InterExchange Career Training
Application Guidelines
Role of Cooperators
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First line of communication for candidates.
Explain all details of the program and provide application materials.
Pre-screen candidates and their employers to ensure they are eligible.
Answer candidates’ questions about the application process.
Assist candidates with applying for their visas.
General Information
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The program application must be completed by ALL candidates seeking J-1 Visa sponsorship
from InterExchange Career Training USA.
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If candidates are applying to the Internship Placement Program, they must first complete and
submit a resume template and cover letter for a position posted on our job board. If they
pass our pre-screening, then they will be asked to complete the application. They should
NOT complete the program application unless a Placement Program representative asks
them to do so.
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The application checklist is the best way to ensure all of the required documents have been
included with the application. Applications should only be submitted once they are complete.
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If you ever have any questions about the application or anything else, please do not hesitate
to contact us!
Eligibility Requirements
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It is your responsibility to ensure applicants are eligible for the program. The most up-todate information about our Participant Eligibility Requirements can always be found here:
http://www.interexchange.org/career-training-usa/hire-intern-trainee/employer-requirements
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If you have questions regarding an applicants’ eligibility, please contact InterExchange before
they complete an application.
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Rejected applications will incur a $200 rejection fee.
J-1 Visa Intern Requirements
To apply as an Intern:
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Candidates must be currently enrolled in a degree- or certificate-granting postsecondary academic institution outside the U.S.
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Have graduated from such an institution within 12 months of the program start
date.
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Interns may only apply for internships that are directly related to their academic
field of study.
J-1 Visa Trainee Requirements
To apply as a Trainee:
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Candidates must have a degree or professional certificate from a post-secondary
academic institution and at least one year of related professional experience
acquired outside the U.S.
OR
Have five years of related professional experience acquired outside the U.S.
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Trainees may only apply for training programs that are directly related to their
occupational field.
Additional Program Requirements
J-1 Visa and Career Training program regulations
require that all candidates:
• Are between the ages of 18 and 38.
• Have verifiable English language skills.
• Possess sufficient funds for the length of the program.
• Must be able to provide two letters of reference from professional or
academic sources.
Quiz: Determining Eligibility
Which internships in the right column are the candidates in the left column eligible to
apply for? There may be more than one right answer for each candidate.
1.Current student majoring in
accounting.
1.Recent graduate (less than 1 year)
who has worked at a hotel for 2 months
and majored in communications.
1.Professional with a degree in
hospitality (graduate more than 1 year
ago) and a year of work experience in IT.
A. Hospitality internship.
B. IT internship.
C. Accounting internship at an established accountancy firm.
D. PR/Marketing internship.
E. Accounting internship within a hotel.
F. Accounting internship within a non-profit organization
Quiz Answers – Question #1
1.
The current student majoring in accounting can apply for the:
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C. Accounting internship at an established accountancy firm.
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F. Accounting internship within a non-profit organization
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An accounting student can do an accounting internship with an acceptable
host employer—it does not just have to be an accounting firm. Accounting
departments within other types of businesses would be ok, too, as long as
they have sufficient full time accounting staff to provide the training. We do
not sponsor business/finance related internships at hospitality employers so
answer E is wrong.
Quiz Answers – Question #2
2.
The recent graduate (less than 1 year) who has worked at a hotel for 2 months
and majored in communications can apply for the:
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D. PR/Marketing internship ONLY.
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Recent graduates typically apply as Interns, which requires them to do an
internship related to their academic field. If this candidate had a degree and
at least one year of experience in hospitality, he or she could apply for a
hospitality position as a Trainee.
Quiz Answers – Question #3
3.
The professional with a degree in hospitality (graduated more than 1 year ago)
and a year of work experience in IT can apply for the:
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B. IT internship ONLY.
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This candidate qualifies as a Trainee since he or she earned a degree more
than a year ago and has at least one year of experience. For Trainees, the
field of their internship/training program must be related to their
occupational field, as this is what counts towards eligibility requirements.
