1. J1

2. 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

3.  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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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?

8. 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?

9. Links http://erikapabilona.blog.com/2011/04/21/us-j1-visa-interview/