J-1Student Interns

The purpose of this US Departmet of State (DOS) program is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through educational and cultural exchanges. WSU is an official J-1 sponsoring agency, designated by the Department of State. As such, we can issue J-1 documents for various Exchange Visitor categories. One of these categories is J-1 Student Intern. This program is disigned primarily for undergraduate students who are currently in the midst of a degree program outside the US and desire to take a break from their studies to participate in a internship opportunity in the US related to their degree program.

J-1 Student Intern Requirements

The Student Intern Program is a structured and guided work-based learning program, set forth in an individualized Training Placement Plan (T/IPP), that:

• Reinforces a student ongoing academic course of study at a foreign institution (students who have already graduated are not eligible).
• Recognizes a need for work-based experience to supplement an ongoing academic program at a foriegn institution.
• Provides on-the-job exposure to American techniques, methodologies, and expertise
• Enhances the student intern's knowledge of American culture
• Is a maximum duration of 12 months, with no extensions allowed

Special Notes:

• No more than 20% of the tasks performed by a student intern can be clerical
• Does NOT permit student interns to hold unskilled, or casual labor positions, child care or elder care positions, or positions engaging in clinical or any other work that involves patient care or patient 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, early childhood education).
• Hospitality and Tourism student internship programs of six months or longer must contain at least three departmental or functional rotations.

Training/Internship Placement Plan (T/IPP or Form DS-7002)

A training/internship placement plan must be completed and signed by OISS, the sponsoring WSU department, and the student intern as a first step in the process and before OISS can issue the J-1 document (the DS-2019) and the intern can apply for thier visa entry stamp. This document must be also presented to the US consolate or embassy, along with the DS2019 and other required documents, when the student applies for their entry visa.

Student's Academic Program Abroad

OISS must also receive confirmation from the student's academic advisor at their home institition confirming the value of this internship opportunity in relation to their ongoing academic program. This advisor must also confirm that the student is in good academic standing and will continue in the academic program upon completion of the internship (students who have already graduated are not eligible for a J-1 student internship program)

English Language Skills

Sponsoring departments must ensure that student interns have verifiable English language skills sufficient to function on a day-to-day basis in their internship. English language proficiency must be verified through an interview conducted by the sponsoring department.

Education Requirement

Student interns must be currently enrolled in and pursuing studies at a degree-or certificate-granting institution of higher education outside the Unitied States to qualify. Students who have already completed their academic program are not eligible. Before issuing a J-1 document for a student internship program,OISS must receive a form from the academic advisor at the student's home institution.

Evidence of Finances

Student interns must have sufficient finances to support themselves for their entire stay in the United States, including housing and living expenses. Interns do not need to provide documentation to OISS for WSU funded employment. Documentation must be provided for non-WSU funding though. This may take various forms, including,

• A statement from a bank showing available funds
• A contract or an award letter from a sponsoring institution indicating the dates that the intern's expenses will be covered.

These documents must be in English, or accompanied by an English translation and the currency must be converted into US dollars.

Exchange Component

Student internship programs must expose participatnts to America techniques, methodologies and expertise and expand upon the participants' prior work experience or training received elsewhere.

Duration

Maximun duration of a student internship program is 12 months for each degree level. This 12 months can be divided up in to smaller time periods during a students degree program (not after completing the degree though, as student who have completed a degree are no longer eligible)

Evaluations

Sponsoring professors are required to complete an evaluation for each student intern. All evaluations must be completed prior to the conclusion of the internship program

• Programs exceeding 6 monthys in duriation require midpoint and concluding evaluations
• Programs of six months or less require concluding evaluations only.

On Campus Priviledges

Student Interns are not WSU students although they must be continuing students in their home countries. They do not need to register for classes although they could be part-time students at WSU after being admitted to WSU (this will be rare since student interns must be employed full time, 32 hours or more, and will not normally have time to take courses)