Extending Your Program
If you are nearing the end of your program, and you and your employer both feel the program is going well, it may be possible to extend your program!
- Extending Your Program
- The Extension Application Process
If you are nearing the end of your program, and you and your employer both feel the program is going well, it may be possible to extend your program! To be eligible for an extension, your program must be less than the maximum duration allowed, meet the compensation requirements, and you must apply within the designated timeframe.
Please Note: We can only extend programs for current InterExchange interns and trainees. If you are not an InterExchange participant, please contact your sponsor for information on extending your program.
Maximum Program Length
Program lengths are set by the U.S. Department of State, so unfortunately, it is not possible to extend your program longer than these maximum durations. Note that it is also not possible to change from the Intern category to the Trainee category
Interns
You may stay in the U.S. for a total of 12 months. Therefore, if your current program is four months, you can extend for up to eight more months.
Trainees
If you are a Hospitality Trainee, you may stay in the U.S. for a total of 12 months. Therefore, if your current program is four months, you can extend for up to eight more months. Trainees in all other categories may stay for a total of 18 months.
Timeframe to Apply
InterExchange only accepts extension applications 30 to 60 days before the end of your program. Check your DS-2019 Form to find your program end date, then go back 60 days to determine when you are eligible to apply. Your extension application is due 30 days before your program end date. For example, if your program is set to end June 15, your extension application must be submitted in full by May 14.
Change of Host with Extension
If your host employer cannot extend your program, you may extend with a new host employer. If extending with a new employer, you will need to find a new internship before you can apply for an extension. Please note that if you find a new employer, the internship program must still be in the same field as your original program and cannot duplicate what you have already learned in your original training. The new host employer must meet all of our requirements for host employers as well.
Training Plans for Extensions
Your extension program should be more advanced than your original program. Your host employer will need to create a new training plan, in the same field as the original plan, and include different or progressed training. No training plan phase can exceed 4 months. Please see our training plan guide for more information.
Extension Program Compensation
All programs exceeding 6 months (in total) must be paid at least the state and local minimum wage. If you are extending with the same host organization and your program will exceed six months with the extension, your host must provide compensation equal to or above the local minimum wage for the duration of the extension.
Please note that if you are currently on an unpaid program (or are receiving less than minimum wage), we are not able to approve an extension with the same host organization if your total program length will exceed 6 months. You cannot go from an unpaid to paid program with the same host organization.
You may be able to extend your program with a new host organization. If your extension will be with a new host, it may be paid or unpaid. If it is unpaid, the extension period cannot exceed six months and your internship must meet the U.S. Department of Labor’s Criteria for Unpaid Internships. You must also prove that you will have adequate funds on hand to support yourself if your extension program will be unpaid. As always, all unpaid programs are considered on a case-by-case basis, even if not more than six months in duration, to ensure the Department of Labor criteria are met.
Visa for Extension Period
You do not necessarily need a new visa when you extend your J-1 program. The DS-2019 Form, not the J-1 Visa, is what allows you to legally intern or train in the U.S.. The purpose of the J-1 Visa is to allow you to enter the U.S. If you are approved for an extension, we will send you a new DS-2019 Form for your extension period, and that form will allow you to continue to intern or train.
However, if you plan to travel internationally during your extension period, then you will need to apply for a new J-1 Visa in order to reenter the U.S., since your current visa will have expired and you need a valid visa to enter the U.S.
To summarize:
- J-1 Visa = Permission to enter the U.S.
- DS-2019 Form = Permission to intern or train in the U.S.
Check the expiration date on the J-1 Visa sticker in your passport; if you plan to travel after this expiration date, you will need to return to the embassy or consulate in your home country to apply for a new visa in order to re-enter the U.S.
Make sure you have all of the necessary paperwork to apply for a new visa while abroad and remember to always have your travel-validated DS-2019 Form, along with your passport and I-94 printout or card. If you remain in the U.S. during your extension period, no further visas will be required. Please note that obtaining a new visa is not guaranteed, and InterExchange has no jurisdiction to influence this decision.
