Visa J1 Internship USA
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Do you dream of the United States? Have you managed to land an internship in a company located on Uncle Sam's land? Then you will finally be able to fulfill your dream! But to do so, you will first need to obtain one of the American visas other than the ESTA: the J1 visa.
What is the J1 visa?
The J1 visa is a special entry authorization for students and young professionals (up to 38 years old) to stay in the United States for up to 18 months. They can do an internship (paid or unpaid, contractual or not) or a summer job. This visa allows :
* to stay between 1 and 18 months in the United States;
* to obtain a U.S. driver's license;
* to be given a social security number;
* to make as many return trips outside the country during the validity of the visa.
On the other hand, the J1 does not allow :
* to sign another work contract (an H1B visa is required for this);
* to work as an au pair;
* to change employer and internship;
* to extend the initial duration of the internship.
The J1 visa divides itself into 4 different visas depending on the type of work you have found :
* the J1 Intern for students from higher education institutions or not ;
* the J1 Trainee for graduate students;
* the J1 Work and Travel for students without a diploma or professional experience to do an internship between June and September for a salary not exceeding $1200/month;
* the J2 for the spouses or children of J1 visa holders to accompany them but also to study.
How to obtain a J1 visa?
Contrary to the ESTA authorization, and like many other visas, obtaining a J1 visa can be long and tedious...
To start, you absolutely need to find a sponsor. A sponsor is an organization accredited by the U.S. government to assist applicants in the J1 visa process. The sponsor must verify your eligibility and then issue you the DS 2019 form.
The DS 2019 form is the document that serves as the internship agreement between you and the company. It includes all the information related to the internship: start and end dates, the mission assigned, the number of hours worked, the amount of remuneration, etc. Once the form has been completed, you will need to contact the American embassy to prepare and submit your file, including the DS 2019. The final step will be an interview, in English, with a U.S. government official. It is at the end of this session that you will know if your application is accepted. If so, you will receive your passport and visa by mail within 4 days.
Note: Be careful not to confuse J1 visas and F1 visas!