FAQ du stage aux USA — Visa J-1
Frequently Asked Questions and additional information are updated regularly with the questions asked by our participants. However, if you do not find the information you were looking for, Do not hesitate to contact us.
My work experience
Do I get paid ?No, not necessarily... It entirely depends on the category of your work experience .
Categories Intern and and Trainee : Your work experience may be volunteer work or may be the complete opposite, there is no maximum amount of compensation for your work. However, généralement, les grandes entreprises fortunées qui refusent de dédommager les stages sont assez « mal vues ». De même, un stage de longue durée non rémunéré peut être difficile à justifier. Dans ces cas là, il faudra que le dossier soit très solide et bien justifié. En règle général, au-delà de 6 months, le stage doit être rémunéré.
Category Work & Travel : le salaire horaire minimum obligatoire 2018 doit être équivalent au salaire minimum fédéral de l’état ou vous allez effectuer votre mission – sauf pour les postes « à pourboire ».
Do I need an official contract ?No, you do not need to have an official contract, it will not be requested if you have one.
The contract binds your school, your employer and yourself in relation to essential rules of your business ; these rules do not necessarily apply to sponsors.
In addition, this visa program, addressed to persons who are or are not graduated, does not necessarily require an official contract.
How long can my internship last ?Category Work & Travel : 1 to 4 months
Category Intern : 1 to 12 months
Category and Trainee : 1 to 18 months, sauf si le stage est dans le milieu de l’hôtellerie/restauration/tourisme (12 mois max.)
Can I do my work experience in any company ?No.
Les sponsors d’America Welcome ne peuvent pas sponsoriser les stages dont l’employeur est une école, a junior-high school, a high school, a university. Les stages se seront pas non plus acceptés s’ils ont lieu dans des salons de coiffure, des spas, toute entreprise de soins médicaux, la restauration rapide de type fast-food. Cette liste n’est pas exhaustive, vous pouvez consulter cette page pour plus d’informations.
Will my work experience lead to costs for my company or business ?Only if the company wishes to compensate you for your work (obligatory for Work & Travel).
For the procedure for obtaining your visa, there will be no cost for your company or business.
Can America Welcome sponsor all types of work experiences ? In any field ?The sector in which you perform your work experience must be in direct relation, either with your studies, or with your professional experience, voire les deux.
America Welcome traite les demandes de visa J-1 pour les secteurs d’activité courants suivants : business, management, administration, marketing, Sales, Accounting, finance, catering, hospitality, tourism, law, IT (information technology). The liste des domaines pris en charge est bien plus longue, contactez-nous en cas de doute !
Dans tous les cas : le domaine de stage doit correspondre à votre domaine d’études.
You can check the complete Refused and sponsored areas list par America Welcome / les sponsors.
Can America Welcome find me a work experience (job) in the U.S. ?No.
Welcome America is not specialized in the placement of students or young professionals in the U.S.. In the Useful links, you will find sites that will help you find your work experience yourself. Feel free to solicit U.S. companies.
Am I allowed to change employers ?No, you are not legally allowed to change employers, because the DS-2019 form is issued for a single employer.
However, if your work experience goes badly, you will have 30 days to find a new employer, to make them complete all the necessary documents and to ask the sponsor to visit if necessary . If such a case arises, vous devez contacter le sponsor et/ou America Welcome le plus rapidement possible.
The procedure for obtaining your J-1 Visa
I am not of French nationality, Can I choose America Welcome ?Actuellement pas encore, il convient de nous contacter pour ces demandes.
Do I have to go through a sponsor organization to get my visa ?Yes, this is essential.
The American embassy, Which delivers each year a certain number of visas, designated agency official so that they are responsible for administering and monitoring applications for visas. These organizations, named sponsoring organizations, are in charge of studying the visa applications, of gathering the necessary documents, And of monitoring and checking the viability of the project. They deliver to the candidates the official DS-2019 form which proves to the American consulate that the candidate's file has been controlled using legal procedures.
L’ambassade américaine ne traitera pas de demande de visa sans DS-2019 sponsorisé par un organisme sponsor agréé.
Can America Welcome deliver my J-1 visa ?No sponsor can issue a J-1 visa directly, only the embassy has the authorization to do so. But America Welcome / ses sponsors prennent en charge votre programme pour vous délivrer les papiers nécessaires et obligatoire pour la demande de visa.
