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Bring an experienced international teacher to your classrooms
Talinta recruits and screens licensed teachers for J-1 cultural exchange placements in U.S. K-12 schools, with a focus on the subject areas where shortages run deepest.
- Fully licensed teachers of record — not aides or assistants
- Placements of up to three years under the U.S. Department of State’s BridgeUSA Teacher Program
- A cultural exchange your students and staff experience every day
Subject areas we focus on
We recruit across all K-12 subject areas, with a focus on the four where U.S. schools face the most persistent shortages.
Special Education
Mathematics
Science
ESL/Bilingual Education
At no cost to your district
We screen. We vet. Your district pays nothing for it.
$0
Recruitment fee · Placement fee · Finder’s fee
We screen
Eligibility
Federal J-1 Teacher requirements, credentials, transcripts, and English proficiency.
We vet
Licensure
Your state’s requirements, and a true teacher-of-record role.
We coordinate
Interviews
Across time zones, on your schedule. Sponsor paperwork prepared.
- You pay
- The teacher’s salary and benefits, commensurate with similarly situated U.S. teachers. Nothing to us.
- Sponsor fees
- Vary by sponsor. Quoted in writing before you commit.
- Our fee
- Paid by the teacher, itemized in writing before signing, most of it deferred until after their first salary payment. See what they pay →
The timeline
Tell us as soon as you know your vacancies. We recruit January through December.
- 1
Any time of year
Share your vacancies
Send us the subjects, grade levels, and number of positions as soon as you know them.
- 2
Screening
Meet vetted candidates
We screen and vet teachers, then coordinate interviews on your schedule.
- 3
Offer
Make your choice
Your district decides who to hire and sends the written offer.
- 4
Sponsor and visa
Paperwork moves
The sponsor approves your school and issues the DS-2019. The teacher applies for the J-1 visa.
- 5
Arrival
Your teacher arrives
Ready for orientation and their first day in your classroom.
What your district is responsible for
The J-1 Teacher program places real obligations on the host school. Most districts already meet them. We would rather you check now than discover them in month four.
Accredited school
Public or private, mainly academic, and accredited in your jurisdiction.
Full-time teacher of record
At least 32 hours a week. Aide, assistant, and admin roles do not qualify.
Equal pay and benefits
Same salary, hours, and benefits as similar U.S. teachers at your school, including any union agreement.
Sponsor approval
The sponsor confirms your school is eligible and may do a site visit.
Room for cultural exchange
Real chances to connect with colleagues, students, and the wider community.
Requirements vary somewhat by sponsor and by state. We will confirm the specific ones that apply to your district in writing before you commit to anything.
Who does what
Talinta
Recruits, screens, and vets candidates. Coordinates interviews. Guides teachers through credential evaluation and licensure. Prepares documentation for the sponsor. Supports the teacher through their first academic year, including transfer assistance if a placement has to change.
The designated sponsor
Determines eligibility and acceptance. Verifies English proficiency independently. Approves your school as a host site. Issues Form DS-2019. Administers SEVIS. Carries federal oversight responsibility for participant welfare.
Your district
Decides who to hire. Makes the written offer. Employs and pays the teacher. Provides supervision, mentoring, and the school-side conditions the program requires.
Talinta is not a U.S. Department of State–designated sponsor. We do not issue immigration documents, determine eligibility, approve host schools, or make hiring decisions.
FAQ
What districts ask us
How long does this take?
From job offer to US arrival, the process typically takes four to six weeks.
What does this cost our district?
No recruitment fee, no placement fee, and no finder’s fee to Talinta. You pay the teacher’s salary and benefits at the same rate as similarly situated U.S. teachers. Sponsors charge their own program fees, and we will tell you which of those, if any, fall to the school rather than the teacher.
Is this a way to fill a position permanently?
No, and we will not describe it that way. The J-1 Teacher program is a temporary cultural and educational exchange. Participation is typically authorized for up to three years, with the possibility of a fourth and fifth year subject to sponsor and host school approval. Sponsors may not use the Teacher category to recruit foreign teachers for permanent employment. The position reopens when the program ends.
Are these teachers licensed in our state?
They must satisfy your state’s teaching eligibility standards, including credential evaluation, licensure or a statement of eligibility, any required examinations, and criminal background checks. Requirements differ by state, and some states issue provisional or visiting credentials to exchange teachers. We check your state’s pathway before presenting a candidate.
Do we have to provide housing?
No. Some rural and remote districts offer on-site or subsidized housing and others do not. We disclose the actual housing situation for your placement to the teacher in writing before they accept an offer, rather than letting a general description stand in for a specific one.
What if the teacher is not the right fit, or leaves mid-year?
Tell us and tell the sponsor early. The sponsor is the party who can approve a transfer to a different host school. We stay engaged through the teacher’s first academic year and assist with a transfer search at no additional charge to your district. Some situations are outside anyone’s control, and we will say so plainly rather than pretend otherwise.
We have never hosted an exchange teacher. Is that a problem?
No. Most districts we talk with are in the same position. We will walk you through what the sponsor will ask for and what you need in place before the teacher arrives.
Can they bring family?
Spouses and unmarried children under 21 may apply for J-2 dependent visas. Work authorization for a J-2 spouse is a separate USCIS process with its own timeline. That is a question for the sponsor and, where legal advice is needed, a licensed immigration attorney.
Get started
Let’s talk about your open positions
Tell us the subjects, the grade levels, and your timeline. We will tell you honestly what is possible and what is not.