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| Your arrival in the US |
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You must accomplish two administrative tasks as soon as you arrive in the USA and start your internship:
Social Security registration:
All participants training in the United States need to apply for and receive a Social Security number (SSN) by visiting their local Social Security office. A successful Social Security application may take between three weeks and two months to process. To avoid delays in the application process, we advise that you follow these directions:
1. Register your US address with SEVIS within 20 days of arrival. (See below)
2. Next, wait 10-12 days after you have arrived in the United States before applying for a Social Security Card. Remember, you must have already registered with SEVIS within this time period. You must also wait 48 hours after registering with SEVIS before you can apply for your SSN.
3. Next, you must apply for your SSN. To do this you must take your 'Dear Social Security Officer' letter and two copies of each of the following documents to the local Social Security office:
- Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Visa Status, DS-2019 form,
- I-94 card
- J-1 visa
- front page of your passport
At the Social Security office you will be provided with a Social Security Application form, which you must complete. Be sure to enter a valid US mailing address that your Social Security card can be shipped to.
SEVIS database registration:
From the time you are issued a Certificate of Eligibility for J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa Status, Form DS-2019, you are "in" the SEVIS database.
Once you are in the SEVIS database, you must complete two mandatory program requirements. First, you must confirm the start of your Trainee program within 20 days of the start date listed on your DS-2019 Form by notifying CIEE of your US address. Second, anytime you change your US address you must update this information in the SEVIS database. It is absolutely imperative that you follow these regulations; failure to do so will result in withdrawal from the program, which may have an adverse effect on your record and may prevent you from obtaining future US visas.
CIEE provides three easy ways for you to fulfill your SEVIS requirements:
1. by toll-free telephone
2. by email
3. via the web
Upon acceptance to a CIEE Trainee Program, you can register by calling our toll-free telephone line at 1-888-268-6245 or by e-mailing us at: trainee@ciee.org with your US address. Or, you can join the thousands who have found that using the web www.mysevis.com is the easiest and fastest method to fulfill the SEVIS requirement. Whatever method you choose, CIEE is committed to helping you maintain regulatory compliance with SEVIS.
All necessary information to register in SEVIS and obtain your Social Security number will be provided with your DS-2019 form. You will also find related information in your Participant Handbook as well as on the CIEE website: Life in the US.
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| Traveling during your program |
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While there are no regulations limiting your ability to travel within the US, there are certain restrictions on your ability to travel outside the US.
If you plan on traveling outside of the US during your internship program, you must first notify CIEE and request permission to travel. This involves CIEE signing your DS-2019 form, and issuing you a "Letter of Good Standing" that indicates that you are a current Intern and will be returning to the US to continue your program. While the travel signature on your DS-2019 remains valid for six months, the good standing letter is only valid for three months. Therefore, each time you plan to travel outside of the US, you need to be certain that both items are still valid for the entire duration of your stay outside of the US. If this is not the case, you risk running into issues with US customs officers upon your return.
To travel outside the US, you must send CIEE your DS-2019 form, along with a pre-paid, self-addressed, trackable mail envelope and a note stating your travel dates, destination, mailing address and phone number. Please send this material at least two weeks before you intend to travel outside of the US. These materials should be sent using a trackable shipping method (FedEx or UPS are best) to:
CIEE
Attn: Customer Service
300 Fore Street
Portland, ME, 04101
Please note that you can not spend more than 30 days outside the US while on a J-1 visa and that your CIEE insurance is not valid outside the US. If you have an ISE card, you will be insured up to 2,000 USD for medical expenses and 5,000 USD for evacuation expenses.
The 30-day Travel Period
Your J-1 Visa allows you to travel in the US for up to 30 days before your DS start date and 30 days after your DS end date. However, you must purchase this travel period before you begin your Internship Program. If you did 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, you do so at your own risk.
During the travel period before or after your internship program, you will not be allowed to travel outside the US. If you leave the US, you will not be readmitted on your J-1 visa, regardless of any connecting flights you must make. Plan your travels well in advance. Parenthese and CIEE will not be able to endorse or assist you if you attempt to change your visa status and reenter the US as a tourist.
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| Program extension |
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You can choose to extend your program while in the US. An internship extension is an extension of the INTERNSHIP USA program that begins the day after the end of your initial training. It allows you to complement your internship with an additional period within the same host company. You can apply for up to two extensions of the same internship as long as the total duration does not exceed 12 months.
Your program extension application, along with the following documents, must be sent to Parenthese no later than 3 weeks before the expiration of your current DS-2019:
The "Intern Extension Application" form, to be completed by yourself ("Application" Section) and your employer ("Host Organization Section" )
DS7002 Intern Training Plan for your extension period
The "INTERNSHIP USA Extension Confirmation Form"
(You can click here to download these 3 forms)
Photocopy of your current J-1 visa and your passport
Photocopy of your current DS-2019
Copy of your current Host Company Training Proposal or DS 7002
Extension fees
If you wish to return to your country of origin during your extension period, you will have to apply for a second J-1 visa at the American Consulate before returning to the United States.
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| Taxes in the United States |
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 Any program participant who has a paid training position must pay US income tax. Failure to pay any taxes owed could cause problems for you in the future if you plan on returning to the US on a new visa. Therefore, please make sure that these taxes are being withheld from your paycheck and that you file a US income tax return.
In the US, the Federal government imposes an income tax on all wage earners. The Host Company generally withholds income tax from a participant's salary and pays it directly to the government. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of your salary will be withheld for federal income tax, a portion of which you may be able to claim back as a refund at the end of the year.
As a wage-earner in the US, you are legally required to file a tax return, even though you may already have returned home at the time. Tax returns need to be filed by April 15 for the previous tax year (January 1 - December 31).
There are two methods for filing tax returns - you may use a tax filing service, such as Tax Back or complete the tax return yourself. CIEE has been working with TaxBack.com to improve the tax return process for its J-1 Exchange Visa participants. Thus, we recommend this service for any participants who are uncertain of their ability to file the forms correctly on their own. However, this is not a mandatory part of the program and all participants have the choice of using this or another similar service, or filing independently.
Should you choose to complete the tax returns yourself, you will need the following forms:
W-2 Form - This is sent by your Host Company and details the total wages and the amount of each tax that was withheld.
1040NR-EZ Form - This form is specifically for non-resident aliens. It can be obtained, together with instructions for filling it out, on the Internal Revenue Service website : 1040NR Form.
State Income Tax Form - These forms differ for each of the 50 states in the US, and you will need to complete the form for the state(s) in which you trained. A list of state tax sites is available at the website listed above ("State Tax Forms").
Local Income Tax form - These taxes will only be withheld in certain cities. Check with your Host Company about local statutory requirements and, if relevant, where to locate the necessary forms.
The standard deadline for filing tax return forms is April 15. The earlier you file your tax returns, the sooner you will receive any applicable refund.
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