Internship in the USA> Applicants

Eligibility | Application Process | Fees | Health Insurance | J1 Visa

J1 Visa

In the spirit of educational and cultural exchange between the United States and countries around the globe, the U.S. Department of State administers the Exchange Visitor Program to provide participants with opportunities to train in their professional field for three to 18 months and intern for three to 12 months in the United States and then return home to share their experiences. The purpose of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program is to provide participants with volunteer (or minimally paid) practical training in the U.S. in a specific field of interest.

IA&A will prepare the DS-2019 form (entitled the Certificate of Eligibility). After receiving this document, the participant applies for a J1 visa at the American embassy or consulate in their home country. Visit U.S. embassy’s website for further information about Exchange Visitor visa or go to: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1267.html

IA&A provides the applicant with the DS-2019 form (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status). However, it is applicants’ responsibility to apply for the J1 trainee/intern visa in the U.S. embassy or consulate.

Once you have received your DS-2019 form from IA&A, check that all the information on it is correct. Please contact us immediately if you find it needs to be amended in any way – do not make any amendments yourself as this will invalidate the DS-2019.

It is your responsibility to check exactly what is required of you, with the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country from which you are applying. The U.S. embassy or consulate will advise you to download the appropriate visa application forms from their website, or they will mail them to you. Please note that due to increased security, most U.S. embassies and consulates will require you to undergo an in-person Interview with a Consular Officer as part of the J1 visa application. This can take anywhere from one to three weeks to arrange, so bear this is mind when you are confirming your internship start date.

Delays can occur in visa processing, especially around holiday periods (December) and during the summer period (June through September). Please do not book any air tickets until you have received your J1 visa.

Please visit: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait.php for current visa wait times in the U.S. in your country.

Please don’t hesitate to contact International Arts & Artists if you have questions about the visa application process. We will do our best to answer your questions and allay any concerns you might have.

Required Documents

Depending on the country in which you are applying for your J1 visa, the following list of required documentation may vary.

Required Documentation for J1 visa application

  1. Completed DS-7002 Form (Training/Internship Placement Plan)
  2. Completed DS-2019 Form (Certificate of Eligibility)
  3. Completed DS-160 Form (visa application form)
  4. Completed SEVIS I 901 fee payment (see www.ice.gov/sevis/i901 or www.fmjfee.com )
  5. Valid Passport - Must be valid for six months after the end-date of your internship
  6. Evidence to show that you have sufficient funds to cover all expenses during your stay in the         U.S.
  7. Recent Photograph (visit the embassy’s website for photo size requirements)
  8. Proof of ties abroad (in country other than the U.S.)
  9. Evidence of having paid the application fee with paying-in slip 

SEVIS Fee

“The SEVIS I-901 fee is mandated by Congress to support the program office and the automated system that keeps track of students and exchange visitors and ensures that they maintain their status while in the United States. Each student or exchange visitor issued an initial Form I-20 or DS-2019 on or after September 1, 2004 is responsible for paying this fee to SEVP.”

The SEVIS Fee should be paid after you have received your DS-2019 form but before your visa interview. To pay the SEVIS Fee and find more information about this fee please visit: https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml.

Please be aware that the SEVIS Fee doesn’t replace the visa application fee. The visa application fee is a separate non-refundable fee paid by anyone applying for a U.S. visa.

Information for Canadian Citizens

Citizens of Canada are not required to have a non-immigrant visa for entry into the U.S. (with few exceptions). Therefore they’re not required to apply for a J1 trainee/intern visa in the U.S. consulate before entry to the U.S. To apply for entry in the U.S. at the border, Canadian citizens are required to have a valid ID and a proof of Canadian citizenship (for example passport). When you enter the U.S. on J1 trainee/intern status you are required to have a valid DS-2019 form with you. You also need proof of the completed SEVIS Fee. For more information please visit the travel.state.gov site.

 

Obtaining your J1 visa may take up to 6 weeks. Please start the process early!

 

 

From the left: Angela Ezaley (Ivory Coast), Lesego Gwai (South Africa), Juliana Takaki (Brazil) at Orientation Meeting in Washington, DC

 

From the left: Melisa Fuentes (Dominican Republic), Jennifer Mouloby (France), Sarah Willoughby (England), Hyesun Shin (Korea)

 

“I over achieved my final goal. My initial goal was to gain experience in America... I have made friends, creative contacts and learned more here in my 6 months than I think I would of, working in the UK.”

—Elizabeth McKenzie from UK, trainee at Kanter International (now Finch Brands), Philadelphia, PA