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How It Works

How it works

Learn how to host an international intern or trainee through the InterExchange Career Training USA program! 

Host Requirements

Review the below criteria to determine if your company meets the eligibility requirements of the J-1 Intern/Trainee program. See more in-depth resources about the J-1 Visa.

Check if your company is eligible

Host companies must meet the following requirements to be eligible:

  • Abide by all federal, state and local labor and occupational health and safety laws, including compensation requirements and regulations
  • Internship programs exceeding 6 months must be paid at least the state and local minimum wage. Shorter internship programs may be unpaid, but they must meet the U.S. Department of Labor’s Criteria for Unpaid Internships and are not eligible for a program extension if the total program length will exceed 6 months. Trainee programs must be paid at least the state and local minimum wage regardless of program length. 
  • Provide a professional training program in an office-type setting, with no more than 20% clerical or basic work. Home-based businesses are not permitted
  • Training provided to interns and trainees must also be primarily in-person. Intern/Trainees may participate remotely no more than 40% of their program (e.g., two out of five days per week) if the host organization has instituted partial remote policies.
  • To host a J-1 intern or trainee, a company must have at least three full-time, onsite employees. To host more than one participant, there must be a minimum of five full-time, onsite employees for each additional J-1 intern or trainee to ensure adequate training and supervision.
  • Each Phase Supervisor listed on the Training Plan must be onsite for the duration of their assigned phase.
  • Be in business and operational for at least six months
  • Have an English-language website and company-based email addresses
  • Interview candidates via phone, webcam, or in person
  • Agree to complete mandatory program evaluations and to notify InterExchange in case of an emergency or any changes to the training plan or supervision
  • Consent to a site visit by InterExchange (for a one-time $250 fee) prior to program approval, if required
    • If the host company has fewer than 25 employees and less than $3 million in revenue, InterExchange is required by the State Department to perform a site visit before approving you for the program

All companies must also complete and submit the following required documents/information as part of the online application:

InterExchange is designated to sponsor programs in fields that fall under the following categories:

  • Arts & Culture
  • Information Media and Communications
  • Management, Business, Commerce and Finance
  • Public Administration and Law
  • The Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Mathematics and Industrial Occupations
  • Hospitality and Tourism

J-1 internships and training programs are intended to provide work-based training in an eligible field, enabling candidates to enhance their skills and prepare for their future careers. These programs may NOT be used for ordinary employment purposes or to fill a labor need. Therefore, host employers must:

  • Provide full-time (32-45 hrs per week), professional-level training and not displace full- or part-time, temporary, or permanent American workers
  • Provide training that does not require any sort of license or certification or entail commission-based activities
  • Develop an internship or training program, as outlined in the DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan, that allows candidates to obtain skills, knowledge, and competencies through structured and guided training provided by U.S. employees who are qualified in the candidates’ fields
  • Ensure Interns and Trainees have sufficient exposure to U.S. culture and business practices and that your American staff is exposed to the culture and business practices of each candidate’s home country
  • Not attempt to extend an offer of employment or change the visa status of your Interns or Trainees, as it is required that they return home after completing the program

Not all employers are permitted to host Interns and Trainees through InterExchange. We are not able to sponsor programs in which Interns or Trainees would participate in:

  • Animal care or any handling of animals
  • Child care
  • Clinical work that involves any patient care or contact
  • Dentistry
  • Eldercare
  • Multi-level marketing
  • Psychological counseling
  • Social work
  • Sports or physical therapy 
  • Teaching
  • Trades or crafts (e.g. pottery, carpentry, metalworking, furniture-making, cabinetry)
  • Veterinary medicine

We also cannot approve participants for sponsorship at the following locations:

  • Agricultural settings, such as farms or in wineries’ harvesting operations
  • Arcades
  • Bridal companies
  • Camps (consider our Camp USA program for camp positions)
  • Candy stores, mall kiosks, boardwalk booths, and stands
  • Convenience and grocery stores or superettes/mini-markets (consider our Work & Travel USA program for seasonal positions)
  • Call center, customer service, or phone operators, including tech and help desk support
  • Fast food or quick service restaurants or cafes (consider our Work & Travel USA program for seasonal positions)
  • Fitness studios, gyms, pools, dance studios, personal training, or coaching
  • Garages
  • Gardens or parks
  • Gas stations or toll plazas
  • Landscaping companies
  • Pool management companies
  • Real estate agencies
  • Retail stores or locations and boutiques
  • Schools and other instructional facilities, including teaching & coaching
  • Spas, salons, or dog grooming companies
  • Staffing agencies

If you require staff at one of the locations mentioned above or would like seasonal staff to assist with tasks that are not appropriate for Career Training USA participants, our Work & Travel USA program may be able to help meet your needs.