The field of their degree is not considered.
So Then…Who Can Apply
for the Hospitality
Internship?
Candidates Eligible
for Hospitality Internships
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A current student in a hospitality degree- or certificate-granting program outside
the U.S.
A graduate of a hospitality degree- or certificate-granting program outside the U.S.
(if graduated within 1 year of program start date)
A graduate who has a degree and at least one year of professional experience in
hospitality from outside the U.S.
A professional with at least 5 years of professional experience in hospitality from
outside the U.S.
Hospitality and Tourism are not interchangeable. Hospitality applicants must have
hospitality backgrounds. Candidates with backgrounds in Tourism only are not
eligible for hospitality internships and vice versa.
Determining Eligibility for
Other Fields
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For example…a marketing internship.
Simply replace the word “hospitality” on the previous slide with the word
“marketing”. Any candidate who meets the criteria would be eligible for marketing
internships!
Helpful Checklist Reminders
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Before submitting an
application, please use our
International Cooperator
Checklist to make sure you
haven’t missed anything. It
includes the most commonly
overlooked aspects of an
application.
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Again, rejected applications
carry a $200 fee—please do
not let your applications get
rejected because you did not
follow this checklist!
The Application Checklist
•Before sending an application to InterExchange,
please also ensure that all items in the
application checklist are included.
•Applications are processed only when they are
100% complete, including payment.
•Applications cannot be reviewed if any items on
the checklist are missing.
•The slides that follow will explain all sections of
the application.
Passport Photos
• All applications must include 2 passport-sized photos (approx. 2”x2”).
• If mailing the application, attach one photo on the first page of the application in
the indicated spot. Candidates should write their name on the back of the other
photo in case it comes loose from the application.
•If submitting the application electronically, insert one photo in the appropriate
location on the program application and simply scan the other photo.
J-1 Visa Sponsorship Fees
• We must receive full payment before we can begin reviewing an application. Please note that we must have
all site visit and dependent fees, if applicable, in addition to the program fees.
• Payment can be made by credit card at: www.interexchange.org/payonline
• You may also pay via wire transfer. However, please note this option adds a significant delay, as we will not
begin reviewing applications until the funds have successfully reached our account. Credit card payments are
the fastest method.
• If you need an invoice in order to send us payment, please let us know immediately and we will send you an
an invoice when we receive the application.
Internship Placement Program Fees
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All candidates must pay a non-refundable $100 application-processing fee when they
submit their applications for Internship Placement.
As with regular applications, we cannot begin the review until this fee and a complete
application (minus employer documents) has been submitted.
Please note that this fee does not guarantee placements or interviews. It is the fee for
InterExchange to review and process the application.
Full placement fees are due if the candidate secures a placement. We must receive full
payment before we can send the DS-2019 Form.
Application Form
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The documents listed above are those that are included in the actual application.
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Remember that in addition to these forms there are additional required documents, which are
outlined in the checklist under “required supplemental documents.”
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Please see the pages that follow for details about each section of the application listed above.
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Applications MUST be completed by the applicant him or herself
Applicant Information Form
• The application MUST be typed.
• Please make sure that all sections of the
Applicant Information Form are completed.
It is extremely important that the
applicant’s name is written exactly as it
appears on his or her passport.
• Include a passport photo in the space
provided.
• Ensure the date of birth is written in the
correct format (MM/DD/YYYY)
• Ensure the city of birth matches the
information listed on the applicant’s
passport
Applicant Information
Form – Page 2
Educational and Professional Information
• Ensure the applicant has appropriately answered
these questions—they will need to provide
additional details in the resume section
• Applicants who have been to the U.S. before should
include the dates and type of visa(s) they held under the
section labeled “Applicant U.S. Travel History.”
• Please ensure that any additional travel that cannot be
reflected in this space is included on a separate piece of
paper
Resume
While candidates
may wish to provide
their own formatted
resumes and are
welcome to do so,
the resume
template must be
completed.
