Manila: The United States is satisfied with the current run of its J-1 visa program for Filipinos, according to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) on Friday. Speaking on the sidelines of a media training on the Philippine migration landscape, CFO chairperson Secretary Dante Ang II stated that the U.S. had repeatedly acknowledged that Filipinos had been compliant with their contractual obligations to return and render service back to the Philippines.

According to Philippines News Agency, the U.S. is considering expanding the list of skills eligible for the program. Secretary Ang mentioned that to reflect the development needs of the Philippines, the U.S. has added some items to the skills list, citing nuclear power technology as an example.

The J-1 exchange visitor program is a non-immigrant visa designed for cultural exchange. All its holders whose fields of expertise are listed in the U.S. Department of State's "Skills List" are required to return and stay in their home country for at least two years before they can apply for an immigrant visa.

Amid the Trump administration's intensified crackdown on illegal immigrants, the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. earlier warned Filipinos that the program is not a legal pathway to permanent residency. This warning comes after reports of illegal recruiters posing as immigration lawyers, promising U.S. citizenship through J-1 visas.

Ang reiterated the advisory, urging Filipinos to strictly adhere to U.S. immigration policies. He advised, "If your intent is to migrate permanently, then our recommendation is to follow the regular migration pathway. Apply for a green card if that's what you want, or a permanent residency pathway. Don't use the au pair, the J-1, or other exchange programs if their intention is not to return to the Philippines."