International Student Interns

The Purpose of the Exchange Visitor Program

The purpose of the Program is to provide foreign nationals with opportunities to participate in educational and cultural programs in the United States and return home to share their experiences, and to encourage Americans to participate in educational and cultural programs in other countries. Exchange Visitors enter the United States on a J visa.

The information below follows the federal requirements for managing the Exchange Visitor Program at ECU as outlined in the eCFR, Title 22, Chapter I, Subpart G, Part 62.

Internship Requirements

The internship must:

• Fulfill the educational objectives for the participant’s current degree program at the home institution.
• Expose participants to American techniques, methodologies, and technology and expands upon the participant’s existing knowledge and skills. A program must not duplicate the student intern’s prior experience.
• Be a minimum of 3 weeks and a maximum of 12 months.
• Consist of a minimum of 32 hours per week.
• Include the enrollment of students in GeoBlue International Health Insurance for Higher Education.

Internship Restrictions

The internship must not:

• Place a student intern in an unskilled or casual labor position, in a position that requires or involves child care or elder care, a position in the field of aviation.
• Place a student intern in clinical positions engaging in any kind of work that involves patient (human or animal) care or contact, including any work that would require student interns to provide therapy, medication, or other clinical or medical care (eg. sports or physical therapy, psychological counseling, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, social work, speech therapy, or early childhood education).
• Extend beyond 12 months.
• Require more than 20% clerical work.

Participant Eligibility

The participating intern…

• Must be currently enrolled in and pursuing a degree at an accredited post-secondary academic institution outside the United States.
• Have verifiable English language skills sufficient to participate in their program and to function on a day-to-day basis.
• Be primarily in the United States to engage in a student internship program rather than to engage in employment or provide services to an employer.
• Be in good academic standing at his or her home institution outside the United States.
• The student intern will return to the academic program and fulfill and obtain a degree from such academic institution after completion of the student internship program.
• Have sufficient finances to support themselves and their dependents for their entire stay in the United States, including housing and living expenses. The minimum amounts required are:

If you are ready to start the process to invite an International Student Intern, navigate to our Invite an Intern webpage for specific steps.