Incoming Student Interns
International students enrolled in degree programs outside the United States seeking to participate in an internship at the University of Georgia may be sponsored for a J-1 visa for up to 12 months duration in the U.S.
Eligibility
The U.S. Department of State allows students who are enrolled in degree programs at home universities (in other countries) to be sponsored for an intern position, for up to 12 months’ duration, in the U.S. The internship may be with or without wages, however the student must provide evidence of personal or outside funding sufficient to cover all travel, health insurance, and living expenses, for the duration of the internship
Sponsorship Process
When a UGA department invites an international student-intern to campus, Immigration Services issues two documents- the DS-7002 Internship Training Plan and the form DS-2019, which authorizes the scholar to apply for the J-1 exchange visitor visa at a U.S. embassy. While at UGA, a student-intern may need to request a revised or updated DS-7002 and DS-2019 form, or a new form for accompanying dependents.
The inviting UGA department must initiate the sponsorship process. Contact your sponsoring department to see if they have begun the initial sponsorship process with our office.
Immigration Services has an online portal where departments and student-interns can submit requests for visa sponsorship. This portal is called Compass and can be accessed at compass.uga.edu .
Visa Sponsorship Timeframes
Processing times for J-1 initial processing with consular visa application: 1 to 3 months. Immigration Services Advisors will do their best to expedite every case. We appreciate your patience with delays beyond our control.
English Assessment
To ensure UGA’s compliance with United States Department of State regulations, English language proficiency for scholars seeking J-1 visas and whose applications are received on or after September 15, 2017, must be documented in one of the following three ways.
- Test Score
- Documentation from a Previous Institution
- Interview
Pre-Arrival
The information below may be helpful to student-intern while making plans to come to The University of Georgia.
Exchange Visitor Handbook
This guide seeks to inform UGA departments and scholars about the process for hosting international visitors from obtaining a visa to successfully concluding the program. We hope that you will not hesitate to contact us with any questions pertaining to international scholars at UGA and the information in this guide. For more comprehensive resources, please visit is.uga.edu.