If you are unsure whether the internship or training program you are offering falls under our list of fields, please contact Career Training USA.

The following requirements apply to hotel/hospitality management, hotel food and beverage management, restaurant management, and culinary arts.

  • To participate in a business-focused J-1 internship or training program at a hotel or restaurant, applicants must demonstrate that they are pursuing a degree program that includes both business and hospitality coursework (interns) or business experience within a hotel or restaurant (trainees).
  • Interns and Trainees must have the appropriate academic or professional background for the departments they will rotate through. For example, participants seeking training in restaurant management must have relevant food and beverage (F&B) coursework (for Interns) or F&B work experience (for Trainees) in order to participate in an F&B program or rotation.
  • At least three rotations for programs six months or longer is required by the regulations. No rotation may be more than three or four months long, and each department must have sufficient, qualified staff to offer adequate training.
    • NOTE: InterExchange will not be able to sponsor Hospitality programs with Housekeeping Management phases.
  • Per the U.S. Department of State regulations, all Hospitality Management, Restaurant Management and Culinary programs are limited to 12 months regardless of whether the individual is an Intern or Trainee.
  • Hospitality Interns and Trainees interested in returning to a property at which they have previously worked on a Work and Travel program or other visa should contact InterExchange to discuss their eligibility before beginning an application as some restrictions may apply.
Eligible Locations
  • Hotels should be rated 3-Diamond or higher by AAA, or rated 4-Star and above by Forbes. All unrated properties will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Restaurants must be high-end, fine dining, sit-down restaurants OR full-service banquet halls. Bakeries may be considered for pastry training. All properties will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Hotels that do not meet the above requirements
  • Motels
  • Hostels
  • National chains restaurants, casual dining restaurants, pubs, pizza parlors
  • Fast food, delivery/takeout restaurants, bakeries
  • Kiosks, stands, food trucks

Remember that participants must rotate through departments and roles. Therefore, they may train in any given category for only one phase.

Hotel/Hospitality Management

  • Front Desk
  • Concierge
  • Hotel or Restaurant Inventory/Buying
  • Back Office/Business Management
  • Food and Beverage Management

Restaurant/Food and Beverage Management

  • Restaurant Inventory or Management/Buying
  • Catering/Event Planning
  • Staff Training and Development
  • Restaurant Business Areas

Culinary Arts

  • Kitchen equipment and food-handling safety training
  • Recipe development
  • Inventory/food sourcing
  • Different stations/food styles
  • Menu planning
  • Pastry or bread production

For questions about other types of tasks, please contact InterExchange.

  • Bartending
  • Bellhop
  • Bussing Tables
  • Cashier
  • Delivery
  • Dishwashing
  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Maintenance
  • Night audit or any training that occurs in the overnight hours
  • Running Food
  • Serving/Hosting
  • Valet

As part of an overall management training, participants may briefly train in hosting, waiting tables, food preparation, etc. to learn basic skills needed to pursue management-level training within a department. However, the combination of such basic tasks may NOT exceed 20% of the entire training program. For culinary participants, food preparation may constitute a larger percentage of their program but only for high-skill tasks contributing to their training.

Host employers who require wait staff, housekeepers, bellhops, short order cooks, etc., are encouraged to learn more about our InterExchange Work & Travel USA program.

Process

Review the application process to host a J-1 Intern/Trainee.

1. Check eligibility

Review the eligibility requirements to determine if your company and participant meet the J-1 Intern/Trainee program requirements.

  • Once the sponsorship application has been approved by InterExchange, the participant will then apply for their J-1 Visa at their local U.S. Embassy/Consulate. The wait time to schedule visa appointments vary depending on location and time of year.
  • Once the applicant has received their J-1 Visa, they will be all set to travel to the United States and begin training. Review our host organization resources for information on J-1 taxes, cultural exchange, and more. InterExchange is here to help you have the best hosting experience!

Costs

There’s generally no cost to host a professional intern or trainee. The intern or trainee is responsible for paying the program fees to participate in the program. 

If you would like to cover the sponsorship cost, you may submit the appropriate program fees listed on our Costs and Fees page and submit payment here.

If a site visit of your organization is required, there is a one-time fee of $250. InterExchange is required by the State Department to perform a site visit of all host companies with fewer than 25 employees and less than $3 million in revenue.

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