How long does it take to get the J-1 visa ?Il faut compter en moyenne deux mois entre le début de la constitution de votre dossier et la réception du visa J-1. Once you are in possession of the document, you can now set an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in your home country, usually obtained in less than 5 days.Nous vous conseillons de commencer vos démarches d’obtention de DS-2019 6 to 8 semaines avant le début de votre stage, quand cela est possible !
Warning, les délais sont parfois TRÈS variables !!! Cliquez sur le lien pour en savoir plus sur les time de chaque étape. Les critères a prendre en compte pour les délais sont : la réactivité de l’entreprise, la capacité à remplir les documents tel qu’ils sont demandés, la période de l’année (à l’approche de l’été, sponsors et ambassades sont plus débordés), among others.
What type of visa will I receive ?As a participant in an exchange program approved by the U.S. State Department, you shall receive a J-1 visa. This visa is destined to people wishing to learn while having a serious professional experience in a U.S. company.
Am I required to attend an appointment at the Embassy of the United States ?Yes, The embassy will process your request only if you go in person at the given an appointment. No visa application is processed by phone or email correspondance. From the 29 July 2012, all temporary visa applicants will be required to complete the DS-160 form and pay the visa application fees by money order before making an appointment. Il sera désormais nécessaire de fournir les références du formulaire DS-160 et du mandat-compte lors de la prise de rendez-vous.
Do I have to go the the embassy in Paris ? Or can I apply elsewhere?If you are a French citizen or possess a residence card valid for another 10 years, the an appointment will be at the Embassy in Paris. If you are a citizen of another country, your visa application must be in your country of origin. In any case, whatever your nationality may be, you can not make your visa applications in the U.S..
How much does a J-1 visa cost ?Pour calculer et connaître le tarif, il faut compter :
– The costs of obtaining the required documents (DS-2019/SEVIS/Insurance ) to pay America Welcome ;
– Chancery fees (making an appointment, cost of the file, and sending the visa) is payable at the Embassy – actuellement ils sont de 152€.
Learn more about total cost of a J-1 visa and Welcome America fees.
Do I have to take health insurance ?Yes, medical insurance is mandatory and must be purchased by your sponsor (c’est une exigence des autorités américaines). It is impossible to subtract the insurance fee of the total fee, even if you are insured by a private organization . Sachez que les assurances privées et/ou mutuelles françaises ne sont pas forcément reconnues par le système de santé américain, You therefore need to pay the fees and then ask for refund. You will then most likely refunded on the basis of French fees, as you probably know, U.S. medical fees are very high.
Do I have to pass an English test or an oral selection ?Yes, un entretien téléphonique rapide en anglais qui nous permet de juger votre motivation. Le TOEFL est demandé, à défaut on vous demandera de passer un petit test gratuit via un site Internet.
We consider that if an employer has agreed to take you on probation, c’est qu’il connait votre parcours, votre niveau d’anglais, your resume and has already judged your motivation. Therefore, nous n’avons aucune raison de nous opposer à votre départ sauf si votre niveau d’anglais est jugé trop faible. Il faut que vous soyez capable de comprendre les questions, vous exprimer suffisamment pour être compris et puissiez expliquer votre stage.
Is the visit to the company mandatory ?Yes, if it has less than 25 employees and a turnover of less than 3 million. Dans tous les autres cas, it is not mandatory .Learn more about the visit of the American company.
Can I extend my visa's time limit ?Yes, provided that the total duration of the internship will not exceed the maximum permitted (4 months in Work & Travel, 12 month in Intern, 18 month in and Trainee).
This extension is not free. La demande doit être déposée auprès du sponsor entre 30 and 60 jours avant la fin initialement prévue de votre programme. For example, si votre programme doit prendre fin le 30 June, vous devez déposer votre demande d’extension entre 1er et le 30 never.
Sachez que vous pouvez aussi arriver et rester aux États-Unis pendant 30 jours supplémentaires à compter avant/après les dates indiquées sur le DS-2019, as a tourist.
Before you leave
I already had a J-1 visa, can I ask for another ?Yes, but only under conditions.
If the first J-1 visa category was Work & Travel, There is no time limit between two visa applications, but you must return to your country of origin to do the second request.
Si vous souhaitez demander un visa Intern et que le premier visa J-1 était en catégorie Intern, you must justify an additional semester of study or work experience, between the two internships in the USA, prior to applying for the second visa. Il est recommandé de ne pas demander un second visa avec le même employeur.
