J1 student intern

Qualifications for the Student Intern Category

To be considered appropriate for the J-1 Student Intern category, the following criteria must be met:

  • The student intern must be currently enrolled in and pursuing a degree at an accredited postsecondary institution outside the United States;
  • The student intern must be in good academic standing at the home institution;
  • The University of Arkansas must have accepted the student intern into an internship program administered in and by a University department (not an outside employer or entity);
  • The internship must be full-time, that is, at least 32 hours per week, and may not exceed twelve months;
  • The internship must consist of work-based learning and not serve to fill a labor need;
  • The internship cannot involve any of the following:
    • unskilled or casual labor,
    • child care or elder care,
    • aviation, clinical positions or
    • engaging in any form of patient care or contact;
  • The internship must expose the student to American techniques, methodologies, and technology, and must not duplicate the student’s prior experiences;
  • A concluding evaluation (as well as a midpoint evaluation if internship exceeds six months), to be signed by the student intern and the immediate supervisor at the University of Arkansas, must be kept on record by ISS for three years following completion of the internship;
  • The proposed internship at the University of Arkansas must fulfill the educational objectives for the student intern’s current degree program at the home institution;
  • The student intern must have verifiable English language skills sufficient to function on a day to day basis in the internship environment at the University of Arkansas;
  • The student intern must have sufficient finances to support him/herself and any accompanying dependents for the entire internship period in the United States, including housing and living expenses;
  • The student intern must be in the United States primarily to engage in an internship program, rather than to engage in employment or provide services to an employer;
  • The student intern must return to the home institution after completion of the internship at the University of Arkansas and complete the degree program at the home institution outside the United States.

Student Intern Request Process

The process of inviting a J-1 non-immigrant student intern to the University of Arkansas must be coordinated by the hosting department at the university. Please review the following instructions carefully.  All the required preparatory steps should be completed and documentation submitted to International Students and Scholars (ISS) using issLink.  Prior to the issuance of visa documents to the prospective student intern, the following e-forms and uploaded documents must be received and processed by ISS: 

  • Department Contact Information
  • Program Information, which must be completed by the hosting department;
  • Student Intern Data, which provides information necessary to establish records in UAConnect and SEVIS (the Homeland Security database) for the intern;
  • Internship Objectives, which must be completed and signed by the host supervisor at the University of Arkansas;
  • Medical Insurance, through the duration of the internship, which meets U.S. Department of State minimum requirements
  • Financial Information, in amounts sufficient to meet all anticipated expenses for the duration of the internship, including funds for any dependents who may be accompanying the intern;
  • English Language Ability Information, which must be verified by the host supervisor at the University of Arkansas;
  • Culture Exchange, which must be completed by the Host supervisor at the University of Arkansas to verify the cultural experiences the Student Intern will have opportunity to experience during the internship;
  • Hosting Department Verification Form, which must be completed by the Host Supervisor at the University of Arkansas and signed by the Host Supervisor and the Head/Chair of the host department.
  • Home Institution Verification Form, which must be completed by the student intern’s Academic Dean or Academic Advisor at the home institution outside the United States;
  • Document uploads for:
  • Immigration and Identity Documents (copies of passport identity page and any prior U.S. visas/visa documents for student intern and any accompanying dependents);
  • Resume/CV for the intern, showing academic and professional experience, including names and dates of any academic degrees already completed and anticipated completion dates of any academic programs currently in progress.
  • Proof of financial support, showing adequate financial support for the entire internship period.

 

Information You Need To Complete The Request Forms

In order to complete all the information required of the hosting department, you will need the following items: 

  • Your department’s invitation letter to the prospective visitor.
  • Your prospective visitor’s full name (preferably from their passport).
  • Your prospective visitor’s date-of-birth.
  • Your prospective visitor’s email address.
  • The source and amount of your prospective visitor’s financial support/funding.
  • Proof of your prospective visitor’s English proficiency.
  • Faculty at the University of Arkansas wishing to host a J-1 exchange visitor in their department must verify an applicant’s English language proficiency through at least one of the following means:
    • A recognized English language test (i.e. TOEFL, IELTS, etc.)
    • Signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school
    • A documented interview conducted by the sponsor either in person or by videoconferencing, or by telephone if videoconferencing is not a viable option
    • If conducting an interview to assess English proficiency for a prospective J-1 exchange visitor, departments must complete an assessment report and submit the completed report to International Students and Scholars as part of the J-1 request (a minimum of two interviewers are required; each interviewer must complete an assessment sheet).