Find your Path

CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM ON THE J-1 VISA Find Your Path

TABLE OF CONTENTS PRE ARRIVAL The Cultural Exchange Program J-1 Visa Exchanges Eligibility Requirements Pre-Arrival Information Finding an Internship Understanding Your Visa Preparing to Enter the USA Exchange Visitor Documents Advanced Preparation to Entry Living Arrangement on Your Program Before You Move Into an Apartment POST ARRIVAL Keeping in Touch with J1X Exchange Visitor Insurance Legal Issues Traveling During Your Program Carrying ID Staying Safe Social Security Numbers

THE CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM ON THE J-1 VISA Starting your career and/or advancing your career is always a major step. One of the best career moves you can make is to train in the United States with top worldwide companies. Experience in your field will open a world of new opportunities that will assist you in advancing your career while gaining valuable personal and cultural competency skills. The opportunity to learn about American business practices in a new culture will allow you to polish your resume and interpersonal skills. Networking, new friends, learning about the American culture, and making important business connections are just a few benefits you will gain from participating in the Cultural Exchange Program. The J-1 Intern and Trainee programs allows exchange visitors to increase knowledge, enhance skills, and develop a new perspective. At the end of the program, you will return home to share your experiences in the United States with your friends, family, and colleagues. INFORMATION MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS J1X is currently designated as a sponsor of the J- MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS, 1 Trainee and Intern program. Our programs can COMMERCE & FINANCE last from 3 weeks to 12 months (Interns) or 18 months (Trainees). PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & LAW The objective of our program is to enhance the skills and expertise of exchange visitors through SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, participation in structured on-the-job training ARCHITECTURE, MATH & programs. Our program improves participants’ INDUSTRIAL OCCUPATIONS knowledge of American techniques, methodologies, and technology while also ARTS & exposing them to American culture and society. CULTURE EDUCATION, SOCIAL SCIENCE, LIBRARY SCIENCE, COUNSELING & SOCIAL SERIVCES

ELIGIBILITY INTERN To qualify as an intern, foreign nationals must be: CURRENT STUDENTS Who are currently enrolled in and pursuing studies at a foreign degree- or certificate-granting post-secondary academic institution outside the United States; or RECENT GRADUATES Who have graduated from such an institution no more than 12 months prior to their exchange visitor program start date. PROGRAM LENGTH REPEAT PARTICIPATION 3 weeks - 12 months Yes. If advanced at the next degree level TRAINEE To qualify as a trainee, foreign nationals must: DEGREE + EXPERIENCE Have a degree or professional certificate from a foreign post- secondary academic institution and at least one year of prior related work experience in his or her occupational field outside the United States; or EXPERIENCE Has five years of work experience outside the United States in the occupational field in which they are seeking training. PROGRAM LENGTH REPEAT PARTICIPATION 3 weeks - 18 months Yes. After 24 months residency outside of U.S.

PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION The United States is a great and proud nation which welcomes people from all over the world to experience the American work ethic and way of life. As a visitor to the USA, you’ll follow in the footsteps of millions of foreign nationals who contributed to the creation of the nation. You’ll also have a ridiculous amount fun! J1 Visa Exchanges (J1X) has produced this guide to working and living in the United States with a Cultural Exchange Program (J1) visa, which is aimed at giving you the opportunity to experience American culture while interning and training in the US. We’ll cover some things that you might find useful as you plan to get ready to embark on the Cultural Exchange Program. Let’s get started! FINDING THE PERFECT INTERNSHIP The first step is to find an internship or traineeship placement before you can get your J1 visa from J1X. This may sound like a challenge but it’s quite feasible – it just takes some planning. The most important thing is to get started as soon as possible. Be resourceful – talk to recent J1-ers, friends who’ve traveled to the U.S. or any American relatives you have. Use the internet – everything from job sites, virtual job fairs, to social media. Most importantly, talk to your career services department at your university. Once you have secured a placement opportunity independently, make sure you submit it for vetting to your sponsoring agency as soon as possible.  J1X sponsors programs in everything from small businesses to large corporations in a wide range of industries. So get your American-style resume written and submitted and apply for American intern/trainee opportunities today! Remember that all J1 program opportunities can last from 3 weeks to 12 months (Interns) or 18 months (Trainees) and should allow you to enjoy the cultural experience of being in the US. You’re not allowed to take an opportunity that’s potentially hazardous. This includes any jobs in the fishing, ranching, or farming industries or one where you’d risk bringing the reputation of the program into disrepute. Once you’ve got your placement secured, you can focus on planning the rest of your dream trip! J1X generally coordinates paperwork within a two-week time frame, issuing the Form DS 2019 (Certificate of Eligibility) within a 48-hour window of the training plan being signed. You can expect to be here approximately 4 weeks after your application is submitted to J1X. Expedited processing is available upon request.

