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| Welcome to Experience
America! |
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If you are a foreign national interested in
getting on-the-job training in a U.S. company, you've come to
the right page.
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To the United States |
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Experience
America specializes in arranging on-the-job training and
internship opportunities with companies in the San Francisco
Bay Area. Unlike other internship and training programs which
offer limited services, we provide the most important one - a
real placement with a company in advance of your arrival!
We take the hassle out of finding a training position
and housing by taking care of everything for you so that you
can concentrate on other things, like your schooling or job.
Experience America provides you with the opportunity
to explore and build upon your career by setting you up in a
meaningful, practical training program or internship with a
U.S. company or organization. We offer you the chance to learn
new skills and technologies, build relationships with
Americans, become immersed in the culture and language, and
gain the confidence that comes from taking risks. Our program
gives you the opportunity to broaden your professional and
personal experience, making you more attractive and qualified
to future employers.
Experience America offers you two
ways to enjoy the benefits of being a trainee in America: the
Personalized Training Program and the Self-Arranged Training
Program.
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| The Personalized
Training Program |
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Program Dates: Year round
Duration: 2 -
18 months
Eligibility: Foreign nationals age 18-30
with excellent English proficiency. See trainee eligibility
requirements below for more detail.
Visa Requirement:
F-1 or J-1
Application Deadline: 8-12 weeks prior to
your requested start date.
Compensation: Unpaid
The Personalized Training Program is for foreign
nationals who require the placement and/or visa application
services of Experience America in coordinating a
training/internship program wih a company in the U.S. This is
our main activity at Experience America, so you can be assured
that you are getting quality service and personal attention.
Each training opportunity is arranged directly with a company
based on your academic background, work experience and English
language ability. All training positions are non-paid.
Unlike other web sites that direct you to dozens of
training and internship positions, many of which are already
filled or obsolete, we start fresh with each new application.
First, we research the industry and training you desire;
secondly, we contact companies on your behalf; and finally we
meet personally with the host company once an offer of
training is made. By the time you arrive, you can be assured
that we have done our homework and are confident you will get
off to a good start.
The rest is up to you - to make
your training experience a success. You must be prepared to
show initiative, remain flexible, communicate clearly, be
professional, and above all, keep a positive attitude. Host
companies are offering you an opportunity to develop new
skills and gain new knowledge, and to take this learning home
on your resume.
You can apply to Experience America
year round, either through overseas partner organizations,
English language schools, or directly via this web site. Once
you submit the Intent to Apply
form, we will either contact you through our overseas
partner or e-mail (or mail) you an application packet,
including more detailed information about our program costs
and policies.
The Personalized Training Program
includes:
- Placement with a company in the
San Francisco Bay Area (California);
- Form DS-2019
for applicants applying for J-1 visa;
- Assistance in
developing a detailed training plan and syllabus;
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Housing arrangements in a residence club or host family;
- Pre-arrival orientation material;
- Arrival
orientation packet;
- Airport pick-up and return;
- Escort on the first day of work;
- 24-hour
emergency contact support;
- Assistance in obtaining
health insurance;
- Support from a local Placement
Coordinator;
- Certificate of Completion.
The Personalized Training Program does not
include:
- Airfare;
- Accommodation
costs;
- Health Insurance;
- Commuting
Expenses;
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| The Self-Arranged
Training Program |
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Program Dates: Year round
Duration: 2 -
18 months
Eligibility: Foreign nationals age 18-30
with excellent English proficiency. See trainee eligibility
requirements below for more detail.
Visa Requirement:
F-1 or J-1
Application Deadline: 6-8 weeks prior to
your requested start date.
Compensation: Negotiated
directly with the company by the applicant.
This
program is for foreign nationals who have independently
arranged a paid or unpaid training/internship position with a
U.S. company, but who require additional placement and visa
application assistance. You can simply apply on-line (Intent to Apply
form) to Experience America and provide us with the
information on your host company.
The
Self-Arranged Training Program includes:
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Form DS-2019 for applicants applying for J-1 visa;
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Assistance in developing training plan;
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Communications management with host company;
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Logistical support;
- Pre-arrival orientation
material;
- 24-hour emergency contact support;
- Assistance in obtaining health insurance;
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Certificate of Completion.
