Change of Status from J1 to F1 with Section 212(e)

Hi,

I am a exchange visitor at Northern Illinois University. I entered the US on 16th January 2020 on a J1 visa. With the current COVID-19 situation, my current visa status has been extended to July 15 2020. Meanwhile, I got an admit for a Master’s program at University of Maryland, College Park. With the extension of visa status, I was planning on applying for change of status in the US by filing an I-539. While compiling all the necessary documents, I noticed that I am a bearer of section 212(e).

I understand that there is a possibility of applying a waiver on the section 212(e). However, please let me know if the waiver is required in my case and how to proceed with that waiver,and if not, please advice on how to proceed.

Thank you

Prannoy