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 to sponsor a variety of J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor programs.
As a proud J-1 Visa sponsor and cultural exchange organization, we encourage 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 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 that 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.
To ensure a successful exchange visitor program, 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 programs. A successful program also depends on U.S. hosts’ encouragement of cultural learning by introducing international exchange visitors to uniquely American values, customs, history, and activities while simultaneously learning about the countries and cultures of visiting participants. Similarly, international exchange visitors are expected to make a commitment to engaging in cultural learning opportunities in their local host communities throughout their programs. 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.
InterExchange Programs
Work & Travel USA
InterExchange Work & Travel USA is a J-1 Visa program that offers international university students ages 18 to 28 the opportunity to live and work in the U.S. for three to four months during their summer vacation. Students work in hotels, inns, amusement parks, national parks, retail stores, ski resorts, and numerous other seasonal establishments. They receive a wage, assistance with housing, accident and sickness insurance, program support, and an optional month for travel to explore the United States. Work & Travel USA also offers a 12-month program for citizens of Australia and New Zealand.
Participants in the Work & Travel USA program must follow all regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of State and maintain monthly contact with InterExchange. During the program, we encourage all participants to take advantage of the cultural opportunities offered by their local host communities.
Additional InterExchange Programs
Au Pair USA is a 12-month program that gives young people, ages 18 to 26, the opportunity to experience the U.S. by living with an American host family and providing child care. In return for their services, au pairs receive room, board, a weekly stipend, accident and sickness insurance, airfare, and an educational allowance to use toward college-level courses. This program can be extended for an additional six, nine, or 12 months after successfully completing the original 12-month program.
Camp USA places international participants, ages 18+, in U.S. summer camps in counselor positions. InterExchange also sponsors visas for returning staff or for participants who have found their own camp jobs. The Camp Counselor J-1 Visa is a 4-month visa. The InterExchange Camp USA program runs between May 1st and October 15th during the program year.
Career Training USA assists international students and young professionals, ages 18+, with J-1 Visa sponsorship for internships and practical training programs in the U.S. Candidates may apply for the J-1 Intern or Trainee Visa if they have already secured an appropriate position in the U.S. International students and recent graduates may apply as Interns and pursue an internship for up to 12 months in a field related to their academic field of study. International working professionals may apply as Trainees and pursue training programs for up to 18 months in a field related to their occupational background. To be eligible, participants’ education and work experience must have been earned outside the U.S.
Working Abroad enables U.S. citizens, generally ages 18 to 30, to build diverse work experiences overseas. Opportunities include Au Pair, English language instruction, work and travel, and volunteer abroad placements. We offer programs in Australia, Africa, Asia, South America, and numerous European countries.
The InterExchange Foundation was established in 2007 to provide grant funding to motivated young Americans who contribute to worthy work or volunteer projects abroad. The Working Abroad Grant supports participants of select InterExchange Working Abroad programs, and the Christianson Fellowship supports individuals who have sought out and arranged their own long-term work abroad programs. Many students study abroad every year, but far fewer take advantage of the opportunity to work, intern, or volunteer overseas. By providing financial assistance to talented candidates, we encourage young Americans to discover and contribute to the world and benefit from the unique and enriching insights one can only gain from living and working abroad.
International Cooperator (IC)
InterExchange is proud to work with International Cooperator (IC) companies and non-governmental organizations in more than 60 countries. Our IC network represents a cross-section of the most exceptional and trusted companies involved in promoting and recruiting for cultural exchange programs.
Our ICs introduce InterExchange programs to prospective participants in their home countries and emphasize the benefits of spending time in the U.S. to expand their knowledge of U.S. culture and personal experiences. ICs collaborate with us to fulfill the goals of cultural exchange, so our international participants can enjoy learning opportunities in the U.S., while host employers and families can meet and learn about people from all over the world. One of the key responsibilities ICs fulfill is to recruit, pre-screen, and select applicants who meet visa eligibility requirements and are prepared to make the most of the cultural exchange experience when working with host employers, families, and host communities.
In addition to providing ICs with detailed information and guidance for marketing our programs in their home countries, we also provide content for orientations to teach participants about life in the U.S. and prepare them for adapting to a new culture and country. Each in-bound international participant is interviewed by either InterExchange staff or an IC to evaluate the candidate’s ability to be successful on the program. Final acceptance into the program and program monitoring are exclusively the responsibility of the sponsor. Every IC is an important part of the process for making sure that all participants are equipped for the benefits as well as the challenges of joining one of our cultural exchange programs.
