Internships

U.S. immigration law provides for many categories of visas, depending on a person's proposed activities in the United States. For programs that are generally referred to as internships, there are three types of visas.

The B-1/B-2 visa can be issued to applicants for programs that involve observation and information-gathering only. There can be no "hands-on" work and the applicant cannot receive payment. The applicant must also prove his/her intent to return to abroad at the end of the program.

In certain cases, B-1/B-2 visas can be issued to applicants who want to go to the United States to volunteer with a religious or non-profit charitable organization in order to assist the poor or the needy or to further a religious or charitable cause. The program may not, however, involve the selling of articles and/or the solicitation and acceptance of donations.

The J-1 exchange visa can be issued to applicants for "hands-on" internships of up to 18 months. The internship program must be accredited through the Department of State's Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs and be eligible to issue a DS-2019. Applicants who wish to do "hands-on" internships at small companies or organizations in the United States can contact an organization accredited to coordinate J-1 exchanges (designated program sponsors) to obtain the necessary paperwork.

Accredited Sponsers (choose "trainee, non-specialty" or "trainee, specialty")

The H-3 "trainee" visa is petition-based and can be issued for internships or training programs of up to 2 years. The applicant can be paid and "hands-on" work is authorized. Training is from an employer in any field of endeavor, other than graduate education or training and cannot be used to provide productive employment and cannot be available in the individual's home country.