J-1 Student Intern Program - International Center

J-1 Student Intern Program - International Center
Provost and Senior Vice President
Student Portal Access
Scholar Portal Access
International Center
For Departments
J-1 Scholars
J-1 Student Intern Program
J-1 Student Intern Program
The J-1 Student Intern program allows Tufts departments to host students attending overseas institutions for experiential learning and work-based internship opportunities at a Tufts. Internship arrangements may be a part of an exchange agreement or memorandum of understanding between Tufts and an overseas institution, or arranged on an individual basis. In all cases the decision to host a student intern must have both department and school Dean approval.
In order to qualify for the J-1 Student Intern program the following criteria must be met:
Participants must be currently enrolled and in good standing at an accredited postsecondary institution of higher education outside the US
Participants must be pursuing a degree at their home institution to which they intend to return following completion of the internship
The internship experience must be related to their degree and facilitate degree completion requirements
The internship experience must be a minimum of 3 weeks to a maximum of 12 months (one year)
Participants are not considered admitted Tufts students and are not permitted to pursue academic or degree opportunities at Tufts during their internship experience
Internship experiences may be paid or unpaid; the host department at Tufts may but is not required to offer wages, compensation or remuneration to support the student intern
Read below for more detailed information about the J-1 Student Internship Program eligibility conditions and requirements and instructions on how to initiate a J-1 Student Intern visa document request.
Please note that the International Center does not create or provide information about internship opportunities under this program.
Students interested in becoming J-1 student interns are responsible for contacting and working with host departments directly about internship opportunities, if any. Host departments are then responsible for contact the International Center to initiate the J-1 Student Intern visa process.
Student Internship Eligibility Conditions and Requirements
Student Intern Eligibility Requirements
The student must be currently enrolled and in good academic standing at an accredited post-secondary institution outside the US
The student must intend to return to that institution to complete their degree requirements following completion of the internship
The student must have sufficient financial resources to meet the estimated living expenses for their stay in the US
The student must have insurance coverage that meets
J-1 visa insurance requirements
while they are participating in the internship experience
The student may participate in a J-1 student internship for a maximum of 12 months, inclusive of any prior student intern experiences, for the same degree and major
Internship Features and Requirements
The internship must be full-time, i.e., at least 32 hours / week with no more than 20% clerical work
The internship must help the student to fulfill the educational objectives for their degree program to which they will return following completion of the internship
The internship must be a minimum of 3 weeks to a maximum of 12 months
The internship should consist of work-based learning rather than ordinary employment or unskilled labor
The internship should not be used to displace American workers
The internship experience should expose the student intern to American techniques, methodologies, and technology and expand upon the intern's existing knowledge and skills, rather than duplicating existing knowledge
The internship
CANNOT
place a student intern in any position that involves the following:
Unskilled or casual labor
Child care or elder care
Aviation
Clinical positions or similar work that involves patient care or contact
Any position that would bring the program into notoriety or disrepute
The internship cannot involve staffing or placement agencies
At this time, internship sites are restricted to Tufts University departments, offices, and units alone; placement at outside, third party sites is not permitted
Host Department Responsibilities
Obtain department chair and school Dean's approval to host a student intern for work-based academic learning experiences
Offer adequate supervision, facilities, and resources to provide the work-based learning experience for the student intern
Evaluate or secure documentation through one of the options below, verifying the student intern's English language ability to meet the day-to-day responsibilities of the internship
A videoconference interview by the department sponsor
A recognized English language test result (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, etc.)
