• Personal assistance in completing the necessary application forms
• Processing and issuance of the Certificate of Eligibility for J-1 Trainee visa (DS-2019 form)
• Mandatory health insurance coverage for the full duration of your stay in the United States
• Participant Handbook that includes: SEVIS information, Social Security Information, taxes, visa rules & regulations and much more
• Mandatory Online Orientation after approval of your orientation but before departure, covering required documents, health insurance, visa rules & regulations and much more
• Ongoing support services in the USA, including a toll free 24-hour emergency number

General eligibility requirments (for all participants)

• Be a Canadian Citizen (non-Canadians please call to check eligibility)
• Have graduated from secondary school
• Have a sufficient level of English
• Be able to support yourself during your traineeship - proof of at least $750 US per month in salary from your traineeship, support funds or guarantor letter (e.g. from parents)

• Must currently be a post secondary student at University or College (no age limit)or a recent graduate up to 12 months after graduation
• The internship must be related to your studies

• The traineeship must be related to your field
• Must be a graduate of post secondary eduction with at least 1 year related work experience OR graduated secondary school and have 5 years full time work experience related to your traineeship

• Duration for Internships (students and recent grads): up to 12 months
• Duration for PCT (non-students): up to 18 months
• Traineeships in hospitality are limited to 12 months for students and non-students, unless it is training in hospitality management (please contact us for details)
• You are allowed to enter the US 10 days before your internship starts and stay 30 days after your internship ends (dates needed at time of application). You are not allowed to work during that time
• You must be covered by medical insurance for the full duration of your stay, including any time before or after your training. Internship & PCT programs provide full coverage under SWAP CIEE program

• Your traineeship can be anywhere on the mainland US territory, as well as in Alaska or Hawaii

• Your internship must be related to your studies

• Your traineeship has to be related to your most recent educational or professional activities, your studies + minimum 1 year work experience, or your work experience during the last 5 years
• If you do not have post-secondary education or if your education was in a field different than the one you want to train in, you should have at least 5 years full time working experience in your field
• Level of your knowledge and experience must be appropriate - for example a trainee with 5 years work experience in the field will train in different areas than a graduate with just 1 year work experience
• The idea is, that you will be learning new skills or enhancing existing skills during your traineeship, taking your career to the next level
• Your visa will be granted for one specific employer, no part time jobs on the side or no changing jobs. Changing traineeship is only possible in exceptional circumstances e.g. your host company will be closed down, non-compliance of the agreed training plan from the host company, etc. In such a case please contact CIEE who has to evaluate the situation and give the permission to any traineeship changes

• Friends, family, a friend of a friend
• Research companies you admire and would be interested in working for. Approaching the company no matter if jobs are posted or not - this is probably the most common way to find an internship
• Contacts of their school or individual professors. Professors often attend international conferences and have contacts throughout the US
• Contacts through the current employer, through associated companies or personal contacts, clients etc
• Applying to positions posted on job websites. Participants often have more luck with less frequented or industry specific job websites
• Internet research on companies they would like to work for, and just approaching the company (no matter if jobs posted or not) - this is probably the most common and most promising way to find an internship
• Research companies you admire and would be interested in working for. Approaching the company no matter if jobs are posted or not - this is probably the most common way to find an internship
• Occasionally, applicants will "walk-in" while on vacation in the US