Si vous souhaitez demander un visa Trainee et que le premier visa J-1 était en catégorie Intern ou and Trainee, you must justify two additional years of professional experience, between the two internships in the USA, before asking for a new visa.
Can I arrive before the start date of my visa ?Yes, up to 30 days before, but we advise you to not use this to the maximum. If you wish to arrive before you move in, we advice you to arrive around 15 days before the start date of your visa.
Can I bring(e) my husband(or wife), and my children ?Yes, you must apply for a J-2 visa, specifically destined to people accompanying a candidate who is applying for a J-1 visa.
The J-2 visa does not allow its possessors to work on U.S. territory. The application of J-2 visa must be made with the same sponsor organization who supported the request your J-1 visa.
En mai 2014, seuls les couples mariés peuvent faire une demande de visa J-2. Pour l’instant, l’union civile ou PACS, n’est pas reconnu dans le cadre de cette demande de visa.
Once there
Can I have a second job to financially complete my internship ?No, this is absolutely prohibited. The J-1 visa is valid for one employer only. No other employer can make you an employment contract.
Can I temporarily leave the United States during my stay ?Yes, but only if you have got your DS-2019 form signed by your’sponsor organization before you leave for another country . If your DS-2019 is not signed by the sponsor, it will be impossible to re-enter the U.S. territory being covered by your J-1 visa. Nous vous conseillons de vous charger de cette formalité deux semaines avant votre départ.Les participants qui se trouvent dans la région de New York peuvent se rendre au bureau d’InterExchange, sur rendez-vous, pour effectuer cette démarche.
Can I stay in the United States after the expiration date of my visa ?Yes, but you must leave the U.S. territory 30 days after the date your visa expires.
Can I definitely leave the U.S. before the expiration of my visa arrives ?No, you have originally signed an agreement with a company for a specified period. You will have to fulfill this agreement.
Vous êtes actuellement participant America Welcome / InterExchange
What should I do when I arrive ?Vous devez contacter le sponsor dans les 10 jours suivants votre arrivée afin d’activer votre enregistrement SEVIS. Vous pouvez le contacter par téléphone ou mail. On vous demandera votre adresse et un numéro où vous joindre.Si cette procédure n’est pas faite (malgré les relances que vous recevrez par mail et/ou téléphone), votre SEVIS sera annulé, donc votre visa invalidé. Il est possible de le ré-activer mais ce n’est pas une obligation et c’est payant.
Tout changement (adresse, téléphone, among others) qui a lieu pendant le stage doit être signifié au sponsor afin de mettre à jour la base SEVIS. C’est obligatoire sous 10 jours du changement.
Le sponsor vous contactera tous les trois mois pour les mêmes raisons.
How do I get my social security number ?You can get your social security number by going to the office which is closest to you, a few days after the first check-in. For more information, you can ask your employer and handbook will tell you what to do.
What documents do I always need to have in my possession ?– Your passport, with your J-1 visa pasted inside.
– Your DS-2019 form because without it, the J-1 visa is not valid.
– The I-94 form, stapled into your passport by the immigration officer on your arrival.
– Your insurance card.
What to do if I loose my DS-2019 form ?You should immediately contact the sponsor organization .
The reissue of the DS-2019 will cost $50, plus eventual shipping charges.
Without this document, you are not legally entitled to work in U.S. territory. We recommend that you make a photocopy in order to avoid any problems.
What to do if I lose my passport ?Contact the’nearest French Embassy or Consulate as quickly as possible, to obtain a new passport as quickly as possible. A photocopy of your passport will make this task much easier , remember to keep a separate photocopy of such documents.
My work experience is going very well, the company wishes to keep me longer, what should I do?First of all, check that the total extension time will not exceed the total authorized amount (12 months in Intern, 18 month in and Trainee, 12 month in and Trainee Hospitality/Restoration). Then, contact the sponsor a month before the end of the first period of time if possible so that they can explain to you about the new documents to fill and the fees. The document will be a new DS-7002 justifying the following of your mission and fees vary depending on the number of additional months you wish to stay.
My work experience is not going well, Can I change employers ?Normally, no.
However, if your employer agrees to let you go and if you provide proof that your work experience is not going well, you will have 30 days to find a new employer, to make them complete all the necessary documents and to ask the sponsor to visit if necessary . If such a case arises, contact your sponsor as quickly as possible.
Ni InterExchange, Intrax et America Welcome ne pourront vous aider à trouver un nouvel employeur.
I just got fired , what should I do ?Contact the sponsor immediately.
