Student Intern Eligibility

ECU Internship Requirements

The internship must:

• Fulfill the educational objectives for the participant’s current degree program at their home institution.
• Expose participant(s) to American techniques, methodologies, and technology, and expand upon the participants’ 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.
• Consists of a minimum of 32 hours per week.
• The Student Intern must have an ECU mentor for the duration of their stay.
• Health insurance coverage that meets the federal guidelines is mandatory for all J-1 exchange visitors. Visit the Health Insurance requirements page for more information.

Internship Restrictions

The internship must not:

• Place a Student Intern in an unskilled or casual labor position, in a position that requires or involves childcare or elder care, a position in the field of aviation.
• Place a Student Intern in clinical positions engaging in any work that involves patient (human or animal) care or contact, including any job that would require student interns to provide therapy, medication, or other clinical or medical care (e.g. 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

• Must be currently enrolled in and pursuing a degree at an accredited post-secondary academic institution outside the U.S.
• Have verifiable English language skills sufficient to participate in their program and to function on a day-to-day basis.
  • Acceptable proof of English proficiency:
    • Duolingo English Test minimum score of 105
    • IELTS minimum score of 6.0
    • TOEFL minimum score of 71
  • Exceptions can be made for Student Interns from a native English-speaking country.
  • The Office of Global Affairs no longer accepts ECU mentor interviews as of January 1, 2025
• Be primarily in the U.S. 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 their home institution outside the U.S.
• 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 any dependents for their entire stay in the U.S., including housing and living expenses. The minimum amounts required are:

Anticipated Pre-Arrival Timeline

The timeline for individual Student Interns varies; however, the process should start at least three (3) months (90 days) before an intended start date. Countries vary in their timeline for visa interview appointments. Current wait times for Exchange Visitor visa interview appointments at individual U.S. embassies can be viewed on the U.S. Department of State website.