Career Training USA
Career Training USA

How it works

Experience American culture and add international skills to your resume.

Requirements

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

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
    NOTE: Programs exceeding 6 months must be paid at least the state and local minimum wage
  • Provide a professional training program in an office-type setting, with no more than 20% clerical or basic work. NOTE: 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.
  • There must also be at least 5 full-time, onsite employers per J-1 intern or trainee to ensure adequate training and supervision is provided.
  • Be in business and operational for at least six months
  • Have an English-language website and a company-based email addresses
  • Interview candidates via phone, webcam, or in person
  • 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
  • Agree to complete mandatory program evaluations and to notify InterExchange in case of an emergency or any changes to the training plan or supervision
All companies must also provide 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 If you are offering a program in the hospitality industry, be sure to review our hospitality requirements.

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 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 bakeries (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.

In addition, 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
  • Elder care
  • Social work
  • Sports or physical therapy, psychological counseling
  • Teaching
  • Veterinary medicine

Process

Review the eligibility requirements below to determine if your company meets the J-1 Intern/Trainee program requirements.

1. Check eligibility
  • Sign up and invite your intern or trainee to the online application
  • If you already have an account with us, you can login here.
  • NOTE: Your participants will receive an invitation to complete their side of the application
  • Complete the Company Basics section and upload the required documents to create your company account
  • Go to Training Plans and click on the participant’s name to complete the Participant Information and Participant Compensation sections
  • Add and create the Training Plan phases
  • Refer to our Training Plan Guide for assistance
  • Have phase supervisors sign their respective phases and an authorized employee sign the Host Employer Agreement
  • Send the Training Plan to the intern or trainee so they can sign the plan and submit their application
  • Complete the mandatory Host Employer Orientation
  • Initial Review: Once your participant’s application is submitted into “Initial Review”, we’ll notify you within 1-2 business days if we need anything else from you.
  • In Queue: When the participant’s application is complete, it will be placed “In Queue” for formal review.
    • The formal review process will take 10 days from the day that the application has been marked complete and moved into the queue.
  • Under Review: The formal review will take 1-2 business days to complete and will be marked “Under Review.”
    • During this portion of the review process, the reviewer will reach out to you if there is any additional information or revisions needed to the Training Plan.
  • Pending Interview: Once the formal review has been completed, the participant’s application status will be changed to “Pending Interview.” We will schedule an interview with the participant at their earliest convenience.
  • Pending Site Visit: If the interview is successful, but your company requires a site visit, the application status will be changed to “Pending Site Visit.” An InterExchange representative will schedule the visit with you at your convenience.
  • Final Decision: After the interview and site visit (if applicable), you and the participant will receive our final decision via email within 1-2 business days and we will ship the sponsorship documents to your participant.
  • U.S. Embassy/Consulate Interview: The participant will need to complete the DS-160 application and attend his/her interview at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in order to receive the J-1 Visa.
Once the applicant has received their J-1 Visa, they will be all set to travel to the United States and begin training!
Once the applicant has received their J-1 Visa, they will be all set to travel to the United States and begin training. Be sure to follow the Training Plan so that your intern or trainee can make the most of their program.

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.

CTUSA Host CTA

Sign up to gain international talent

Complete your application and create your participant’s DS-7002 Training Plan.