I’m a student currently living in the U.S. on J-2 status.
I took a leave of absence from my university in Korea and came to the U.S. on J-2 status following my father, but I’ll soon turn 21, and unlike my father, my visa will then end.
I’d like to reuse all the documents my father originally prepared for his J-1 visa — financial documents, family relationship certificates, etc. — to change my own status to J-1, but I’m not sure if that’s possible.
Would I also need to file for a waiver?
If the documents your father used are somewhat old, they likely won’t work as-is. If you file using them directly, USCIS will likely require updated documents from within roughly the last 3 months. As for a waiver, since your father is the one subject to the home-residency requirement (and his visa process is already complete), you would not need to file for one yourself.