J-1 Exchange Visitors: Student Interns

Introduction

The US Department of State allows students who are enrolled in degree programs at home universities outside the US to be sponsored for internships as J-1 Student Interns in the US. LSU uses the J-1 Student Intern category for undergraduate students from academic institutions outside the US coming to LSU to engage in internship activities. Student interns may participate in a student internship program for up to 12 months for each degree/major. The internship must be full-time, at least 32 hours per week. 

The internship may be with or without wages or other compensation. However, the student must provide evidence of funding sufficient to cover all travel, health insurance, and living expenses for the period of internship. The student must have a faculty sponsor at LSU who must agree to train and supervise the student and to provide the International Faculty & Scholars Office (IFSO) a copy of the training plan.  

Student interns are permitted to engage in employment only if such employment is approved by IFSO and the student's home institution's dean or academic advisor, and only as outlined on the student’s Internship Placement Form (DS-7002, see attachments). 

The Student Intern category is complex and requires oversight. We recommend that the host department start the process of requesting the J-1 Student Intern documents from IFSO at least 3 months before the intended date of internship. 

 

Eligibility Requirements 

The LSU faculty sponsor must ensure that. ..

  • The student is currently enrolled in and pursuing a degree at an accredited post-secondary academic institution outside the United States.  
  • The student is in good academic standing at their home institution outside the US. 
  • The student has sufficient finances to support themselves (and any accompanying dependents) for their entire stay in the US, including housing and living expenses.   
  • The student will be primarily in the US to engage in a student internship program rather than to engage in employment or to provide services to LSU.   
  • The student will return to their academic program outside the United States to fulfill and obtain a degree from such academic institution after completion of the student internship program. 
  • The student has verifiable English language skills sufficient to function on a day-to-day basis in the internship environment. 

The sponsor must verify the student's English language ability (see attachments) through:  

  • A sponsor-conducted interview, 
  • A recognized English language test, or  
  • Signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school. 

 

Nature of the Internship Activity 

The faculty sponsor must ensure the following: 

  • Internship tasks consist of no more than 20 percent clerical work.  
  • All tasks assigned to the student are necessary for the completion of the program. 
  • The internship exposes the student intern to American techniques, methodologies, and technology; expands upon the student’s existing knowledge and skills; and does not duplicate the student intern's prior experience.  
  • The internship exists solely to assist the student intern in achieving the educational objectives of their current degree program at their home institution and does not serve to fill a labor need.  
  • The internship consists of "work-based learning," rather than ordinary employment or unskilled labor.  
  • The internship does not place the student intern in any position that involves unskilled or casual labor; child care or elder care; aviation; clinical work; or any other work that involves patient care or contact, including any work that would require the student intern 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, or early childhood education). 
  • The internship does not involve any activity that could bring the Exchange Visitor Program or the Department of State into notoriety or disrepute. 

 

The Faculty Sponsor’s Responsibility to Evaluate the Student Intern  

The faculty sponsor must conduct a concluding written evaluation (see attachments) of the student intern at the end of the program. For a program lasting more than six months, the faculty sponsor must do a midpoint and a concluding evaluation. A copy of the evaluation must be given to the student and to IFSO. 

 

Flow of Paperwork 

  1. Student Intern’s LSU supervisor completes the IFSO version of the Internship Placement Plan (see attachments) and emails it to IFSO.

  2. Department contact completes J-1 Student Intern Request Form (see attachments), adds all documents listed on the Checklist, and emails or forwards the packet to IFSO. 

  3. Upon review of submitted documents, IFSO issues Form DS-2019 and Form DS-7002 and emails the final documents to the student intern after obtaining the required signatures from the student and the LSU host faculty. 

  4. Intern pays SEVIS fee and applies for J-1 visa at the US Consular Office. 

  5. Upon arrival at LSU, student intern completes a mandatory check-in with IFSO. 

  6. Department conducts mandatory evaluations of the intern (see attachments): one evaluation at the program’s conclusion, plus one midpoint evaluation if the program is longer than six months; and submits a copy to IFSO. 

 

Necessary Forms 

The following is a list of documents required to process Form DS-2019 for a prospective Student Intern exchange visitor. This list can also be found on the Student Intern Checklist (see attachments). 

Please submit all documents at the same time to the attention of Loveness Schafer, International Faculty & Scholars Office, 101 Hatcher Hall. Please allow three weeks for processing.

  • J-1 Student Intern Request Form signed by the head of the sponsoring Department (see attachments)
  • Student Internship Placement Plan completed by the Student Intern’s LSU supervisor (see attachments). The training plan includes the following: 
    • Intended dates of the internship 
    • Goals and objectives of the internship 
    • Program details including location, contact information, number of hours of work per week, compensation (if any), nature of supervision the intern will receive, and 
    • Description of how the student internship will enhance the student’s educational program at their home institution   
  • English Language Assessment and Verification Form (see attachments)
  • Department Agreement Form signed by LSU faculty supervisor and Department head (see attachments)
  • Student Agreement Form signed by the student intern (see attachments)
  • Letter from the student’s academic advisor abroad, verifying that the student is enrolled in and pursuing a degree at an accredited post-secondary academic institution outside the US, and is in good academic standing at their home institution 
  • Copy of passport 
  • Curriculum Vitae 
  • Information on the source of funds needed to support the intern during their stay at LSU. One or more of the following must be provided to satisfy this requirement: 
    • Approved copy of WorkDay form showing the salary of the intern
    • A letter from a university, a government agency, or other funding agency or sponsor, showing amount of funding and funding dates
    • Bank letters showing funds available for the period of stay at LSU. The minimum amount of money required for living expenses and insurance is $1,300.00 per month

Documents not in English must be accompanied by an English translation. 

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