Internship/Training Objectives
• Applicants must fill out all sections of the Learning
Objectives Form and MUST write their responses
themselves.
• Answers should explain why their past
educational/occupational backgrounds relate to their
internships.
• Placement applicants should give general answers to
these questions since they will not know the exact
position they may have at the time they fill out the
application.
• Answers should be more than one-line and detailoriented. If the answers do not provide sufficient detail,
applicants will be requested to complete new objectives.
Sufficient Funds/Cost of
Living Worksheet
• Candidates who have a low-paying or unpaid
internship must prove they have sufficient
funds to financially support themselves during
the program.
• Candidates should fill out the cost of living
worksheet to ensure that they have properly
budgeted for their stay in the U.S.
Participant Agreement Form
• This form outlines the terms and
conditions of the InterExchange
Career Training program.
• Applicants must provide their email
address and agree that they will
check their email regularly and notify
us if their email address changes.
• This form must be read, handsigned and dated by applicants
before an application is approved.
Transcripts
• All candidates who are current students must include a copy of their official transcript or an official
letter from their university that indicates they are currently enrolled. For interns, we always recommend
submitting a transcript, as it may be necessary for us to evaluate applicants’ coursework to determine if
their academic field is indeed related to their internship.
• Candidates who have graduated from university must include a diploma or an official letter from the
school that indicates their exact date of graduation and type of degree. A copy of a diploma is highly
preferred and may even be requested if the letter is not sufficient.
• If transcripts or diplomas are not in English, candidates must include both the original documents AND
an official translation of these documents.
Letters of Reference
• Letters of reference must be signed and dated.
• Letters of reference must be written on letterhead or have
the referee’s business card attached to the reference.
Translations do not need to be on letterhead, as the
translation will be provided by the translator. However, the
original reference letter SHOULD be on letterhead and must
be included with the translation.
• Referees should indicate how they know the applicant
(professor, past/current employer, etc.) as well as the length
of time they have known the applicant and the applicant’s
character. If from a past or current employer, it should also
comment on the applicant’s role in the company and the
exact dates of employment
• References should be professional in nature. We cannot
accept references written by family members, relatives,
family friends, etc.
Example of a Good Reference
• Written on company letterhead.
• Lists date reference was written. References
must written within the past year.
• Indicates how long the referee has known
the candidate and the candidate’s position at
the company.
• Includes the referee’s signature.
Example of an
Unacceptable Reference
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Letter not written within the past
year.
We cannot accept references from
employers/professors within the
U.S.
Can include U.S. references as
supplemental documents but two
references must be from
employers/professors outside the
U.S.
Example of an
Unacceptable Reference
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Reference is from a family
member/friend.
We will only accept
professional letters of
reference such as letters from
current and previous
employers/professors.
Example of an
Unacceptable Reference
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Reference is not written on the
company/university’s letterhead.
All references must be written on
letterhead or have a business card
attached.
Verification of Employment
• All trainees must prove that they have 1 year of relevant work experience if they have a degree or 5
years of relevant work experience if they don’t have a degree.
• Letters that serve as verification of employment are required for trainees if their original two letters
of recommendation do not list the dates of employment or do not verify the required amount of
experience needed to be considered eligible. These letters must indicate the dates that the candidate
worked for the employer.
• If the candidate has the required experience from multiple jobs, multiple letters will be required to
verify the employment dates for each position in order to confirm the applicant has the required
amount of experience.
Interview Report Form
• Cooperators with whom Career Training USA has a written
agreement must conduct interviews for all Self-Arranged
candidates. applicants from law firms or universities will be
interviewed by Career Training USA directly.
• The Interview Report Form should be included in every SelfArranged application. It is not required for Placement applicants.
• Reports should reflect an honest and accurate depiction of the
candidates. Career Training USA will occasionally conduct
additional interviews at random in order to ensure the information
given by applicants is accurate and to assess the English language
screening across our cooperators.
