Site visits are designed to ensure each host company meets the basic hosting requirements as defined by the U.S. Department of State. Prior to this visit, you must provide your Cultural Vistas representative with a copy of your workers’ compensation policy. During the meeting, you will be asked to provide your company’s marketing materials. You should also be prepared to give a quick tour of your company, including the intern’s workspace, and answer any additional questions related to the training program.

Yes, your intern may enter the United States up to 30 days before the official start date. However, the intern must wait until the official start date listed on the DS-2019 form before beginning his/her internship.

Yes, your intern may stay in the U.S. up to 30 days after the official end date. The intern is not allowed to continue the internship during this 30-day grace period.

Your intern is allowed to travel within the United States during the grace period. However, if the intern travels outside of the United States during the grace period, they cannot re-enter the United States on the J-1 Visa. Although it may be possible for them to re-enter the United States on a tourist visa, they must check the tourist visa requirements for their home country.

Cultural Vistas encourages all incoming interns to view our orientation webinar, which will be sent to them during the J-1 visa application process. Orientations provide interns with important information about J-1 Visa requirements, Social Security Number applications, taxes, health insurance, driver’s license applications, and cultural adjustment.

Yes, Cultural Vistas will ensure that your intern is enrolled in a health insurance policy prior to arrival in the U.S. Please contact your Cultural Vistas representative to receive more information on the policy.

J-1 interns should send their U.S. residential address and U.S. cell phone number to an IAESTE United States representative upon entering the country. IAESTE United States will enter the information in SEVIS and will send instructions on how to apply for a Social Security Number.

Note: If you require that the interns have an Social Security Number before they begin their internship, then you should strongly encourage them to arrive in the United States at least two to three weeks before the internship start date. J-1 Visa holders may arrive in the U.S. up to 30 days before the official internship start date on their visa documents, and they may use this time to apply for the SSN.

Please refer to SSA’s “Employer Responsibilities When Hiring Foreign Workers” for more information. www.ssa.gov/employer/hiring.htm

Yes. Once your intern has applied for a Social Security Number, he/she will receive a receipt showing proof of application. With this, you can file Form W-4 and enter “Applied for” in the box asking for a Social Security Number. Once your intern receives a Social Security Number, you can file the number through Form W-2C, Corrected Wage and Tax Statement.

All J-1 interns are subject to the following taxes:

• Federal income tax
• State and City income taxes

They do not pay:

• Social Security and Medicare (FICA)
• Federal Unemployment (FUTA)

To claim FICA and FUTA exemptions, attach a written statement to Form 940 and Form 941 stating that those holding a J-1 Visa are not subject to FICA and FUTA taxes. There are no other forms to complete. Additional information is available in Publication 515 on the IRS website (“Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens…” Be sure to search for “J-1” within the document.)

Yes. You must inform your Cultural Vistas representative prior to changes taking effect. We will then process the amendment to Form DS-2019 as well as the Training Plan, and send the updated documents to your intern.

Exchange visitors can only train until the end date listed on their DS-2019 form and training plan. If you would like your exchange visitor to train for a longer period of time, you must apply for an extension. Please first contact Cultural Vistas to make sure that your exchange visitor is eligible for an extension. If an extension is possible, you will need to submit the following in order for the extension to be processed:

• Training Plan (DS-7002) that covers the extension dates. The content of the second Training Plan must be different from the first in order to show that a progression of skills will be acquired during the additional time period.
• Midterm Evaluation filled out and signed by Intern and Supervisor.
• Brief letter (one paragraph) on company letterhead from Supervisor that explains the reason for the extension.
• Insurance to cover additional time in the U.S.

You must immediately notify your Cultural Vistas representative and give the reason for the early departure. We will then make updates to the relevant documents and databases. You will then need to submit a final evaluation form for the intern.

You will need to submit a newly signed Training/Internship Placement Plan (Form DS-7002) reflecting this change to your Cultural Vistas representative for approval. We will then process the amendment to Form DS-2019 and send the updated documents to your intern.

Please inform your Cultural Vistas representative as soon as possible if the supervisor changes during the internship program. We will need an amended Training Plan cover page with the new supervisor’s information listed and his/ her signatures under “supervisor’s signature.” The intern can sign at then. Once we receive the fully executed form, we will ship it to your intern’s preferred shipping address.

This is a part of the U.S. Department of State requirements and helps us maintain program quality and demonstrate the benefit of the Exchange Visitor Program. This will also serve as documentation that the program was completed in good standing.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is part of the government’s automated process for collecting, maintaining, and managing information about international foreign students, exchange visitors, and their dependents during their stay in the United States. Cultural Vistas must enter and update all information in SEVIS; neither host companies nor interns have access to the system. In order for your intern’s J-1 Visa program to be valid, Cultural Vistas must update their U.S. address in SEVIS. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement charges each J-1 intern a fee of US $180 to help support the system. All J-1 interns must pay this fee. To simplify this process, Cultural Vistas will collect this money at the time of application and pay it on the participant’s behalf.