Program Eligibility & Requirements
InterExchange Career Training USA offers two unique programs: the Intern program and the Trainee program. The federal rules and regulations for these programs are included in the Appendix.
Intern Program
Eligibility:
Currently enrolled full-time and actively pursuing studies at a foreign ministerially-recognized degree- or certificate-granting post-secondary academic institution outside the U.S., OR
Graduated from such an institution no more than 12 months prior to the exchange visitor program begin date reflected on the Form DS-2019 (applications must be submitted no less than two months prior to the expiration of this 12-month timeframe).
Program duration:
- 1to 12 months
Field of internship:
- Must be directly related to the applicant’s academic field. Interns must have completed at least one year of their degree program and have sufficient academic coursework in their academic field to be sufficiently prepared for their internships.
Repeat participation is allowed if:
The candidate is still a student or has graduated within 12 months of the new program start date.
Current interns must return to school for at least one term before applying for another intern visa.
In most cases, applicants will not be permitted to return to the same host employer. The maximum time an intern can train with a host is 12 months.
Please contact us to discuss each applicant’s particular situation before submitting additional applications for the same employer.
Trainee Program
Eligibility:
A degree or professional certificate from a foreign ministerially-recognized post-secondary academic institution and at least one year of prior work experience acquired outside the U.S that is directly related to the proposed training field ., OR
Five years of work experience acquired outside the U.S. that is directly related to the proposed training field
Program duration:
- 1 to 18 months (Hospitality & Tourism training programs cannot exceed 12 months).
Field of training:
- Must be related to the applicant’s current occupational field, which the applicant is actively pursuing outside of the U.S. at time of application.
Repeat participation is allowed with some conditions:
Person resides outside of the U.S. or its territories for at least 2 years after the end of the previous J-1 Internship or Training program.
In most cases, applicants will not be permitted to return to the same host employer. The maximum time a trainee can train with a host is 18 months (or 12 months in the fields of hospitality and tourism.)
Please contact us to discuss each applicant’s particular situation before submitting additional applications for the same employer.
In addition to these basic eligibility criteria, participants must also meet these eligibility criteria.
Please note that any updates to our requirements will be posted on our website. Before sending new applications, you must review this site to ensure that the applicant meets program requirements.
Host Employer Eligibility
InterExchange must also ensure host employers are legitimate organizations that are willing to abide by the rules and regulations governing this program and who have sufficient staff, resources, and on-site space available for any interns or trainees they wish to host.
All interested employers must meet the eligibility criteria indicated here.
Please note that any updates to our requirements will be posted on our website. Before sending new applications, review our site to ensure that the host meets program requirements.
Site Visits
In addition, organizations with fewer than 25 employees and less than three million dollars in annual revenue are subject to a site visit, conducted by an InterExchange representative. There is a $250 fee for the visit, but once it is conducted, it is not necessary for the organization to be visited again should it wish to host InterExchange interns or trainees in the future. If there is a change of owner or office location or other significant change in the operations of the company, a repeat visit may be required.
InterExchange Career Training USA: Beginning to End
The Career Training USA application process flows through several phases. On the following pages, each phase is outlined so that you will understand what happens from the time potential candidates are recruited until participants complete their programs and return home.
