PAII – Abbreviation for the Polish-American Internship Initiative.

PAFF – Abbreviation for the Polish-American Freedom Foundation – Program Organizer.

EEF – Abbreviation for the Educational Enterprise Foundation – Program Manager.

The hosting company – Company offering internship(s).

I-94 card – the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)  arrival/departure record and will be electronically issued to the Interns when they enter the U.S. The form I-94 states the date when the intern must leave the country. I-94 is required in order to obtain the Social Security Number. If  a paper form is needed it can be printed from the I-94 website or CBP OneTM mobile app.

J-1 Visa, J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa – This document is issued by the U.S. Embassy in student’s home country, and will be inserted into student’s passport. Student’s passport and J-1 Visa are required for entry into the U.S. Additionally, student’s J-1 Visa will specify the number of times she/he is allowed to enter, or reenter, the U.S.

DS-2019 or „Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status” – This is the basic document used in the administration of the exchange visitor program. It identifies the exchange visitor and their designated Sponsor (definition below) and includes a brief description of the exchange visitor’s program, specifying the start and end date, category of exchange and an estimate of the cost of the exchange program. The certificate can be issued by a State Department-designated organization (the Sponsor) and is indispensable for an exchange visitor to seek an interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in order to obtain J-1 Visa.

The Sponsor – State Department – designated organization authorized to issue DS-2019 Form (Certificate of Eligibility for J-1 Visa). Sponsors screen and select prospective exchange visitors based on the criteria detailed in the governing regulations (22 CFR Part 62). The Sponsor therefore assist in the J-1 Visa application process. The organization also provides orientation materials for exchange visitors, health insurance and 24-hour emergency support for participants and hosting companies as well as program monitoring through evaluations. The hosting company can contact the Sponsor directly or the EEF and its Polish partner agency, Almatur which cooperates with the Sponsor on an on-going basis, controls the correctness of the documents necessary to obtain the visa by the interns and cooperates with the hosting company to prepare the internship program and contact the consulate services.

SEVIS – The abbreviation stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It is a computerized system used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to keep track of all exchange visitors and international students during their stay in the USA. It collects and maintains information on visitors’ home and work addresses as well as legal status on the student and exchange programs. Students must register for SEVIS no later than 10 days after the start date listed on their DS-2019 Form.

The DS -7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan– This document serves as the official outline of the proposed internship. It is completed by the hosting company and it has to demonstrate that the intern will be supervised by their mentor throughout the course of their training and will progress through various stages of development. The document proves that the hosting company and the intern agree on the tasks and objectives that will be completed during the program.