• Processing time:
  The processing time is approximately 4-6 weeks from the time we receive your complete application including payment, all signatures etc at SWAP head office. The better the application, the faster it will go through - especially a thorough and specific training plan can speed up the processing time. (for PCT/non-students, less detailed training plan for INT/students & recent grads). Please note that extra processing time could apply if a site visit is required! (check out “Site visits”)
• NEW: Site Visits:
  According to the new J1 visa regulations from the US Department of State a site visit from CIEE to your host company might be required. There will be an extra processing time of 4 weeks added to the usual processing time, as well as an extra cost of approx $255.
  Site visits are required at host companies that have never hosted a trainee with CIEE before – however, it is NOT required if:
  • Your host company has more than 25 full time employees
    OR
  • Your host company has more than 3 Mio$ US in annual revenue.
• Your Sponsor in the US:
  Your official sponsor in the US is our partner organization CIEE. Your employer does not have to sponsor you! All your employer has to do is fill in the forms and ensure you have a wonderful internship.
• Salary:
  Your internship can be paid or unpaid, there is also no maximum limit on how much you are allowed to earn. It's up to you to negotiate your remuneration with your employer. Please note that the J1 intern visa is required even if your internship is unpaid. If your salary is less than $750 US per month please check out the section "budget in the US."
• Budget in the US:
  The US authorities want to make sure you can support yourself while you are in the US, and require you to have at least $750 US per month. If your salary is less than this amount per month, you have to send proof that you have enough funds or a guarantor letter with your application. For personal budget planning, please keep in mind that you are not allowed to obtain any part time work besides your internship.
• Bringing your family or dependents:
  It is possible to bring your family (spouse, children) with you to the US with a J2 dependent visa. This will allow your family to reside in the US for the entire time of your internship, but will NOT allow them to work. There is a separate fee for the J2 dependants, please contact us for more details at swapinfo@swap.ca
• What is SEVIS?:
  SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) is a US government system to track foreign visitors in the US. A SEVIS fee of $130 CDN applies and has to be paid when you send in your application together with registration fees. Once in the US, you have to register your US address within 20 days of your training start date (the date on your DS-2019, also called "Certificate of Eligibility"). If you do not register your address, your visa will automatically be terminated. For further information on SEVIS please refer to SEVIS
• Travel Arrangements:
  Please confirm or book your travel arrangements only when we know that your application has been approved. It is always possible that there are unforeseen delays in the visa processing. If you are planning to enter the US on a one-way ticket, the immigration officials may want to see proof that you can afford the way back. (e.g. credit card, proof that you will be earning money in the US, letter from parents indicating that they will pay for your ticket if necessary). For budget travel opportunities please check Travel CUTS
• Fees:
  The fees depend on the length of your internship. Here is what is included in the registration fee;
  (1) Your DS-2019, also called "Certificate of Eligibility", the form that will give you access to the "J1 visa status" when your cross the border to the US
  (2) Visa costs and visa processing
  (3) Insurance for your entire stay in the US. You will be covered by medical, liability and baggage insurance, which is required by the US Department of State for all exchange visitors
  (4) Support from CIEE in Boston, your visa sponsor, during your entire stay
  (5) Emergency line from CIEE in the US
  (6) The Participant Handbook includes lots of useful information about the first steps after arriving in the US, e.g. getting a social security number, SEVIS registration, tips on finding long term accommodation etc.
  (7) Exclusive Membership to SWAP Exchange
  (8) All applicable taxes are included in the fees

  The registration fee can be paid by certified cheque, money order or credit card (Visa or Master card) at the time of application.

  Extra fees apply if a site visit at your host company is required; please check out the section “site visit”.

• Leaving the US during your internship (e.g. to visit home):
  You can exit the US during your internship, to visit home or to visit other countries. However, you cannot be away from your internship for more than 30 days. Each time you leave the US you should advise CIEE and get a signature from CIEE for re-entry to the US. The signature will be valid for 2 months, please count in approximately 2 weeks for receiving the signed document.
• Previously held a visa for the US before?:
  If you had a "Summer Work & Travel J1" through SWAP USA, you will be eligible. If you had a different type of visa or if you are not sure, please confirm with us - contact us at 416 966 2887 ext 203 or email swapinfo@swap.ca .
• Can I be away while my application is being processed?:
  Unlike other SWAP programs where we need your original passport to process your visa, the Internship program only requires a copy of your passport. This means you are free to travel while your application is being processed.
  In your best interest, please leave us a phone number or e-mail address where we can reach you in case of any questions or additional documents needed during processing.
  Your visa papers and final kit can only be sent to a Canadian address - you must enter the US from Canada to activate your visa.
  PLEASE NOTE that it is illegal to start working at your internship (or any other job) in the US before you have the proper documentation and visa!
  
