Land an Internship Through the Exchange Visitor Program [Tips & Resources]

Almost 90% of students participating in exchange programs for study or work landed higher-paying jobs faster after completing the program. Is this your year to land an internship? The benefits of study and work abroad through an Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) are almost innumerable—from improved grades to increased cultural awareness—and Intrax Global Internships is here to help you through the process of landing an internship to boost your skills and jumpstart your career. 

Intrax Global Internships provides over 40 years’ experience connecting foreign exchange students with valuable internships. In this time, Intrax has expanded to over 100 nations, bringing more than 20,000 new and returning participants into our programs each year. We help passionate and qualified exchange students land the right internships to forward their work life and education. Contact us today to learn more, and discover the best internship opportunities for you. 

In this article, we explore everything you need to know to land an internship during your time abroad—from securing your J-1 visa to finding the right internship fit for you. We cover:

• Benefits of landing an internship through an Exchange Visitor Program
• Types of internships available for Exchange Visitor J-1 Visa interns
• The process of searching for internships through the Exchange Visitor Program
• The necessary steps of securing your Exchange Visitor J-1 visa

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Benefits of Landing an Internship Through the Exchange Visitor Program

Intrax Global Internships provides Exchange Visitor Program opportunities through BridgeUSA to streamline the J-1 Visa application process, ensuring smooth, safe work-based travel abroad for all parties. From camp counselors to Early Career STEM Research Initiatives, we aim to pair all applicants with the best possible internship experience. 

Landing an internship with U.S.-based companies provide the experience you need for your future career, or it can build on skills you already have. Plus, you can make  money while gaining valuable experience through paid internships.

Interning through the Exchange Visitor Program can provide countless benefits, such as:

1. Build your personal brand: Invest in yourself by broadening your experiences, networking with new faces, and building your brand.
2. Gain valuable work experience: An internship is a starting line, meaning it will eventually end, while providing you necessary experience for your future career. 
3. Increase cultural awareness: Internships give you the chance to make friends across the world, try new cuisine, and increase your cultural awareness.
4. Earn a paycheck:  Paid internships provide all the same benefits as unpaid internships, with the added bonus of an income.

Build Your Personal Brand 

When the phrase “personal brand” pops up, your first thought might be TikTok or Instagram. These are useful tools for getting your name out there, but a more beneficial way of adding to your skillset is through interning. Building your brand can include interning abroad, gaining valuable skills, and earning some startup money. 

Nothing can replace real-world, hands-on experience when it comes to building your resume. Intrax Global Internships is here to help you get started with the right internship for your personal and professional brand. 

Gain Valuable Work Experience

According to most employers, the three primary draws of a prospective hiree are:

1. Preferred academic degree correlating to position
2. Major or minor in foreign language
3. Work or study abroad experience

Gaining valuable experience through the Exchange Visitor Program is instrumental in landing future job offers. Interning abroad can develop core professional skills, enhance soft skills, and make professional connections.

High-value professional skills you can develop during your internship include: 

• Advanced problem-solving abilities
• Enhanced research and analytical skills
• Improved verbal and written communication abilities
• Increased time management and organizational skills
• Advanced teamwork and adaptability skills

As national markets become more globalized, university and college students are seeking new ways to gain an edge in competitive industries. Give your professional future an advantage by interning through the Exchange Visitor Program. 

Increase Cultural Awareness

Working in a new country is a surefire way to develop sought-after resume skills and increase cultural awareness. Adapting to cultural differences, solving problems across potential language barriers, and fostering valuable connections between cultures can not only improve your resume, but also create lasting relationships and experiences. 

You will also have the opportunity to explore new work cultures, and work within teams that can introduce you to different values and challenges. Proving to future employers that your task management, teamwork, and communication skills span more than one country will be highly valuable come interview time. 