Passport and Visa Copies
• Include legible copies of candidates’ passport photo pages and all previous visas.
• All passports must be valid at least 6 months past the program end date.
Proof of Sufficient Funds
Candidates should include one of the following:
1. A bank statement from their checking/savings account to prove they have the
financial means to support themselves during the program
OR
2. A signed statement from a parent/guardian that indicates that they will financially
support the candidate and the amount per month that they are able to provide.
Candidates should include a copy of the parent/guardian’s bank statement.
Employer Documents
• Self-placed candidates should include all of the host employer’s documents with
their applications rather than sending them separately. Applications are processed
faster when they arrive in our office complete. The following slides explain these
documents in more detail.
• Placement candidates do not need to include these documents with their
applications. If they are placed, InterExchange will collect all of the required
documents and will send the training plan to the candidate to review and sign.
Employer Checklist
For the most up-to-date information about our Employer Eligibility Requirements, please check:
http://www.interexchange.org/career-training-usa/hire-intern-trainee/employer-requirements
• All of the paperwork and
related requirements listed
above are required for every
application.
• There will be a delay in
processing applications that
are missing any of the
documents noted above.
Host Employer Agreement Form
• This form should be filled out by the employer, not the candidate or
cooperator.
• All employers are required to have a:
• Federal Identification Number (FEIN)
• Dun & Bradstreet Number (or a copy of the company’s business
registration)
• Supervisor must have a business or company email address
(cannot be hotmail, gmail, etc.)
• Companies must maintain an onsite full-time employee to
intern/trainee ratio of at least 5:1
•Companies that do not have a website must include their marketing
materials with the application.
• Employers must hand-sign and date the form to agree to the terms and
conditions of the program.
Fields InterExchange Sponsors
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InterExchange specializes in sponsoring international interns and trainees in a
variety of fields, however it’s important to be absolutely sure that the applicant’s
field of training is one that we are designated to sponsor.
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For the complete list of subject fields that InterExchange can sponsor, please see
the chart:
http://InterExchange.org/sites/interexchangelive.reflexions.net/files/ca
reer-training-usa/pdfs/ct-sponsored-fields.xls
Prohibited Employer Types &
Training Locations
Not all employers are permitted to host interns/trainees through InterExchange Career Training USA. We cannot approve
applicants for sponsorship at the following locations:
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Arcades
Bridal Companies
Candy stores/mall kiosks/boardwalk booths and
stands
Convenience/grocery stores or superettes/minimarkets
Customer service/phone operators
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Fitness studios/personal training/coaching
Gas stations or toll plazas
Pool management companies
Schools and other instructional facilities
Spas/salons/dog grooming companies
Staffing agencies
•Further,
Fast
restaurants
wefood
cannot
approve any positions that require or involve child care or elder care, or in clinical or any other kind of
work that involves patient care or contact, including any work that would require trainees or interns to provide therapy,
medication, or other clinical or medical care (e.g., sports or physical therapy, psychological counseling, nursing, dentistry,
veterinary medicine, social work, speech therapy, or early childhood education).
Employer Site Visits
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An employer site visit is required if:
A) The company has less than 25 employees and
B) The company generates less than $3 million in annual revenue
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Employers that do not meet both conditions above must be visited by an InterExchange
representative.
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A $250 site visit fee is due before the InterExchange representative can schedule the visit.
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The site visit is conducted to ensure that the company is an appropriate host for an
international intern and meets all J-1 Visa regulations.
DS-7002 Training/Internship
Placement Plan – Page 1
• The DS-7002 outlines the details of the internship: the start/end date, phases,
number of hours per week (must be at least 32 hours) and the salary (if offered).
•Employers should select Trainee or Intern—Student Intern is NOT an
InterExchange category.
• Both the candidate and employer are expected to follow the training plan for
the entire duration of the internship.
