Important Program Information

Second Jobs

You are strictly forbidden from interning, training, or working for anyone other than your host employer. If you need to change employers, InterExchange must approve all requests for a change of host before you can begin interning or training for a new employer. Please contact InterExchange to obtain the required application for changing hosts.

You are never permitted to intern, train, or work for more than one employer at a time. Doing so violates the terms of your visa and immigration law and places your second employer in violation of the law as well. If you cannot financially support yourself, it is better to go home early than to break the law and jeopardize your chances of obtaining a U.S. visa in the future.

Monthly Check-Ins: Changes to Contact Info or Training Plan

Whenever you have any changes to your contact information or training plan, you must alert InterExchange immediately so we can keep your SEVIS record up-to-date.

• Changes to your contact information can include: a new email or residential address or phone number.
• Changes to your training plan can include: a new supervisor, additional responsibilities and tasks, or a new salary or stipend amount.

Every month of your program, we will check in with you to ensure that your program is going well. You will receive an email from us to verify your current contact information, and this is also a great opportunity to let us know about any issues or concerns you may have about your program.

IMPORTANT: You must respond to these monthly check-in emails in order to remain active on the program.

Program Evaluations

Both you and your supervisor will be required to complete program evaluations. These are a requirement of the J-1 visa program so it is important to complete them as soon as you receive the evaluation links via email.

All participants must complete final evaluations. If your internship is 6-months or longer, you will also need to complete an interim evaluation. Your interim evaluation will need to be submitted promptly in order for you to remain on the program, and your final evaluation must be submitted in order for InterExchange to confirm you have successfully completed your program.

While the evaluations are mandatory, your comments do also help us to improve the program for new participants so your honest feedback is greatly appreciated.

30-Day Grace Period

Although you are not permitted to intern or train past the program end date on your DS-2019 Form, you are permitted to stay a maximum of 30 days past the end date to travel within the U.S. and prepare for your departure. This is referred to as the grace period. For ideas on where to travel in the U.S., check out the InterExchange Blog.

Repeat Participation in the Internship and Training Program

It is possible to do additional internship programs as long as you are still a current student or within one year of graduation. However, we require that you return to your home country to complete a semester of school before applying for another internship.

In most cases, you are not permitted to return to the same host employer. Additional internships and training programs must expose you to new skills, tasks and responsibilities, while still providing you with a training opportunity.

You may also repeat the Trainee program. However, if you have previously completed a J-1 internship or training program, you must leave the U.S. for a period of two years before you will be eligible for another Trainee program in the U.S. This is required of all participants, and it applies specifically to applying for an additional Trainee visa - not other visa types or categories.

Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement

You may also be subject to Section 212(e), the two-year foreign residency requirement, which requires you to return to your home country for a period of two years to apply the knowledge and skills you have gained in the U.S.

Participants subject to 212(e) may not apply for an H, L, or K visa or lawful permanent residency upon completing their J-1 Intern/Trainee program until they have returned to their home country for a period of two years.

You may be subject to this requirement for one or more of the following reasons:

• Your participation in the InterExchange Career Training USA program was funded by the United States government, your own government, or an international organization.
• The training and skills you are pursuing in InterExchange Career Training USA’s program appears on the Exchange Visitor Skills list for your country.
• The requirement is applied at the discretion of U.S. consular officials. Your visa will indicate whether you are subject to the two-year residency requirement. If you are subject, your visa will have the following note: ‘BEARER IS SUBJECT TO SEC 212(E). TWO YEAR RULE DOES APPLY.’ Note: InterExchange has no control over whether you will be subject to this requirement.
• The two-year foreign residency requirement also applies to your dependents in the U.S. on the J-2 Visa.

For more important program information, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions for current participants.

Next: Program Extensions »