

Evaluation of the completed application will take place once both components are submitted to Cultural Vistas.  We encourage you to apply as soon as you are able and to plan the entire process to obtain the J-1 visa may take 2 months.  Either party may start the application process.

• Individuals: Please submit an online individual application request only if you have received an job offer from a school. Do not sign any offers without contacting us first.  A Cultural Vistas staff member will review your request and send you instructions on how to complete your application online within 2 business days. Be prepared to submit official documentation that substantiates your education and employment qualifications.  Check out what type of documentation you’ll need to submit.
• Host Schools: Please download and submit a Host School Application to request sponsorship for your teacher. A staff member will reach out to with further instructions and schedule a call.

STEP 2: APPLICATION EVALUATION

Once you submit your application, Cultural Vistas evaluates your information and issues a sponsorship decision within approximately 2-4 weeks. During this step, a Cultural Vistas staff member may reach out with additional questions, to schedule a phone interview, or request additional documentation.  Payment of Cultural Vistas fees is due prior to a decision.

STEP 3: DS-2019 ISSUED

If we are able to approve your program, we will issue the DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility which is required for the participant to schedule the visa interview appointment. It is then mailed to the participant along with other important arrival documents. At this time, applicants are also e-mailed instructions on how to apply for the J-1 Visa in their home country.

STEP 4: U.S. CONSULATE/EMBASSY APPOINTMENT

After making an appointment online, applicants attend an appointment at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy with the original DS-2019. Visa approval and issuance is at the discretion of the consular official. Visa appointment and processing wait times vary by city and time of year. On average, this process takes 2-4 weeks. Up-to-date information can be found on the U.S. Department of State website.