Understand Your Visa An entry visa is a stamp that the U.S. Embassy or Consulate Office adds to your passport.   Having a visa does NOT guarantee that you will be admitted to the United States. It also does NOT mean that you are authorized to work unless the visa stamp specifically states so and lists the name of your visa sponsor/employer. A visa merely permits you to board a flight or other means of international transport to a U.S. port-of-entry (an airport, for example) and apply for admission.   Your visa can be single-entry, which means the visa is canceled as soon as the holder leaves the country, or multiple-entry which permits double or multiple entries into the country using the same visa. A multiple entry visa is noted as “M” on the “ENTRIES” section on your visa.   A visa is usually valid for a specific period of time. The expiration date is the last date you can use your visa to seek entry into the U.S. However, it does NOT limit how long you may stay in the country. A foreign national may remain legally in the U.S. even with an expired visa stamp in his or her passport as long as the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is valid. You must refer to your I-94 card to ensure that you do NOT overstay the date on your I-94 (see discussion below). When you receive your U.S. non-immigrant visa at the Embassy or Consulate in your country, the consular officer will seal your immigration documents in an envelope and attach it to your passport. You should not open this envelope! The Customs and Border Protection Officer at the U.S. port-of-entry will open the envelope. When you travel, you should carry some specific documents on your person. Do not check them in your baggage! If your baggage is lost or delayed, you will not be able to show the documents to the Customs and Border Protection Officer and, as a result, may not be able to enter the United States.

EXCHANGE VISITOR DOCUMENTS PREPARING TO ENTER THE USA INTERNS- Careful planning and preparation by students and exchange visitors can ensure that the delay based CV/Resume established procedure is minimal. If you are a non- Passport Bio Page immigrant student or exchange visitor, here are Transcript/Diploma some things you should do: Offer Letter from Host Organization Before leaving your country, confirm that your TRAINEES- passport and non-immigrant visa are still valid for CV/Resume entry into the United States. The passport should be Passport Bio Page valid for at least six months beyond the date of your Transcript/Diploma expected stay. Letters to Verify Employment Check to see that your visa accurately reflects your Offer Letter from Host Organization correct visa classification. If the visa states the name of the institution you will attend or identifies the exchange program in which you are participating, verify that this information is accurate. If your review indicates any discrepancies or potential problems, visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to obtain a new visa. Students and exchange visitors entering the United States for the first time under their respective non- immigrant visa classification may only be admitted up to 30-days prior to the program start date. When you arrive in the US, please check in with J1X and register your arrival with a call or email. We will need your address formatted in the following order: Street address (including apartment or hotel room number) City and State Zip Code U.S. telephone number We will want to see how your arrival through customs and border protection went. We cannot activate your SEVIS record and you are not authorized to start training until you contact J1X with these important registration details. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS WHILE ON YOUR PROGRAM Arranging accommodation before travelling can be a good option – you’ll want to locate housing that is near (within 30 miles) your training location. Your host organization can also assist with providing a few resources or suggestions. When searching for housing make sure you are dealing with a legitimate rental agency or landlord. One option is to book temporary accommodation in a hostel or an AirBnb when you first arrive. This will give you a chance to get to know an area and figure out what longer-term accommodation option suits you best. Be sure to avoid dealing with scammers when looking for accommodation as some J1’s have been caught out badly in recent years: some students were stung by a rental scam where they were asked to wire money for advance payment of rent to someone posing as a landlord before they traveled to the US.

Other complaints have featured students meeting someone who shows them an empty apartment which the student pays for as it appears legitimate. When the student then turns up to move in they find out the person they had been dealing with had no authorization to rent out the apartment or had taken deposits from multiple people for one apartment. Get a receipt with a signature – you have been warned! Just like back home, you have a responsibility to look after and care for the accommodation you’re living in when you’re in the USA. Remember if there’s an issue – no matter who else may be involved – if you signed the lease you are liable. In recent years, horror stories of students having done serious damage to accommodation has made it less likely that landlords will rent to students – let’s do our bit to show that students are worth trusting. If accommodation is accidentally damaged promptly report it to the landlord – if you break a glass or smash a mug, replace it. If something goes wrong in the accommodation, like hot water breaking down or an air conditioner not working, make sure the landlord knows, so they can get it fixed and they know it wasn’t your fault. Remember that you are required to report to J1X within 10 days any changes to your telephone number, email address or home address. BEFORE YOU MOVE IN TO AN APARTMENT... If you’re booking accommodation after arriving in the USA, make sure you see the apartment and meet your future roommates before you put any money down, and bring someone with you if you don’t feel completely safe visiting an apartment on your own. Be aware that some housing is very cheap for a reason! If you are having trouble finding accommodation, consider contacting local colleges to see if you can rent a dorm room over the summer. Here are some things you can do to find safe and reliable accomodation: Check out apartment hunting websites like: www.zillow.com, www.apartmentguide.com, and www.apartments.com. Don’t sign a lease unless you’ve read and understood all of it. Get a receipt. Don’t pay with cash if possible. Double check the amount of the deposit, rent in advance, and monthly rent. Check the locks on doors and windows. Make sure you know who else has a key. Check appliances to see that they work. Are there any bills you will have to pay on top of rent? What happens if another tenant leaves owing rent or utility bills? Ensure there’s an inventory of all utensils and equipment in the accommodation signed by both you and the landlord. Where you have concerns regarding the condition of any item in the apartment, raise this in writing to your landlord/agent when you move in. Take photos before you move in and time stamp them– when you’re moving out you may need them to prove that any damage was there before you arrived. Be a good tenant: clean up your mess and be conscious of others living with or around you.