Earn a Paycheck

The answer to, “What type of internship are you interested in—paid or unpaid?” may seem like a no-brainer. Everyone wants to earn a wage for their work. Yet, there are some factors to consider when agreeing to a paid internship, such as:

• Competition: Job placement for paid internships is much more competitive, meaning you may find success landing an unpaid internship in your preferred field, before advancing to a salaried employee.
• Future earnings: Unpaid interns may discover difficulties in future wage negotiations without prior knowledge of their work’s worth. Paid internships can be advantageous for future earnings, as you have a per-hour or salaried position to use as reference.
• Networking: Often, paid internships are equivalent to many minimum wage jobs, requiring you to complete tasks and meet deadlines. Unpaid internships can be more open to networking opportunities, sometimes treated as job shadowing for your future career and therefore more exploratory and acceptable for networking. 
• Structure: On the flip side of networking is structure; paid internships often come with more expectations, providing better structure and opportunities to develop skills necessary for a future career. The more open and exploratory nature of unpaid internships can be detrimental to future employment if an easier internship creates false expectations for future work. 

While the simplified answer to the question of which internship you should pursue is, “Get paid for your work,” there are several factors to consider before making your decision. Intrax Global Internships’ program advisors can help with any questions you may have along the way.

Types of Internships for J-1 Visa Exchange Visitors

The first step in applying for an internship through Intrax Global Internships is determining  what career field you want to pursue. The second step is discovering what J-1 visa internships are available through our program. The good news is that there are plenty of different types of internships supported through Intrax, providing access to all kinds of industries!  These include: 

1. Agriculture, Forestry, & Fishing
2. Arts & Culture
3. Construction & Building Trade
4. Education, Social Sciences, Library Science, Counseling, and Social Services
5. Health Related Occupations
6. Hospitality & Tourism
7. Information Media & Communications
8. Management, Business, Commerce, & Finance
9. Public Administration & Law
10. The Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Mathematics, & Industrial Occupations 

Intrax Global Internships connects interns with all industries (except health-related occupations). For those seeking more specialized internship programs, we offer three areas to focus and enhance targeted skills for your future career. These specialized programs are:

• Premium Hospitality
• Teaching Internships
• Virtual Internships

Premium Hospitality Internships

An increasingly popular J-1 visa internship is in premium hospitality. This includes interning with luxury hotels, working in positions such as Culinary, Front Office, or Food & Beverage. Hone your customer service skills, improve your hospitality management, and increase cultural awareness by working in such 4- or 5-star rated luxury hotels as the Ritz-Carlton, Auberge Resorts, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. 

Intrax Global Internships ensures your experience in premium hospitality is rewarding and beneficial by offering resources throughout your internship, such as:  

• A focus on luxury
• Matches based on skills and location
• A fully-developed training plan
• Monthly check-ins
• Seamless transitions to international sister properties (if applicable)

Teaching Internships

Intrax’s J-1 visa internship program is the perfect place to get your start in a career in education. Whether your focus is Biology, Math, Art, Drama, Music, Tech, Sports, or more, a teaching internship through the J-1 internship program can boost your skills in the classroom and prepare you for your future career. 

Jumpstart your career in education by interning at a host school, with options varying as greatly as inner city, rural, public, private, K-12, and more. Gain invaluable teaching experience while developing cultural awareness through the U.S. education system.

Through Intrax Global Internship's teaching internships program, international students can fulfill their K-12 teaching degree program requirements by assisting in American classrooms for up to 10 months. We'll match you with your desired school and location, facilitate your interview, and walk you through the process to complete your J-1 visa application, documents, and J-1 visa interview questions. 

We provide the resources you need to take full advantage of your teaching internship, including:  

• A variety of host schools and subjects to choose from
• Potential for compensation
• A fully-developed training plan
• Frequent check-ins
• Cultural exchange opportunities

Virtual Internships 

J-1 visa internships in the technology and tech startup industry are valuable commodities, giving you a foot in the door of one of the fastest growing industries in the world. You can explore cutting-edge technologies and work alongside some of the best and brightest minds in the industry.

Startups are known for their innovative and fast-paced environment, which can provide valuable learning experiences for interns. Potential internships available in the tech industry include:

• Data Scientist
• Digital Designer
• Marketing and Communications Specialist
• Mobile Developer
• Software Engineer 
• UX Designer

Throughout your virtual internship, we provide necessary assistance to keep your focus on your work. We provide:

• A focus on tech startups and growth companies
• Matches based on needs and skills
• Facilitation of international hiring and payments
• A developed training plan
• Monthly check-ins
• Seamless transition between remote and in-office

If you have an interest in interning through the Exchange Visitor Program, there is a likely chance we have the internship opportunity for you! Browse available internships, browse our FAQs, or reach out with any additional questions about our program. We handle all the details so the only thing left for you to do is start packing!

