Departures during the school year:

This information is intended for teachers whose program has been ended, terminated, or shortened during the school year. 

If you are leaving during the school year, your J-1 status and that of any J-2 dependents will normally be canceled effective on the last date of teaching in cases of resignation. If your program is ended, terminated, or shortened by either the school district or by Participate Learning, we will inform you of the end or termination date of your J-1 status and that of any J-2 dependents, and the end date will normally be on or about your last day of teaching. From that date, the Department of Homeland Security expects you to leave the U.S. as soon as possible, but in no event may the departure date exceed 30 days. It’s understandable that you will need a few days to make some arrangements, but you should begin planning for your departure immediately.

Employment: You (and/or any dependents) cannot work or study after your J-1 status has ended.  

Exit Survey: Participate Learning constantly strives to improve program offerings for Participate Learning teachers and host schools. You will be sent an email asking you to complete a survey regarding your experience. We greatly appreciate your honest feedback and your time in completing this survey.

You may wish to request a letter of recommendation that specifically highlights your performance at school from your principal or district office. While Participate Learning can only provide general information regarding the dates of your participation in our program, your principal or other supervisors at your host school or district will be in a better position to provide a reference evaluating your teaching abilities and performance based on their first-hand observations should they be willing to do so. You should also keep copies of any performance evaluations you have received for future use.

U.S. Criminal Background Check and Retaining Document Copies: Before you leave the U.S., we strongly recommend that you obtain a statewide criminal background check. 

These can be very difficult to obtain from outside of the U.S. (particularly in the U.K.) and are often required for future employment. Participate Learning cannot obtain a criminal background check on your behalf nor can we endorse any private companies to assist you in this process. Therefore, we suggest that you consider the following options before departing the U.S.:

• School District Personnel Office: Many personnel offices either complete criminal background checks themselves or contract with a private company. Your Human Resource administrator may be able to assist you in this endeavor.
• Police Check: You can obtain a criminal background check at your local police station. Be prepared to explain that you are required to obtain such a police check to continue your teaching career in your home country.
• Castle Branch: This is a private company that will supply a way for you to obtain a simple criminal background check. You will be able to access this background check online at any time even when you are back in your home country. The Certified Background package will cost $144 and will include County Criminal, Nationwide Federal Criminal, Nationwide Sexual Offender Index, Nationwide Database, and Residency History. You may obtain a smaller package that includes only the County Criminal and Residency History for $20, but most employees and agencies will require a more extensive search. The results will include Participate Learning’s name as the company you worked for in the U.S.
  • Go to https://www.castlebranch.com/.
  • In the Place Order box, enter VI99 (the second character is a capital letter “i”).
  • Check the box to indicate you understand the terms and click Submit.
  • Enter your personal information as requested.
  • Select a method of payment.

• We also remind you to keep all copies of your DS-2019 forms and other immigration documents in a safe place and to refrain from requesting from us or any host school any letter, information, or other assistance to remain in the U.S. as we are unable to accommodate such requests.

 

Health Benefits: Your health benefits coverage, as well as that of any J-2 dependents covered in your plan, will end on the last day of the month in which your J-1 status ends or is terminated. The plan will not pay claims for services provided after this date. If you wish to continue benefits coverage beyond your end date, you may elect COBRA coverage. COBRA stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986. U.S. law requires that group health plans offer covered employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health coverage in instances where plan coverage would end.

• Participate Learning teachers and their dependents who are enrolled in our health benefits are eligible to continue receiving health benefits for a period up to 18 months under the U.S. law known as COBRA. The company that manages COBRA administration for Participate Learning, will mail you a separate notice explaining how you can continue coverage. Note that this notice will be sent after the J-1 status end date and the coverage is retroactive should you elect coverage in a timely manner and pay the associated cost. You have 60 days to elect COBRA after receiving your notification. Please keep in mind the cost of COBRA coverage is much more expensive than the subsidized health benefits for our active teachers

 

A similar option is available for continuing dental insurance; however, dental insurance coverage is not available outside of the U.S.

If you are leaving the program during the school year, your health insurance coverage will last through the end of the month in which your J-1 status is ended or terminated. Your last bankroll deduction for the insurance will occur on the 15th or last day of that month, depending on your draft date selection. You have the option of extending our health benefits by electing COBRA. Information about COBRA and how to register will be sent to the U.S. address we have on file for you.  Please carefully review the COBRA notice you will receive separately as it explains your legal rights.                                   

 

Travel: Begin making travel arrangements to return home as soon as you know when your last day of work will be. Remember that the cost of an airline ticket to your home country may increase closer to the date of travel. All costs associated with returning home are the responsibility of the Participate Learning teacher.

• Notify Teacher Resources once you have determined your departure date.

 

Taxes: All people who earn wages in the U.S. are responsible for paying taxes and submitting a tax return for every year in which they earn these wages. Therefore, if you leave the program at the end of the 2021-22 school year, you will be responsible for submitting a tax return to the IRS each year no later than on April 15th the following year for any wages you earned in the U.S. during the previous calendar year.

Participate Learning and/or your school district will be sending you certain tax forms the February following your program departure. Therefore, it is essential that both Participate Learning and your school district’s Human Resources department have an accurate forwarding address for you. Be sure to update both Participate Learning and your school district if your address changes.

Forwarding Information: Please provide Participate Learning and your school district with a forwarding address as soon as possible so that any mail, including important tax or insurance information, can be sent to you. Visit your nearest U.S. post office to arrange to have your mail forwarded to your new address.

Two Year home country physical presence requirement / Repeat participation: U.S. Department of State expects Participate Learning, its partner school districts, and participating teachers to uphold the intent of the Exchange Visitor Program. All participants in the Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program are expected to return abroad after program participation to share what they have learned during their time in the U.S. to improve cultural understanding.  All exchange visitor teachers are expected to reside abroad for two years in order to become eligible to repeat participation in the program. It is important to note that many exchange visitor teachers in our program are subject to an additional requirement known as the two-year home country physical presence requirement.  In this case the home country has designated the teacher’s skills as an area of need and the teacher must return home and be physically present in the home country for two full years before being eligible for repeat participation. 

Note: Any teachers who have been approved for a waiver of the two-year home residency requirement and have not returned to their home country will no longer be eligible for program participation.

Future Program Participation: Teachers who successfully complete their participation with Participate Learning and comply with the above requirements are encouraged to apply for another tour. To indicate your interest in returning, visit the Participate Learning website and complete the registration form should you wish to repeat participation after you have completed the two-year home physical presence requirement, if applicable, and have resided outside of the U.S. for two years. A Participate Learning staff member will contact you to invite you to re-apply and to talk with you about the abbreviated admissions process available to Participate Learning alumni. Teachers must reside outside the U.S. for two years, and complete the two-year home-country physical presence requirement if applicable, before returning.

Staying Connected: We hope you’ll stay in touch even after ending your program participation with Participate Learning. You’ll continue to have access to our communities of practice. In addition, at the end of each school year, you’ll be invited to join our  Participate Learning Alumni Community to stay connected with other educators you met while teaching in the U.S., and to meet more from around the world! You can also continue to connect with us on our public social media channels, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram – we hope you’ll visit us often and continue in these conversations.