AFTER YOU ARRIVE IN THE USA As a foreign national visiting the United States on the Cultural Exchange Program, you are the best example to US citizens of what your country is today. Have a good time, enjoy your stay in the USA, and leave them recognizing that the citizens of your country are an asset, great to socialize with, and lifelong friends. KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR SPONSOR, J1X! Remember those Terms & Conditions you accepted? Yes, that. One of the conditions set by the Department of State is that you must keep your US Sponsoring Agency up-to-date on your internship/traineeship and whereabouts. You’re expected to report in to J1X every 60 days to confirm that your program and living details haven’t changed. You’ll also need to contact J1X if you want to change your Host Organization, as we’ll have to vet it first, and to advise you on the potential switch. It’s important to contact us before you depart the US at the end of your program to end your program in good standing. This may all sound like a pain, but it’s important. The US doesn’t play around when it comes to staying visa compliant and J1X is entitled to terminate your visa if you don’t follow the rules. Sticking to the conditions you signed will pay off if a ‘real job’ offer in the US comes through in a few years’ time... ONCE YOU'RE HERE YOU’RE AN AMBASSADOR This is not literally true – don’t even think about trying to claim diplomatic immunity - but as a foreign national visiting the United States, you are the best example to US citizens of what your country is today. Have a good time, enjoy your stay in the USA, and leave them knowing that the citizens of your country are good to work with, great to socialize with and nice to know.

Exchange Visitor medical insurance 22 CFR 62.14 requires that all exchange visitors (J-1 and J-2 dependents) have insurance that covers them for sickness and accidents. Coverage must provide: Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness; Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000; Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of exchange visitors to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000; and Deductibles not to exceed $500 per accident or illness. To meet this regulatory requirement, J1X enrolls all exchange visitors in its Exchange Visitor Insurance which meets all requirements listed in 22 CFR 62.14. All exchange visitors sponsored by J1X must enroll in this coverage - no exceptions. Note on insurance for J-2 dependents: a J-2 dependent's SEVIS record is activated at the same time as the J-1's record. Therefore, J-2 dependents must be covered for insurance for the total duration of the J-1's program, even if they plan to arrive at a later date. J1X enrolls its exchange visitors in insurance through Global Secutive. If you haven’t already created a profile in the MyInsurance Area, you’ll want to do this immediately. If you have a smart phone, download the app at: https://www.esecutive.com/mobileapps/. This will allow you to keep your insurance card with you at all times and locate an Urgent Care in your area. Please read your insurance policy closely as you will need to know what you are covered for – and what you’re not. This is your responsibility and yours alone. Your country’s Embassy and Consulates in the USA will do what they can to assist if you fall ill or are injured, however, they cannot cover your medical expenses.

LEGAL ISSUES As a non-immigrant resident in the United States, you are bound by US law. If you’re arrested you’ll have to go through the local justice system, which could mean fines, jail and likely deportation and exclusion. This could adversely affect your chances of getting back to the US down the line. Claiming ignorance of US law is no defense. Pleading that things might be different at home won’t get you anywhere. Drugs offences and public order offences are treated very seriously in the United States due to a zero-tolerance policy. It is really important for you to familiarize yourself with the laws that will directly affect you during your stay in the US. Always use your common sense and whenever you suspect something might be illegal, check with the local authorities! You do not want to endanger your experience by committing an illegal act that could have easily been avoided. If you do fall foul of the law, you may wish to consult an appropriately qualified attorney, particularly in the case of more serious charges. Traveling During Your Program Participants in a J1 program must communicate temporary travel outside the United States while on a J1 program prior to the date of travel. Travel should not exceed 30 days. You must have the Travel Validation section of your DS-2019 signed by your sponsor. Without this validation, you will not be able to re-enter the U.S. The ‘travel' signature is valid for up to 12 months, so you do not have to send your form to J1X each time you travel, but you must notify us each time your travel out of the U.S. A $75.00 fee applies for each person traveling. If your form is sent 7 days of traveling, you will be responsible for an Emergency Travel Fee. You can pay the fees by sending a check or money order with your DS-2019 form. Please be aware for any returned checks a $35.00 fee will be incurred.  Send your DS-2019 form to J1X for signature at least two weeks prior to your trip to: J1X Travel Validation 6065 Roswell Road, Suite 870 Sandy Springs, GA 30328 When sending your DS-2019, include a note with the following information: 2. Destination and contact details 3. Reason for travel 4. Return address to send the DS-2019 It’s important to be sure that whenever you travel outside the U.S., you have a valid Form DS-2019, your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your intended return, and a J-1 visa stamp is in your passport (valid at time of re-entry and valid for “multiple entries”).