A signed letter from an academic institution or English language institute verifying English language ability
Assist the student intern with completing a Form DS-7002 Training / Internship Placement Plan (T/IPP), and sign all department sections
Assist the student intern in gaining access to any necessary Tufts resources and facilities for which student intern access is authorized under University, school, and department policies and procedures
Direct the student intern to the International Center for orientation and immigration advising
Develop and carry out evaluation procedures to fulfill student intern evaluation requirements
A final evaluation is required for all student interns prior to the completion of the internship
A midpoint evaluation is required if the internship experience will last more than six months
Pay the $650 International Center processing fee (DeptID required)
Statement on Fees and Costs
The International Center processing fee is $650.00 and must be paid by the Tufts host department or sponsor
Host departments may not charge student interns directly as a condition of placement at a Tufts internship site or require student interns to pay the International Center processing fee
Student interns are directly responsible for all US government visa-related fees, including
I-901 SEVIS Fee
to be paid prior to the issuance of a J-1 visa (currently US $220)
DS-160 visa application fee (currently US $185)
Student interns are responsible for any other visa and travel costs relating to participation in the program, such as costs relating to passport application fees, reproduction of educational records, health insurance, immunizations, travel costs, housing, etc., unless the host department explicitly agrees to cover any or all of these costs
Host departments are responsible for the cost of providing adequate resources, facilities, and supervision to support the student intern in work-based learning experiences
Steps for Inviting a J-1 Student Intern
Preparatory Steps by Department / Student Intern
Preparatory Steps by Department
The host department should begin by preparing and collecting the following information:
Dean and Department approval of the student intern request
Verification of English language proficiency
The department must conduct a videoconference interview and submit a signed verification indicating the date and manner of the interview, the student intern's name and the person conducting the interview, and verifying that the student intern has adequate English language ability to carry out the day-to-day responsibilities of the internship as well as ordinary daily living tasks
Alternatively, the department may request that the student submit scores from a recognized test of English language proficiency (e.g., TOEFL exam) or a signed letter from an academic institution or English language institute verifying their English language ability
Collect the data for the DS-7002 Training and Internship Placement Plan
Use the
DS-7002 Intake Form
to gather the required information
The faculty supervisor of the student intern must complete all portions of the form
Department ID for International Center processing fee
Confirmation of Financial Resources provided by Tufts University
Upon gathering all of the required information, the Department must submit the New Student Intern Request through the J-1 Scholar Portal. Refer to the
Preparation Guide for New J-1 Student Intern Request
to complete the submission. Refer to the next section for information on using the J-1 Scholar Portal.
Preparatory Steps by Student Intern
The student intern must prepare the documentation listed below. Please refer them to our
J-1 Student Intern Program
page for more information on the process.
Proof of non-Tufts financial resources as applicable
Proof of health insurance for J-1 Exchange Visitors
Home University Enrollment Verification Letter
The letter must attest the student's expected graduation date
It must confirm that the student plans to return to their home institution to complete their degree program after the internship
Copy of Passport Identification page
Using the International Center Portal
Download the
J-1 Scholar Portal Guide
or review instructions below:
Log into the J-1 Scholar Portal
**Access to the International Center Portal is only available to department managers or administrators authorized by their respective units and schools to submit J-1 visa sponsorship on behalf of their hiring managers and faculty sponsors.
Send an email to
internationalcenter@tufts.edu
to request access to the Portal if you do not already have so.
Invite a New J-1 Student Intern
Upon accessing the portal, you will see a list of profiles of scholars hosted by your department.
Proceed to click on the
+Create
button to create a new profile and invite a scholar.
3. Select the
Visa Type
from the dropdown menu:
4. Select a
Request Form
from the dropdown menu
5. Proceed to complete the required fields and sections.
Once a complete request is submitted by the department, an automatic invitation will be sent to the invitee's e-mail address. The invited scholar will complete the remaining information necessary for International Center staff to produce J-1 visa documents.
Student Intern Evaluations Submission
Required Student Intern Evaluations
Department sponsors are required to complete a written evaluation of the student intern's performance.
For internships that are longer than six months, two evaluations are required: a midpoint evaluation of the first half of the internship experience, and a final evaluation. For internships lasting six months or less, only a final evaluation is required.
Departments may choose any format to evaluate student intern performance; for convenience, departments may also use this
J-1 Student Intern Evaluation Template
Evaluations should be completed before the end of the internship and must be presented to the student intern. Both the student intern and the department sponsor conducting the evaluation should sign the evaluations to confirm that the evaluation was conducted and presented to the student intern. The student intern may choose to offer comments in response to the evaluation.
An electronic copy of the completed and signed evaluation should be sent to the International Center at
internationalcenter@tufts.ed
u once the evaluation has been presented to the student intern.
Quick Links
Preparation Guide for New J-1 Student Intern Request
J-1 Student Intern Program