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| Eligibility criteria |
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In order to be eligible to participate in CIEE's Trainee Program, you must :
Find a professional training that is related to your field of studies or professional experience. The training must allow you to apply your knowledge and develop or perfect your professional skills.
Be a national or foreign resident of France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg or the UK.
Be a graduate of a post-secondary institution in one of these countries with one year of work experience outside the US related to your field of training, or have a high school degree with five years of relevant work experience outside the US*.
Be between the ages of 20 and 40 **
Have sufficient English language skills to function in a business setting
Be able to support yourself financially during the entire stay (minimum income of 750 USD/month) or show financial guarantees (bank or family-related) that are equivalent.
If you have previously participated in a PCT program, you must show that desired training is not duplicative of previous training or work experience. All PCT participants must observe a 2-year hiatus in their home-country before returning on another PCT program.
* If you are still a student or if you graduated less than a year ago, you can apply for our "Internship USA" program.
** The age limit is around the age of 40, but there is a higher risk of visa refusal from the American consulate for applicants over 35.
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| Acceptable training programs |
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The J-1 Trainee Visa is designed to provide qualified international students and young professionals with the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience in the US in their field of endeavor. To help ensure the quality of these training programs, the US Department of State has created a clear set of program regulations that outlines what represents an acceptable form of training and what does not.
Specifically, this means that Trainees are only permitted to engage in skilled activities at their Host Companies. A skilled activity is defined as something that requires some form of educational and/or theoretical base knowledge in order to be performed. Unskilled occupations, on the other hand, such as work as 'receptionists,' 'clerks,' 'cashiers,' or 'bartenders,' are in most circumstances not acceptable elements of a training program.
For a complete listing of unskilled positions, or positions not allowable under guidelines of the J-1 Trainee Visa, please visit the US Department of State website. Certain exceptions may exist in fields such as Hospitality, where training of an "unskilled" nature is part of any standard training program in that field; however, in these cases, training in any unskilled area must be limited in duration and part of a logical, structured program of progression.
Additionally, CIEE cannot sponsor Trainees in the following specialty occupations:
Au pairs, maids or any other domestic work such as baby-sitting or housekeeping
Camp Counselors
Medical Trainees or anything involving hands-on therapy, counseling, administering treatment or making diagnoses of medical, psychiatric or psychological conditions
Pharmacy positions directly related to dispensing medication to patients
Veterinary Trainees involved in hands-on care of animals
Pilots or crewmembers on ships or airplanes
Teachers or educational instructors
Temporary or staffing agency employees
Some observation training programs in the sectors listed above can be accepted. Please consult us.
Please note that research scholars require a J-1 visa, category " Research Scholar ". However, certain research training programs can be accepted within the " Trainee " category, namely if they entail teamwork, constant supervision and a true element of training. To view an example of a research training that would be accepted within the Trainee J-1 visa, please click on this link: DS7002 Trainee
For further information on other visas, please consult your local US Embassy website.
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| Duration |
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You can start your professional training at any time of the year, for a duration of 1 to 18 months. However, training programs in the hospitality or tourism fields can be limited to 12 months.
You can arrive in the US up to 30 days before the start of your training program. You can also extend your stay in the US as a tourist for up to 30 days after your DS end date. However, you must purchase this travel period before you begin your Training Program. If you do not purchase this travel period, you will not be covered by insurance following your DS end date. If you choose to travel outside of the dates you have provided us without proper insurance coverage, you do so at your own risk.
The duration of your stay in the US can therefore go beyond your DS dates in the limit of 60 days total (pre and post training).
Please note that your insurance dates must cover your entire stay including your eventual travel dates.
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| Location |
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Your training program can take place in the city of your choice anywhere on the US territory, including Hawaii, Alaska, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
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| Training Placement Plan (Internship/Training Placement Plan "DS 7002") |
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Your practical training must imperatively relate to your specific field of study or chosen career path, It must enable you to gain knowledge and skills that will promote your future career development and must reflect the level of studies or professional experience you will have reached when you apply. Each prospective Host Organization must complete and submit for review an Internship/Training Placement Plan - known officially as Form DS-7002 - that includes specific objectives for the Trainee. This form not only allows us to verify the appropriateness of the program, but it also serves to set clear expectations for both Host Organization and the Trainee, helping to make sure that this experience proves rewarding for both parties.
Please note that filling out this document represents the only administrative task requested from your employer.
You can visit the CIEE website or forward this link to your employer. It contains detailed information about the DS 7002 form: DS7002 Trainee
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| Budget in the USA |
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Your day-to-day expenses in the US (housing, food, transportation, etc.) must be completely covered by your salary/stipend and/or your own personal funds.
The American authorities require that you earn a minimum of 750 U.S. dollars per month.
If your training is unpaid or paid less than 750 dollars a month, you must vouch for your personal financial resources at the time of your application.
We recommend that you pay careful attention to the way you will finance your stay keeping in mind that any other job aside from your training is prohibited and that, in some cases, you will receive your first wages only at the end of the first two weeks of your training.
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| Number of participations |
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You can participate as many times as you wish in the " PCT USA " program. However, the duration of each training cannot exceed 18 months, trainings cannot be duplicative of each other and a hiatus of two years must be observed between programs.
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| Legal framework |
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CIEE is authorized by the US Department of State to sponsor eligible candidates on structured and guided work-based learning programs as part of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. The " PCT USA " program falls under the regulations of the US Department of State and the requirements of its official sponsor, CIEE.
Changes can be made without notice in accordance with regulatory demands.
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| If you are accompanied by members of your family |
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All dependents (spouse and/or children) of CIEE-sponsored Trainees are eligible for a J-2 Visa. Applications for J-2 Visas can be submitted to Parenthese with your official CIEE Trainee Program Application.
In order to obtain the DS-2019 for your dependent(s), please send us a copy of their passport(s), a copy of the marriage certificate for your spouses and/or a copy of the birth certificate for each child plus the confirmation of your private insurance covering your spouse and/or children.
The J-2 status cannot be granted to concubines or PACS holders.
The accompanying persons are not covered by the PCT USA participant's insurance. They will have to subscribe their own private insurance.
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| Foreign residents in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg or the UK |
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European Union nationals residing in France or in the UK can present their application to the American Consulate in Paris or London without any inconvenience.
We strongly recommend that participants from countries outside the European Union apply for their visa in their country of origin. There is indeed a risk for non-European Union nationals to have their visa refused by the American Consulate.
Non-EU nationals who decide to apply in Paris or London will have to prove their ties to France or the UK by providing documents such as: temporary or permanent residence permit, rent receipts, bills, employment contract, payslips, bank references, any other personal reference, return plane ticket to the country of residence or origin.
Your passport must be valid six months after the end date of your training. You must also provide a letter from the local immigration authorities confirming that your residence permit will be renewed once you return to France or to the UK.
The US consulate in Bern, Switzerland requires all foreign nationals (with the exception of EU residents) to apply from their country of origin. Applicants residing in Switzerland or Belgium should check the requirements of their local US consulate.
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