As a student you must have a J-1 visa to do an internship in the USA. It is a temporary visa, which is not a pathway to other visas. It is also suitable for graduates within 12 months after graduation. A J-1 visa is a protection for students during their internship.
Application procedure
Step 1 You have to have an internship and host employer. This is something you need to take care of yourself. A sponsor* might be able to help you though. The internship should last between 3 weeks and 12 months.
Requirements for the internship are
- There must skilled personnel to train you
- A clear assignment
- If it is a company with <25 employees or which earns less than $3 million in annual revenue, the sponsor will do a site visit
- The assignment should not replace US workers
- The company should have a workers Compensation Insurance (you need to take care of a health insurance yourself)
- An internship should be at entry level but professional (no receptionist work)
Ways to find an internship could be via Career Services, your own network or a sponsor like InterExchange
Step 2 You have to have sufficient financial resources for your time in the USA
Step 3 You have to find yourself a sponsor who can issue the Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) status (Form DS-2019).
* not for financial resources
- Last update:
- Friday, 7 September 2012
Was this answer helpful to you?
Yes
No
More options
Copy link:
here