• Repeat participation:
  •  For Internships (students and recent grads):
  Repeat participation is possible as many times as you want, as long as you maintain your student status are within 12 months of graduation. Please note that there have to be a minimum of 90 days between two visas.
  • Repeat participation for PCT (non-students):
  Repeat participation is possible after 2 years. (2 years between the end of your first visa to the beginning of your second visa) If you were previously on the internship program, the same 2 year rule applies.

• Extensions:
  Extensions are possible as long as your total training time (so the original internship + the extension) is no longer than 12 months for Internships (students and recent grads) or 18 months for PCT (non-students) and your extension starts right after the original internship.
  Please submit the extension application at least 4 weeks before your original internship ends.
  As the cost of the extension will be the same as for a new application, excluding the SEVIS fee, we highly recommend considering your training dates for your original internship carefully.
• Insurance:
  Included in your registration fee is full coverage for the entire duration of your stay in the US (not just the training dates). The insurance covers medical, liability and baggage insurance, which is required by the US Department of State for all exchange visitors. You will be covered by the "Extended" plan, which includes additional coverage. For further details on insurance coverage please check HERE .

US authorities require that each J1 participants covered sufficiently by insurance. The CIEE group insurance package ensures that you fulfill this requirement. For administrative and cost effectiveness reasons we cannot check through every single insurance plan. Moreover, in case of emergencies CIEE has to be able to act and help quickly, which is only possible with a group insurance plan.

• Information for your Host Company:
  Information for your host company is available at CIEE's (your visa sponsor's). website at http://www.ciee.org/trainee/newhc/

Please ensure to also let your host company know that some of the regulations explained on CIEE's website are less strict for Canadians. For this reason the timelines from handing in your application, to starting your internship, can be a lot shorter than recommended on CIEE's website

• Important steps once you get to the US:
  The two most important administrative things to remember once you arrive in the US are (and only once you arrive and after you have activated your DS-2019 when crossing the border):
  (1) Register your US address in the SEVIS system within 20 days of the start date on your DS-2019. You can do that in a few clicks at SEVIS If you do not register your address your visa may be terminated and you will have to return to Canada!
  (2) Get a social security number
  More details on how to go about these two steps will be explained in the Participant Handbook that you will receive with your Final Kit.
  

Checklist:

1	Confirm a host company offering you a trainee position (check "Finding an internship" for tips for tips on how to find one)
2	Download the application forms below
3	Provide your host company with the link to download the training plan forms (also called “DS7002”)
4	Fill in your part of the forms with the help of the instructions

If you are ready to fill in the forms, please note that there are 2 parts of forms, one for you as the intern/trainee and another part for the host company to fill in:

• INT & PCT participant application (Word Doc.)

• USA Internship & PCT application – host company part

• For Internships:
  http://www.ciee.org/trainee/newhost/downloads/08‑09%20DS7002%20Intern.pdf for internship
  instructions at http://www.ciee.org/trainee/newhost/nextsteps/DS-interns.html

• For PCT:
  http://www.ciee.org/trainee/newhost/downloads/08‑09%20DS7002%20Trainee.pdf for PCT
  instructions at http://www.ciee.org/trainee/newhost/nextsteps/DS-trainees.html

• For Internships & PCT in Hospitality & Tourism
  http://www.ciee.org/trainee/newhost/downloads/08-09%20DS7002%20Hospitality.pdf
  instructions at http://www.ciee.org/trainee/newhost/nextsteps/DS-Hospitality.html

• Extensions only: USA Internship & PCT extension application (one part only)

If you have any further questions please email the USA coordinator directly at swapinfo@swap.ca.