Welcome to InterExchange
Thank you for your decision to host an international intern or trainee through the InterExchange Career Training USA program! InterExchange brings more than 40 years of experience, as well as knowledge and enthusiasm, to the world of international cultural exchange, and we look forward to working with you throughout the program.
As a host employer, you play a very important role in ensuring that the goals and objectives of the J-1 Intern/Trainee exchange visitor program are met. Your international participants will be looking to you for guidance, support and mentorship during their program in the USA.
At the same time, we hope that you and your U.S. employees will enjoy this opportunity to engage in an exceptional cultural exchange experience, learning about the culture, customs, and business practices of your participant’s home country.
We encourage you to keep in touch with us throughout the program and let us know how we can provide the best learning opportunity possible to you, your international intern or trainee, and your U.S. employees. You are welcome to call or email us anytime during normal business hours: M-F, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. EST. We are also prepared to assist you outside normal hours should an emergency arise.
Remember to keep us updated about any changes to your email address or phone number so you can be sure to receive important program-related updates. We also encourage you to visit our Employer Resource Center for additional information about the program.
Welcome to InterExchange Career Training USA. We wish you a very successful program!
About InterExchange
InterExchange is a nonprofit organization with more than 40 years of experience dedicated to promoting cultural awareness through a wide range of affordable and exciting work & travel, professional training, internship, au pair, camp, language learning and volunteer programs within the U.S. and abroad.
InterExchange is designated by the U.S. Department of State - BridgeUSA program to sponsor the J-1 Visa for people from around the world who would like to engage in cultural exchange by visiting the U.S. for a defined period of time. We also connect U.S. and Canadian citizens with work and volunteer opportunities that enable them to learn about life in other countries.
The Fulbright-Hays Act
We encourage all our participants and professional colleagues to learn about the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, also known as the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. This important act enables InterExchange to sponsor J-1 Visa programs and helps the Government of the United States to:
Increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange; strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations, and the contributions being made toward a peaceful and more fruitful life for people throughout the world;
Promote international cooperation for educational and cultural advancement; and thus assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world.
Our J-1 Visa participants and their hosts must follow all regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of State and maintain contact with InterExchange throughout their selected programs. We encourage international visitors to take advantage of the cultural opportunities offered by their U.S. host communities, and we
- Encourage you to promote cultural learning by introducing participants to uniquely American values, customs, history, and activities while simultaneously learning about the countries and cultures of visiting participants.
Strengthening these relationships makes achieving the goals of mutual cultural exchange possible and allows us to build a global community—one person at a time.
The Goals and Objectives of the J-1 Intern/Trainee Exchange Visitor Program
Per the program regulations, the primary objectives of the Intern and Trainee programs are to enhance the skills and expertise of exchange visitors in their academic or occupational fields through participation in structured and guided work-based training and internship programs, and to improve participants’ knowledge of American techniques, methodologies, and technology.
Such training and internship programs are also intended to increase participants’ understanding of American culture and society and to enhance Americans’ knowledge of foreign cultures and skills through an open interchange of ideas between participants and their American associates. A key goal of the Fulbright-Hays Act is that participants will return to their home countries upon completing their programs and share their experiences with their countrymen.
The Intern/Trainee J-1 Visa (together with the DS-2019 Form) allows the participant to:
- Intern/Train in the U.S. during the dates listed on the DS-2019 Form
- Apply for a Social Security number
This visa does not allow the participant to:
- Perform unskilled labor or provide medical patient or child care
- Extend his or her work eligibility or program participation past 12 months for interns or hospitality trainees and past 18 months for all other trainees
- Intern/train for more than one host employer at the same time
- Intern/train for fewer than 32 hours a week or perform more than 20 percent clerical work
