Train USA

A Cultural Vistas representative may visit your company or organization to ensure basic hosting requirements as defined by the U.S. Department of State are met. The site visit must be completed prior to issuing the DS-2019 and typically lasts no more than one hour. The need for a site visit will be assessed after receiving a completed application.  Visits are required when a company:

• Has fewer than 25 employees at the program site
  AND
• Generates annual revenue of less than $3 million

Host companies who have not hosted a successful program* with Cultural Vistas within three years prior to submitting a new program application will be subject to New Host Company on-boarding.

*The U.S. Department of State defines a successful training program as one in which the participant has submitted required evaluations to sponsoring organization. Programs of six months or less only require a final evaluation and programs longer than six months require both a midterm and final evaluations.

During site visits, prospective hosts are expected to provide a copy of their workers’ compensation policy, a quick tour that shows where the intern or trainee will be working, and to answer additional questions about the information submitted in the Training/Internship Placement Plan. Please note that academic and government institutions are usually exempt from the site visit requirement.

Host companies are expected to provide J-1 participants with meaningful training experiences that enhance their professional skills while providing insight into American business practices and culture. All companies must have a suitable workspace for the intern equipped with the necessary tools for the work involved and should also support and supervise the intern throughout the training program.

Eligible Internship & Traineeship Fields

• Arts and Culture
• Business, Management, Commerce, and Finance
• The Sciences, Mathematics, Architecture, and Industrial Occupations
• Information, Media, and Communications
• Public Administration and Law
• Education and Social Sciences
• Hospitality and Tourism

Fields Not Eligible for Intern or Trainee Sponsorship

• Positions involving more than 20% clerical activity
• Positions of unskilled labor
• Flight training
• Performing arts, including dance instructors
• Positions involving clinical or medical patient care or contact including dentistry, child/elder care, veterinary medicine, doctors, nurses, psychological therapy, cosmetology, sports or physical therapy, speech therapy or social work
• Programs in child care and sports coaching, this includes positions at pre-schools and daycare centers, and afterschool programs
• Programs in the field of carpentry, home electricians, or construction trades
• Programs at camps or residential facilities, economy hotels, bakeries, retail sites, auto body shops, home-based construction businesses or home offices
• Programs involving the use of staffing agencies or unauthorized recruiters

Host Company Eligibility Requirements

• The host must be an established business in operation for at least one year and provide their Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). Cultural Vistas may consider the number of staff, incorporation date, company history, current business activities, and financials in determining whether the host organization meets our requirements for sponsorship.
• A minimum of 5 full-time staff is required at the company and training site.
• Cultural Vistas requires a staff to participant ratio of 10-1 in most cases.
• The host must not use the intern/trainee program for ordinary employment or staffing and must not displace American workers with interns/trainees.
• The host must not intend to assist the participant in remaining in the United States beyond the authorized program dates or change status to another type of visa.
• The host must be able to prove they have a valid workers compensation insurance policy. If exempted by law from having insurance, proof of exemption must be submitted to Cultural Vistas.
• All participant applicants must be interviewed by either the US host or the sponsor. For the purposes of the J-1 Visa such interviews must be documented and be performed via web cam, video conference, phone, or in-person. Hosts will confirm these details in the Host Company Application.
• The host must offer a minimum of 32 hours per week to the participant.
• The host must provide continuous on-site supervision of participants and their program activities and provide feedback to facilitate the participant’s development.
• The host is expected to provide the participant with a “real life” experience in his or her career field as normally practiced in the United States including exposure to various aspects of the business or occupation and activities designed with the participant’s career level and interest in mind. Programs should be clearly defined and expectations, requirements, and activities specified in the training plan. Program elements should not be changed without approval from Cultural Vistas.
• The host must abide by all federal, state, and local labor and wage laws. This includes laws relating to withholding applicable taxes as appropriate. J-1 Visa trainees and interns do not pay FICA (Social Security/Medicare) and FUTA (Unemployment) and are required to obtain a Social Security Number in order to be paid wages. Participants should not be considered independent contractors and compensation cannot be based on tips.
• The host should provide or make available opportunities for the participant to learn about American culture through events in and outside the office.
• The host must ensure participants notify us of their arrival and complete all required evaluation forms.
• The host should provide orientation upon arrival to ensure the participant is prepared for participation in the program and clearly explain company rules, policies, and any benefits to which the participant is entitled.