If training is located
in the San Francisco Bay Area, the following services are also
provided:
- Arrival orientation packet;
-
Airport pick-up and return;
- Escort on the first day
of work;
- Support from a local Placement Coordinator.
The Self-Arranged Training Program does not
include:
- Airfare;
- Accommodation;
- Health Insurance;
- Commuting Expenses;
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| Trainee Eligibility
Requirements |
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These requirements apply to both the
Personalized Training Program and the Self-Arranged Training
Program.
- All applicants must be at least 18 years
old.
- Applicants must be non-U.S. citizens.
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All applicants must be proficient in reading, writing and
speaking English (recommended level would be equivalent to a
score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language -
TOEFL.)
- Applicants must be either a full-time
student, or a career professional.
- Applicants must
possess two years of education or experience in the field in
which they desire a training position.
- Experience
America cannot sponsor persons in on-the-job training in
performing arts, flight training, education, or areas which
involve patient contact.
- A current passport with a
validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's
intended period of stay in the United States.
Special
note: Individuals applying for a J-1 visa at a U.S. Embassy or
Consulate must demonstrate their intention to return to their
home country at the end of training training program. Some
things that help to show this include: letter of support from
a current employer; offer of employment from a local employer
after the training is completed; evidence of training
requirements by a university or business school; ownership of
property or other assets in your home country.
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| Trainee
Responsibilities |
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Trainee's are expected to:
- Adhere to
all J-1 regulations, immigration laws, and local, state and
federal laws while in the U.S.;
- Adhere to all
company policies and procedures regarding hours, dress code,
behavior, sick leave, and work ethics;
- Complete the
training period agreed to on the Training Plan;
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Complete mid-point and final evaluations;
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Communicate with immediate supervisor first for all
program-related questions or concerns, then contact Experience
America;
- Show initiative and flexibility. Be
professional at all times. Keep your expectations realistic
and reasonable;
- Return to home country within 30
days at the conclusion of the program.
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| Occupational
Categories |
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Experience America can place you in the
following occupational fields:
- Information Media and
Communications
- Management, Business, Commerce, and
Finance
- The Sciences, Engineering, Architecture,
Mathematics, and Industrial Occupations
- Public
Administration and Law
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| Visa Procedures
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Form DS-2019
Upon placement in a
training program and receipt of full payment, you will be
issued Form DS-2019. This Form DS-2019 is a "Certificate of
Eligibility for Exchange Visitor J-1 Status" from the U.S.
government, and allows you to apply for a J-1 Exchange Visitor
Visa. Form DS-2019 officially identifies your program sponsor,
describes the purpose of the program, and lists the exact
period during which you are allowed to conduct your training
program.
Experience America has applied to the U.S.
Department of State for a J-1 Trainee designation which will
allow us to issue Form DS-2019 to our program participants.
Until our designation is approved, Experience America works
closely with other designated organizations to obtain Form
DS-2019 on your behalf. We process all the paperwork for you.
You are responsible to pay the visa application fee set by the
other organizations.
J-1 Visa
When you
apply for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa, you will present Form
DS-2019 at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country,
along with your passport, application form and application
fee. The J-1 Visa will be placed in your passport with the
program number of the designated organization marked on it.
The J-1 Visa, along with the pink copy of Form DS-2019, allow
you entry to the U.S. as an exchange visitor program
participant. (Don't forget to bring the pink copy of Form
DS-2019 with you to the U.S. If you forget to bring the pink
copy with you, U.S. Immigration will require that you go to
the nearest INS office to file a report.)
Required
Documentation
Take the following items to your
local U.S. Embassy or Consulate to apply for a J-1 Exchange
Visitor Visa:
Non-refundable application fee of $65
USD.
A completed and signed Form DS-2019.
Form
DS-156 completed and signed.
Form DS-157 for male
applicants only. The DS-157 is used in conjunction with the
DS-156 to determine visa classification and eligibility.
A current passport with a validity date at least six
months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the
United States.
One photograph: 1 and 1/2 inches square
(37x37mm), showing full face, without head covering, against a
light background.
Other Documentation
Applicants must demonstrate to the consular officer
that they have binding ties to their home country which they
have no intention of abandoning, and that they are coming to
the United States for a temporary period. It is impossible to
specify the exact form the evidence should take since
applicants' circumstances vary greatly.
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