I have a b1/b2 visa but never used it , can i apply for a j-1 visa and still keep the b1/b2 ??

Answer 1

The short answer: Yes.

The long answer: One person can have any number of different US nonimmigrant visas, as long as he or she doesn't have two of the same kind. There are folks who hold three or four different visas, each for a different purpose.

And by the way, any US visa can be used at any time until its expiration date, as long as the holder's intent has not changed. If you have a B1/B2 visa valid for ten years, you can use it for the first time two weeks before it expires...or one day before it expires, since a visa is for entry, not for length of stay.

So you can keep your B1/B2 for its entire period of validity, using it before or after - or even during - the time you also have a J1 for another purpose.

Answer 2

Yes