• All sections of this form must be completed, and both the employer and
candidate must sign and date the DS-7002.
• The DS-7002 must be typed into the space provided in the official document.
We cannot accept handwritten training plans.
DS-7002 Training/Internship
Placement Plan – Phases
• Phases should last between 3-4 months.
• This document should detail the candidate’s responsibilities
and goals for each phase.
• Training plans that do not include descriptive details about
each phase will have to be revised so that we can properly
evaluate the proposed training.
• Additional phases should build on the skills gained in previous
stages and should include new
responsibilities/projects/departmental rotations. Hospitality
programs of 6 months or longer MUST have at least 3
departmental rotations.
• Additional phases should be written on a new page of the DS7002.
• All phases must be typed into the official document in the
space provided. We cannot accept handwritten training plans.
Worker’s Compensation
• As per J-1 Visa regulations, all interns/trainees must be covered by Worker’s Compensation for the duration of their
internship.
• All employers must provide documentation that their company has a current Worker’s Compensation policy.
• Some states may not require companies to have Worker’s Compensation. However, the employer is still required to
have Worker’s Compensation if they wish to host an intern, even if it is not required by state law, or the employer must
provide proof of their exemption.
• All policies must include the policy number, dates of insurance coverage, company name and the address of the site
where the intern will be working. If the certificate has a different address, there must be a provision that shows
coverage is provided at the specific internship/training site.
• We cannot approve applications unless there is a valid and current Worker’s Compensation policy included or proof
of exemption. There are no exceptions.
Examples of Worker’s
Compensation Policies
• The policy must list the address of the site where
the intern will be working. We cannot accept policies
that have alternative addresses for the company
listed, unless an additional page including all covered
locations is provided.
• The policy number must be listed.
• The policy must include the start and end dates of
the company’s coverage.
• The policy should have a signature.
Examples of Worker’s
Compensation Policies
• The policy number must be listed.
• The policy must list the address of the site where the
intern will be working. We cannot accept policies that
have alternative addresses for the company listed,
unless an additional page including all covered
locations is provided.
• The policy must include the start and end dates of
the company’s coverage.
• The certificate should have a signature.
Examples of Worker’s
Compensation Policies
• The policy number must be listed.
• The policy must list the address of the site where
the intern will be working. We cannot accept policies
that have alternative addresses for the company
listed, unless an additional page including all covered
locations is provided.
• The policy must include the start and end dates of
the company’s coverage.
• The policy should have a signature.
Application Review
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Once we receive an application, our Admissions Coordinator will conduct an initial review and email you to
let you know it has arrived and if anything is missing.
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Once the application is complete and payment has been received you will receive an email indicating that
we are now ready to begin the review which should take approximately 2 weeks.
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If additional information or revisions are required, we will let you know by email.
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If we are unable to approve an application we will notify you via email regarding the reasons why. All
rejections are reviewed by the program manager prior to notification and are therefore final.
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If we are able to accept the applicant to our program, we will process the applicant’s DS-2019 Form.
Visa Paperwork &
Embassy Appointments
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Once a candidate’s DS-2019 Form is processed, we will send you their visa paperwork and welcome packets by UPS.
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You will receive an email with the UPS tracking number, as well as the applicant’s SEVIS ID number.
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Speak with candidates about paying their SEVIS fees and booking their Embassy appointments.
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After they receive their packet, candidates may go to the Embassy for their interview with the DS-2019, DS-7002 and any
other relevant materials.
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Important: Applicants should NOT purchase non-refundable airfare prior to receiving their J-1 Visa. Delays in processing are
possible if we require more information to make a decision or if there are any delays at the Embassy. InterExchange is not
responsible for money lost due to processing delays. J-1 Visa issuance is not guaranteed—applicants should plan
accordingly.
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Alert InterExchange about any visa denials or Embassy issues that we should be aware of.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you
have any questions about the application
process or any of the documents that are
required for the application!