HUNDREDS of Jamaican educators in North Carolina, USA, on the J-1 Teacher Exchange Programme are in limbo over their ability to remain in the USA and work legally, due to delays they are experiencing in obtaining a no-objection statement from the Jamaica Government.

One of the teachers, who spoke to the Jamaica Observer on condition of anonymity, explained that if other educators who entered the USA in 2015 are not in receipt of the no-objection statement before June 30, then they will be forced to leave the USA.

After five years, however, you must get a no-objection letter from the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education to say there are no ties.

We are hundreds of teachers who at this point have signed contracts and would love to take up the job offers but we cannot because we are waiting on the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance,” the teacher said.

The purpose of the teachers needing the no-objection statement is to satisfy one of the five statutory bases from which one can apply for a J-1 waiver in order to change his status from a J-1 to a H-1B visa, which permits a maximum stay of six years as opposed to the five years on a J-1 visa.