J1
Advice for Participants Before they Apply for a J1 Trainee Visa 1. Being Prepared - clothes - docs - During your interview, be careful with the vocabulary you use to describe your training. You cannot use: “work”, “job”, “employment,” or any other wording that implies you are going to the US for work purposes. If you are asked what type of “work” you will be doing or what your “job” will be, this may be a trick question. Explain that you will be “training” and then go ahead and explain what you will be doing. Also remember that you are also not going to be receiving a “salary,” but instead you will be receiving a “stipend” for your assistance
What is it and how can the applicant prove that he or she will return to their country? In addition to the passport and DS2019, the applicant should consider submitting some of these documents: · Contracts that prove that the applicant or the applicant’s immediate family are engaged in a known business or own a home. · Diplomas. · Letters of reference (from a teacher or someone in a position of responsibility in the government, university, or in business). Deeds to show land ownership. · Photos of immediate family currently residing at home. · Photos of a property or business the applicant’s family owns. If the family owns a business, documents from a bank can help prove this ownership.
Have a specific objective • The applicant should have a specific academic, cultural or professional objective. They should be prepared to explain why they want to participate in the Training program. The applicant should be ready to say exactly where they will train and what kind of future this experience wil prepare them for in their home country. • Young people around the world are often unsure of their plans. However, in the visa interview it is best to give definite answers. If the applicant seems to be unsure about what he is and wil be doing, the visa officer may be less likely to believe that the candidate is real y going to the US to do the Training program. The applicant should have some information about the employer where they plan to work, where they plan to be housed, and the location of the employer. • Remember, it is not enough to just say, "It is better to have a training experience in the US." While we may consider the reasons for wanting to participate on a Training program obvious, the applicant should be able to state specific reasons for choosing this program. Perhaps the applicant needs to work on his or her English, or they want to learn about working with Americans if they hope to have a career working with an American multinational firm or in international business. • Grades do make a difference. Although visa issuance guidelines say that Visa Officers should not act as guidance counselors, some Visa Officers make judgments based on grades in the home country. If grades are below average, the applicant needs to be ready to explain how they are going to succeed in the US on a Training program, if they haven’t shown motivation in his/her studies. A letter from a school director or teacher in the applicant’s country or from the admitting school in the US stating that the proposed program of Training in the US makes sense can be3 helpful. If there were special circumstances (e.g., death or il ness in the immediate family) that contributed to the bad grades, have the school explain those special circumstances.
4. Financial Support • Applicants must have adequate, demonstrable financial support to live, work and travel in the US. • Visa applications are general y stronger if financial support comes from family or employers located in the home country. • If parents wil provide the financial support, the applicant should be ready to document how the family gets its income and how much that income is. A let er from the parent’s employer with information about salary and employment history can be helpful. When Visa Of icers see what they believe does not make sense, they reject visas. If the family can only show enough income to support the student in the US, the Visa Of icer wil wonder how the family wil survive at home. • Large sums of money in bank accounts may not be suf icient proof of financial support. When providing information about bank accounts, the applicant should obtain a let er from their bank that states how long the account has existed, and what the average balance in the account has been. * If the student has family members residing in the US, it is especial y important to prove that there are good reasons for the applicant to return to the home country. Applicants should be cautioned not to lie about having family members in the US. The Embassy is now required to check every applicant in a comprehensive multiagency database. If the applicant is caught in a lie, the Of icer wil deny the visa application, and it wil be dif icult or impossible to successful y appeal the decision.
Summary of Tips Ties to home country English is not why you are going Financial support is guaranteed You are not going to “work” but rather train. Your employer is giving you a stipend not a wage. Know how the program fits your career goals. Be concise but don’t use only yes / no answers. Be able to explain about your Uni degree and further studies here in Korea. Bring documentation to support point 1, 3 & 8.
Basic Interview Why do you want to go to the US? So what program are you applying for? What are your qualifications? What are you currently doing? Which university are you enrolled at (or, have you graduated from?)? What program are you applying to? When did you apply for your program? How much was your placement fee? Who is going to pay for your expenses? How much do you/they make? Tell me about your housing. What will you be doing in the US?
More in depth What exactly will you be doing in the US? Tell me about the “work” you will be doing? How much will you be paid? How much was your placement fee? Who paid for it? Tell me about your father / mother? How much do they earn? Where will you be going? What do your know about _____ ? What will you do after the internship ends? Do you intend on staying in the US?
Links http://erikapabilona.blog.com/2011/04/21/us-j1-visa-interview/ http://www.immihelp.com/j1-visa/intern-program/