UAB is an internationally renowned, public doctoral research university and academic health center. We are committed to diversity on Campus. UAB hosts about 300 exchange visitors every year across all academic units, primarily in our School of Medicine from 81 countries working in about 17 different type of specialties on campus. We would love to host you!

“Exchange visitor” is a regulatory term of art for international researchers and physicians who come to the US on a J-1 visa. There are over a dozen different categories of the J-1 visa, but the most common by far at UAB are the Professor, Research Scholar, Short-Term Scholar, Alien Physician, and Student Intern categories. While paid employment is allowed as a benefit of holding J-1 status, the J-1 visa is not an “employment visa”

According to the US Department of State, which oversees all J-1 exchange visitor programs nationwide, J-1 opportunities exist "to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange." The Department of State expects J-1 Exchange Visitors to return to their home country at the end of their research or training opportunity to share the knowledge they acquired in the US.