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Long-Term Individual Exchanges to the United States

Students attending a secondary school in Germany with an active GAPP partnership are eligible for a long-term exchange, a semester or academic year at their U.S. partner school. GAPP is recognized by the US Department of State to sponsor J-1 Secondary School Student visas to eligible German students. Our J1- program is certified annually by the Council on Standards for International Education Travel (CSIET). 

Long Term Exchanges © GAPP/Amy Perkins

Eligibility

The German and U.S. schools must have an active GAPP partnership and must have completed at least one reciprocal short-term exchange to the US 

The student must be between the ages of 15 and 18 ½ during the exchange

The German student must not have completed more than 11 years of secondary school in Germany

Students who have already completed an F-1 or J-1 exchange in the U.S. are not eligible

Step 1: Eligible German students request information about long-term exchanges from their school's German GAPP coordinator

Step 2: The German GAPP coordinator contacts the American GAPP coordinator at the U.S. partner school to confirm acceptance for the proposed semester(s).

Step 3: Once both schools confirm the exchange, the American GAPP coordinator emails GAPP gappLT@goethe.de to start the application process.

GAPP starts J1- procedure. If successful, GAPP issues form DS-2019 which enables the exchange student to apply for a J-1 visa at the U.S. consulate in Germany. 

Please watch our video below for an overview of the application process. 
 
 

Deadlines

The exchange program start date should align with the first day of the semester or school year. 
 
Deadline to apply for GAPP- Sponsorship for fall semester or academic year: 
May 15th  
 
Deadline for Spring semester:                  
October 15th  

The GAPP Guidelines for Long-Term Exchanges document provides detailed information about the DS-2019 and J-1 visa application procedures and what to expect from a long-term GAPP exchange: 

GAPP Guidelines for Longterm Exchange(PDF, 831 KB)

For information on the Secondary School Student Exchange Visitor Program, please visit the U.S. Department of State’s BridgeUSA webpage:

Student Exchange Visitor Program

Application Fee

The GAPP DS-2019 application processing fee is $1,300 per exchange student.
 

Application Proces

The American GAPP Coordinator at the U.S. partner school is the main contact for the exchange student, the German and U.S. partner schools, and the GAPP office during the application and exchange process. 
To assist with the various phases of a long-term exchange, we have created a series of checklists for the American GAPP Coordinator to follow.
 

Download Checklist

Long Term Exchanges to Germany


American students interested in studying in Germany for a semester or academic year should reach out to the American GAPP coordinator at their school and review GAPP’s Long-Term Exchanges to Germany packet. Please note that GAPP does not coordinate long-term exchanges to Germany and cannot sponsor or issue German residence permits. Long-term exchanges to Germany are organized independently, on a case-by-case basis, between the German and U.S. partner schools.

GAPP LT to Germany @GAPP @GAPP

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