The process of obtaining a visa is the most important and the longest stage of the internship preparation. The process includes three parties:

•    The Sponsor (CIEE);
•    The Host Organization / Company
•    The Intern.

The hosting company involvement and cooperation with the intern play a vital role.

The simplified procedure consists of following stages:

1. Intern contacts a CIEE overseas representative – Almatur for application materials and submits the main part of application.
2. Intern receives login information to begin the creation of the online Training Plan DS-7002 and invites Host Company to fulfill it.

   The DS-7002
   Completing the DS-7002 is the key part of the process. We encourage hosting companies and participants to discuss their placement plans in detail to ensure a successful experience. The Sponsor’s (see Dictionary) trained and experienced staff is available to help!

   Once you have decided to host an Intern or Trainee, you will need to complete a DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan. The DS-7002 is a Department of State form and serves as the official outline of the proposed internship. You will complete the DS-7002 through CIEE’s online portal. Your applicant will share the URL to the online portal when the DS-7002 is ready for completion.

   The primary purpose of the DS-7002 is to demonstrate that the Intern/Trainee will be under continuous supervision throughout the course of his or her training, and will progress through various stages of development that are not duplicative of prior work experience. Sponsor will be looking to easily understand what your company does, and the nature of the experience you are offering to the applicant. Additionally, the DS-7002 serves as an agreement between the host organization and the Intern/Trainee about the kind of tasks and objectives that will be completed during the program. Finally, the DS-7002 also demonstrates the correlation between the training and the participant’s background.

   The DS-7002 will be reviewed by CIEE, as well as by a U.S. Consular Officer during the applicant’s mandatory visa interview. For this reason, it is essential that you take the time to carefully consider the training you intend to provide.

   Completing the DS-7002
   Before completing the DS-7002 through our online portal, which your Intern/Trainee will share with you please read instructions:
   Please click here to see an instructional version of the DS-7002.
   Please click here to see instructions for using the online DS-7002 portal.

   For questions about completing the online DS-7002, contact CIEE Customer Services at trainees@ciee.org or 1-888-369-1620.

   

3. Host Company and Intern agree on the content of the Training Plan. Both parties electronically sign the Training Plan.
4. Intern submits complete program application, including the online Training Plan, to Almatur. Intern or Almatur may contact you at this stage if they need additional information.
5. Almatur sends the complete application to CIEE headquarters for review. You may expect CIEE to contact you at this stage to confirm the details of the training.
6. CIEE approves the Application and issues the visa promise DS-2019 form  (While CIEE always looks to approve applications, CIEE will objectively review the application to ensure it meets the J-1 Intern/Trainee program regulations)
7. Applicant receives DS-2019 form from Almatur and schedules an interview for the J-1 Visa with their local U.S. Embassy/Consulate.
8. Applicant receives their J-1 visa and is ready to begin their training in the U.S.! (Because of the rigorous CIEE application process, careful vetting of training plans, and thorough preparation of our applicants, most applicants will be granted visas. However, CIEE has no control over the Embassy/Consulate’s decision to approve or deny an applicant’s visa application)

The whole procedure lasts from 2 to 3 months.

The visa application procedure can be executed in two ways:

1. The EEF working together with a Polish organization (Almatur) assists during the process of obtaining the visa. The organization (Almatur) cooperates on an on-going basis with one of the American organizations authorized to issue DS-2019 Form (the Sponsor), takes over contacts with the Sponsor, controls the correctness of the documents necessary to obtain the visa by the interns, regarding the content and the form, cooperates with the company concerning the part about the intern/trainee program preparation and contacts the consulate services.
2. The hosting company contacts the Sponsor directly and they execute the procedure together. It is a long process, therefore it requires prior preparations.

Interns with a Green Card or U.S. passport do not need to apply for a visa. The procedure prior to internship is simpler.