carry id with you Some states may insist you carry ID at all times. A police officer may stop and ask you to identify yourself if she believes you are engaged in criminal activity. Passports are seriously valuable documents for criminals, and a big headache for J1 students every year. Keep them safe. If your passport is stolen, report it to the police straight away and apply for replacement travel documentation at the nearest Embassy or Consulate of your country. Always keep a photocopy of the ID page of your passport in a secure place in case you have to apply for a replacement passport. Store a photo of the page on your phone and e-mail too. Depending on the type of replacement travel document required, you may also need to provide other documents, e.g. alternative forms of ID (e.g. college ID, driver’s license), passport photos, travel tickets, police report confirming that you have reported the passport lost/stolen, etc. Please contact your country’s nearest Embassy or Consulate for an application form, details of the required documents, and of the fee you will have to pay. Remember that across the US the legal age to buy a drink is 21 – you’ll need ID to be served in a bar, even if you look 30. If you’re under 21 don’t even think about tinkering with your passport to try to change the date of birth. Falsifying or altering a passport is a federal offence in the US, punishable by fine, imprisonment and/ or refusal of future entry to America. It can also affect your ability to get a passport in the future. staying safe in the united states You won’t know the lay of the land in a new city, but you can compensate for lack of local knowledge by not taking unnecessary chances. When at all possible at night walk in a group and stick to busy streets with lots of lighting and traffic. Do not take uncertain shortcuts. Try to avoid talking on your cell phone as it will make you less aware of your surroundings and also advertise that you have something worth stealing. Always make sure someone knows when you’re going out, if and when you’re coming back, and with whom you’ll be. When you’re on your way home, let someone know when to expect you. HERE ARE SOME USEFUL TIPS If you think you’re being followed, go somewhere busy and flag down a taxi. Downloading Uber would also be a good idea! Only use licensed taxis/Ubers. Take note of the taxi/Uber license number and key it into your phone or text it to a friend. When you arrive at your destination ask the driver to wait until you get inside the door before leaving again. Don’t accept lifts from strangers. Beware of interesting strangers offering to take you to the hottest new late bar on an isolated street. All great fun until you’re held up and robbed. Don’t be afraid to act assertively if you are uncomfortable or if you think someone is acting inappropriately. Keep an eye on your drinks. Always be aware of who’s around you when you go to an ATM. Do not use ATMs at night on isolated streets – always choose those with good lighting. Keep an eye out for your friends. Stick together and don’t let someone get separated from the group, especially if they’ve been drinking. Make sure everyone gets home safely. If you are the victim of a crime report it to the local police immediately. Dial 911 for emergency services.

social security numbers All J1’s need to apply for and receive a Social Security Number by visiting their local Social Security Office. To avoid delays it is important to register your US address with SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor System) as soon as possible. Wait two days after you register in SEVIS and then apply for a Social Security number. Do NOT carry it around with you. A Social Security Number is required for status verification and tax purposes. The number remains valid for life, determines your credit score, and is required for verifying certain status requirements. In order to apply for the number, you will need to visit a local Social Security office (for locations, see www.ssa.gov). You will need to present to following original documents (not photocopies): a completed Form SS-5 (download from same website) passport including your J-1 visa and Form I-94 (www.cbp.gov/I94) Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility) Training/Internship Placement Plan (Form DS-7002) You can apply for social security 2 days after your SEVIS record has been activated. ending your program Don’t forget to file for your US tax refund. As a J1 Visa holder, you are obligated by law to file a US tax return. The average US tax refund is $850 so it’s well worth applying. But close your US bank accounts in case fees might attach to accounts left open. Safe travels heading home! CONTACT J1 VISA EXCHANGES Address: 6065 Roswell Rd Ste 870, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 Telephone: (404) 328-4988