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Foreign teachers have the opportunity to teach in accredited primary and secondary schools in the United States.

Teachers must:

• Meet the qualifications for teaching in primary or secondary schools in their country of nationality or last legal residence;

• Be working as a teacher in the home country or country of legal residence at the time of application, or, if not working as a teacher, otherwise meet the eligibility qualifications and (a) have recently (within 12 months of application) completed an advanced degree and (b) have two years of full-time teaching experience within the past eight years;

• Have a degree-equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree in either education or the academic subject field in which they intend to teach;

• Have a minimum of two years (24 months) of teaching or related professional experience;

• Satisfy the standards of the U.S. state in which they will teach;

• Be of good reputation and character;

• Be seeking to enter the United States for the purpose of full-time teaching as a teacher of record at a primary (including pre-kindergarten) or secondary accredited educational institution in the United States (pre-kindergarten teachers must teach full-time, and at the pre-kindergarten level, may teach only language immersion at an accredited host school);

• Possess sufficient proficiency in the English language.

Hosts/employers are required to:

• Involve exchange teachers in school and community cultural activities; and

• Monitor the performance of exchange teachers in the classroom and in carrying out official responsibilities.

Extensions

• The base period for a teacher exchange is three years. However, host schools may apply to the sponsor for a one- or two-year extension of the exchange (the extension must be for whole years, not fractions of years). Extension requests are not automatic, but there is no limit on the number of extensions that the State Department can grant.

• Sponsors must submit extension requests they approve and any supporting documentation to support the extension to the State Department no later than three months prior to the beginning of the desired extension period for the teacher.