Trainee/Internship & Teacher Programs

J1 Trainee Program

Training programs are designed to allow foreign professionals to come to the United States to gain exposure to U.S. culture and to receive training in U.S. business practices in their chosen occupational field.

A J1 trainee must be a foreign national who:

  • Has a degree or professional certificate from a foreign post-secondary academic institution and at least one year of prior related work experience in his or her occupational field outside the United States.  
  • Has five years of work experience outside the United States in the occupational field in which they are seeking training
 

Intern Program

Internship programs are designed to allow foreign college and university students or recent graduates to come to the United States to gain exposure to U.S. culture and to receive hands-on experience in U.S. business practices in their chosen occupational field.

Interns must be foreign nationals:

  • Who are currently enrolled in and pursuing studies at a foreign degree- or certificate-granting post-secondary academic institution outside the United States.
  • Who have graduated from such an institution no more than 12 months prior to their exchange visitor program start date.

Teacher Program

Foreign teachers have the opportunity to teach in accredited primary and secondary schools in the United States.

Teachers must:

  • Meet the qualifications for teaching in primary or secondary schools in their country of nationality or last legal residence.
  • Be working as a teacher in the home country or country of legal residence at the time of application, or, if not working as a teacher, otherwise meet the eligibility qualifications and (a) have recently (within 12 months of application) completed an advanced degree and (b) have two years of full-time teaching experience within the past eight years.
  • Have a degree-equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree in either education or the academic subject field in which they intend to teach.
  • Have a minimum of two years (24 months) of teaching or related professional experience.
  • Satisfy the standards of the U.S. state in which they will teach.
  • Be of good reputation and character.
  • Be seeking to enter the United States for the purpose of full-time teaching as a teacher of record at a primary (including pre-kindergarten) or secondary accredited educational institution in the United States (pre-kindergarten teachers must teach full-time, and at the pre-kindergarten level, may teach only language immersion at an accredited host school).
  • Possess sufficient proficiency in the English language.