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How to Land a U.S. Internship Through the Exchange Visitor J-1 Visa

At Intrax Global Internships, we have helped international students land valuable internships for twenty years. We support you in every step of your internship journey—from securing your J-1 visa to providing regular check-ins during your travel. We ensure you are fully prepared before you even leave your home. 

To intern in the United States through Intrax Global Internships, you need to apply to become a J-1 intern. J-1 internships are part of the Exchange Visitor Program created to foster and strengthen relationships between the United States and other nations. 

J-1 visas have been granted to exchange visitors seeking work across all sectors and industries, gaining valuable experience as:

• Camp counselors
• Interns
• Physicians
• Professors
• Research scholars
• Specialists
• Secondary students
• Summer work travelers
• Teachers
• Trainees

To comply with J-1 Visa requirements, be sure to check off all of the legal steps for international exchange travel. These steps are:

1. Secure visa sponsorship: Eligible sponsors include over 1,500 academic, for-profit, nonprofit, federal, state, and local government entities
2. Apply for your J-1 visa: The J-1 Visa application process can be arduous for some, which is why we offer a simple and streamlined solution to completing your application. 
3. Ensure you have the proper documentation: Required documents must be presented or submitted to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in you home country; these documents include Form DS-2109, Form DS-160, Form DS-7002, passport, 2x2 digital image or photo, and visa application payment fee receipt
4. Attend a visa interview at your local embassy or consulate: If you are between the ages of 14 and 79, you must submit to an interview detailing your purpose of travel, intention to depart the U.S. after travel, and your ability to pay all travel expenses

Next Steps in Landing an Internship Through the Exchange Visitor Program

Landing an internship in the U.S. may be similar to landing an internship in your own country. One of the biggest differences is that companies eligible to employ J-1 Visa interns must first meet J-1 visa employer requirements, including:

• Providing eligible programs:  J-1 visa interns are not permitted to perform unskilled labor, child, elder, or patient care, or work in the aviation industry.
• Creating meaningful opportunities: Internships should include no more than 20% clerical work. 
• Completing multiple rotations for internships in the field of hospitality and tourism.

• Possessing the proper resources, personnel, and equipment, and making these resources available to interns. 

Once you have completed your application, received approval, and determined your career interests and goals, the next step is matching you with the perfect—and eligible—company.

At Global Internships, we are official U.S.-approved sponsors of the J-1 visa internship program. We work with interns, employers, attorneys, and universities all across the world to provide you with a streamlined application process, simplified travel and transition, and the absolute best possible internship experience. 

Our ten years of experience have enabled us to provide you access to internships often unavailable elsewhere. We are able to provide you with more options, information, and assistance throughout your internship, and work hard to ensure you receive all the support you need along the way. Additional program benefits include:

• We move quickly: Once you have begun the application process, we send you necessary forms—such as the DS-2019—to you within four weeks to get your journey started.
• We work virtually: No need to fax documents or do tasks in-person. We handle everything online for your convenience. 
• We are affordable: No extra fees or surprise costs, we charge based on the length of your program.
• We are experienced: We have worked with Exchange Visitor interns and trainees for decades. We leverage our experience to streamline and simplify your entire application process. 

Reach Out to Us to Begin Your Internship Journey Today

Your internship can be one of the most important parts of your Exchange Visitor Program experience. It's a chance to apply everything you've learned, discover more about how companies in your industry work, and build connections to take you to the next step in your career. 

By following the tips outlined in this article, you can land the internship that can propel you to the next steps of your career path, as well as gain valuable skills and experiences to take back home.

At Intrax Global Internships, we are committed to providing high-quality internship experiences to students and young professionals from around the world. If you want to learn more about how to land an internship through the Exchange Visitor Program, we encourage you to request more information or begin your application today! We look forward to helping you land the perfect internship for your professional journey.