1. InterExchange Career Training Application Guidelines

2. Role of Cooperators 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.

3. General Information
The program application must be completed by ALL candidates seeking J-1 Visa sponsorship from InterExchange Career Training USA.
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.
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.
If you ever have any questions about the application or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact us!

4. Eligibility Requirements
It is your responsibility to ensure applicants are eligible for the program. The most up-to-date information about our Participant Eligibility Requirements can always be found here:
If you have questions regarding an applicants’ eligibility, please contact InterExchange before they complete an application.
Rejected applications will incur a $200 rejection fee.

5. J-1 Visa Intern Requirements
To apply as an Intern:
Candidates must be currently enrolled in a degree- or certificate-granting post-secondary academic institution outside the U.S. OR
Have graduated from such an institution within 12 months of the program start date.
Interns may only apply for internships that are directly related to their academic field of study.

6. J-1 Visa Trainee Requirements
To apply as a Trainee:
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.
Trainees may only apply for training programs that are directly related to their occupational field.

7. 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.

8. 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.
Current student majoring in accounting.
Recent graduate (less than 1 year) who has worked at a hotel for 2 months and majored in communications.
Professional with a degree in hospitality (graduate more than 1 year ago) and a year of work experience in IT.
Hospitality internship.
B. IT internship.
C. Accounting internship at an established accountancy firm.
D. PR/Marketing internship.
Accounting internship within a hotel.
Accounting internship within a non-profit organization

9. Quiz Answers – Question #1
The current student majoring in accounting can apply for the:
C. Accounting internship at an established accountancy firm.
F. Accounting internship within a non-profit organization
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.

10. 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:
D. PR/Marketing internship ONLY.
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.

11. Quiz Answers – Question #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:
B. IT internship ONLY.
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.

12. So Then…Who Can Apply for the Hospitality Internship?

13. Candidates Eligible for Hospitality Internships
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.

14. Determining Eligibility for Other Fields
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!

15. Helpful Checklist Reminders
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.
Again, rejected applications carry a $200 fee—please do not let your applications get rejected because you did not follow this checklist!

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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:
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.

19. Internship Placement Program Fees
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.

20. Application Form
The documents listed above are those that are included in the actual application.
Remember that in addition to these forms there are additional required documents, which are outlined in the checklist under “required supplemental documents.”
Please see the pages that follow for details about each section of the application listed above.
Applications MUST be completed by the applicant him or herself

21. 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

22. 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

23. Resume
While candidates may wish to provide their own formatted resumes and are welcome to do so, the resume template must be completed.

24. 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 detail-oriented. If the answers do not provide sufficient detail, applicants will be requested to complete new objectives.

25. 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.

26. Participant Agreement Form
This form outlines the terms and conditions of the InterExchange Career Training program.
Applicants must provide their address and agree that they will check their regularly and notify us if their address changes.
This form must be read, hand-signed and dated by applicants before an application is approved.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. Example of an Unacceptable Reference
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.

31. Example of an Unacceptable Reference
Reference is from a family member/friend.
We will only accept professional letters of reference such as letters from current and previous employers/professors.

32. Example of an Unacceptable Reference
Reference is not written on the company/university’s letterhead.
All references must be written on letterhead or have a business card attached.

33. 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.

34. 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 Self-Arranged 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.

35. 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.

36. Proof of Sufficient Funds
Candidates should include one of the following:
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.

37. 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.

38. Employer Checklist
For the most up-to-date information about our Employer Eligibility Requirements, please check:
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.

39. 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 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.

40. Fields InterExchange Sponsors
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.
For the complete list of subject fields that InterExchange can sponsor, please see the chart:

41. 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:
Arcades
Fitness studios/personal training/coaching
Bridal Companies
Gas stations or toll plazas
Candy stores/mall kiosks/boardwalk booths and stands
Pool management companies
Schools and other instructional facilities
Convenience/grocery stores or superettes/mini-markets
Spas/salons/dog grooming companies
Staffing agencies
Customer service/phone operators
Fast food restaurants
Further, we 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).

42. Employer Site Visits 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
Employers that do not meet both conditions above must be visited by an InterExchange representative.
A $250 site visit fee is due before the InterExchange representative can schedule the visit.
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.

43. 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.

44. 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 DS-7002.
All phases must be typed into the official document in the space provided. We cannot accept handwritten training plans.

45. 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.

46. 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.

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. Application Review
Once we receive an application, our Admissions Coordinator will conduct an initial review and you to let you know it has arrived and if anything is missing.
Once the application is complete and payment has been received you will receive an indicating that we are now ready to begin the review which should take approximately 2 weeks.
If additional information or revisions are required, we will let you know by .
If we are unable to approve an application we will notify you via regarding the reasons why. All rejections are reviewed by the program manager prior to notification and are therefore final.
If we are able to accept the applicant to our program, we will process the applicant’s DS-2019 Form.

50. Visa Paperwork & Embassy Appointments
Once a candidate’s DS-2019 Form is processed, we will send you their visa paperwork and welcome packets by UPS.
You will receive an with the UPS tracking number, as well as the applicant’s SEVIS ID number.
Speak with candidates about paying their SEVIS fees and booking their Embassy appointments.
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.
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.
Alert InterExchange about any visa denials or Embassy issues that we should be aware of.

51. 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!