Yes, J-1. :) It's such an obscure corner of the US immigration law chaos, that barely anybody knows about it, except for those that have to live with it. The transition to H-1B from F-1 under J-1 cloud is even more obscure -- it's actually a legal loophole in the law that I think only a few know about. Basically, it's illegal to apply for H-1B visa without first satisfying the requirement, but it's OK to apply for H-1B status while remaining in the country.
Nah people know about it, I know at least a hand full of companies (personally, there are certainly others) that use said law to get workers into the U.S. and working for them.
It's not just the J-1, but those who come into the states under a visiting scholar program through the US government as opposed to an au pair private program, for example.
