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Cornell University

International Services

Office of Global Learning

J-1 Intern Program

  • Inviting Visitors and Interns

The J-1 student intern program allows international students who are currently pursuing an undergraduate degree outside the United States to receive hands-on experience in their chosen field in an internship not to exceed 12 months. Interested applicants must identify a Cornell academic department willing to host the internship and a faculty member willing to act as the primary internship supervisor.

Eligibility

  • Prospective J-1 student interns must currently be enrolled in undergraduate (bachelor's/baccalaureate) studies at a degree- or certificate-granting postsecondary academic institution outside the United States.
  • The internship must fulfill the educational objectives of the prospective J-1 intern’s current undergraduate degree program. It must also expand upon the intern’s existing knowledge and skills and not duplicate prior experience.

J-1 Intern Process 

We will assist departments and interns in producing the DS-2019 and DS-7002 documents required for an intern’s visa application and admittance to the United States. Prospective interns and outside organizations supporting interns must work directly with Cornell faculty and hosting departments to complete the necessary forms. The J-1 Student Intern Application can only be initiated by the inviting department.

  1. Identify Mentor
  2. Initiate Request
  3. Pay Fee
  4. Submit Forms
  5. Receive Forms
  6. Apply for Visa
  7. Arrival
  8. Evaluate

1 Identify intern and faculty mentor.

Prospective intern identifies Cornell department and faculty member willing to host the internship. In coordination with the prospective intern, the supervisor develops a training plan for the internship.

2 Initiate J-1 intern request.

Department HR representative or authorized contact initiates J-1 intern request in myStatus. Access to the form requires pre-approval. Please contact us to request authorization.

3 Pay student intern fee.

Hosting department or prospective student intern pay the $600 fee to International Services. 

4 Submit required forms.

Both the host department and the prospective J-1 intern complete and submit digital J-1 intern application in myStatus. 

5 Receive DS-2019 and DS-7002.

International Services processes DS-2019 and DS-7002 forms and sends them to the inviting department. The faculty supervisor reviews and signs DS-7002, and the department sends both forms to the student intern. 

6 Apply for J-1 visa.

Student intern applies for J-1 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

7 Arrive and activate status.

After receiving the visa, the J-1 student intern travels to the United States, checks in with their Cornell department, and submits the required J-1 Status Activation form in myStatus.

8 Submit evaluation.

After completion of internship, the intern and faculty mentor submit evaluation to International Services. For internships lasting longer than six months, a midterm evaluation is also required.

Faculty and Department Responsibilities

Internship Plan

A J-1 Student Intern Placement/Training Plan (DS-7002) must be developed for the student. International Services will produce this form based on information provided by the department during the application process. At least three to five detailed sentences must be provided for each section of the training plan.

Intern Program Fee

Before a student’s DS-7002 and DS-2019 paperwork can be created, a $600 intern program fee (NetID login required to access) must be paid via Flywire, either via department charge or by the intern.

Financial Support

Financial support for the intern must be verified for the entire length of the stay. The minimum amount of financial support for an intern is $2,400 per month (Ithaca campus) and $3,000 per month (Cornell Tech campus). The internship may be paid or unpaid. If the department decides to pay an intern a salary or stipend, then approval is required from the student's home institution academic dean or advisor. The amount of financial support should be noted in the letter of invitation. If the internship will be unpaid, then the intern must submit evidence of financial support in the form of a bank statement or a sponsor letter that is no more than six months old.

Health Insurance

J-1 regulations require that all J-1 exchange visitors have a minimum level of health insurance for the duration of their stay in the United States. Interns may purchase any plan that provides the minimum level of coverage.

Language Proficiency

The department is responsible for confirming that the intern demonstrates English language proficiency upon being selected to participate in the J-1 intern program.

Cornell Appointment and Mentoring Support

Cornell policy requires that interns be given a paid or unpaid Cornell appointment. Interns must receive faculty supervision, mentorship, and other assistance.

Evaluation

U.S. Department of State regulations require a program evaluation for each J-1 student intern at the end of the internship. Internships that last longer than six months also require at least one additional evaluation midway through the program. Program Evaluations are initiated by the J-1 Student Intern and submitted through our MyStatus portal.

Important: Compliance is mandatory. Faculty hosts who fail to complete the mandatory evaluation within 30 days of an intern's end date will be prohibited from hosting new J-1 student interns until they have submitted overdue reports. Additionally, departments will be prohibited from hosting new J-1 student interns if any faculty members are more than 60 days overdue in the submission of a J-1 student intern evaluation.