J-1 Academic Training may be granted upon completion of your program at UMF.

 United State Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations require that Academic Training:

  • Must be done with a specific employer or training site, and
  • Be directly related to the major field of study listed on the Form DS-2019.
  • Be no longer than the length of your full-time student J-1 program.

Note that USCIS created Academic Training so that students may participate in off-campus training programs in their field of study. Academic Training is NOT to be used for the primary purpose of facilitating employment.

Eligibility for Academic Training

To be eligible for Academic Training, you must:

  • be a student in good academic standing with valid J-1 status
  • have a valid passport and current DS-2019
  • have a written offer for academic training from an employer (paid or unpaid)

Acceptable Types of Academic Training Employment

All work done during Academic Training must be directly related to the student’s field of study, and it must be commensurate with their level of education. The following list describes acceptable forms of employment under AT:

  • Full or part time employment
  • Paid employment
  • Unpaid employment. You may work as a volunteer or unpaid intern, where this practice does not violate any labor laws.
  • Multiple simultaneous employers. You may work for more than one employer, but ALL employment must be related to your major field of study and degree program, and you must receive authorization from the UMF Assistant Director of Global Education for each employer.
  • Multiple consecutive employers. As a reminder, you can change employers, but you cannot begin new employment until you submit an evaluation for the first employer and submit a new application for AT to the UMF Assistant Director of Global Education.
  • Self-Employment is not permitted on AT, as it requires a training plan and supervision.

Applying for Academic Training

  1. First, make an appointment with the Assistant Director of Global Education to discuss your plan for Academic Training.
  2. Complete the Academic Training application. You must obtain all signatures and other requested information, including completion of Part II by your Faculty Supervisor/Advisor.
  3. Obtain an Academic Training Offer (employment) Letter from the prospective employer that includes:
  • The name and address of the site for the academic training,
  • A description of the proposed academic training, including job title,
  • The exact beginning and ending dates of academic training and number of hours per week (up to 40 hours during summer/breaks; up to 20 hours during academic semesters).
  • Rate of pay (if applicable)
  1. Submit the following to the Office of Global Education no later than four (4) weeks before the program end date on your DS-2019 and the start date of your proposed training.
  • Completed Academic Training Application
  • Letter from your Faculty Supervisor
  • Employer’s Academic Training Offer (employment) Letter

The Assistant Director/SEVIS Responsible Officer will then determine if your request complies with the immigration regulations related to Academic Training.  If approved, the Assistant Director will authorize the Academic Training and issue your new DS-2019.

Important Information about Academic Training

  • Authorization: Academic training is authorized only for the time period and employer named on your DS-2019.
  • Registration: If you will receive academic credit for your training you must be registered for the appropriate course during the period you are authorized for academic training.
  • Academic Training Eligibility: The government places a limit on the length of time you may participate in appropriate, authorized Academic Training. Exchange students may be eligible for the AT based on the number of months that they participated as a full time student.
  • I-9: For paid training, you and your employer will complete an Employment Eligibility Verification form (I-9), which the employer keeps.  You must show that Academic Training was authorized on your DS-2019 and will need a Social Security Number (SSN). (See the Assistant Director of International and Exchange Programs for information about obtaining a SSN.)
  • Taxes: For paid training, you likely will need to pay federal and state taxes on your income. For more information, look up online (1) IRS Publication 519: U.S Tax Guide for Aliens and (2) IRS Publication 901: U.S Tax Treaties.

J-1 Academic Training (AT) Completion Evaluation

“The sponsor must evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the academic training in achieving the stated goals and objectives in order to ensure the quality of the academic training program.” [22 CFR 62.23(f)(6)]

Upon completion of employment on Academic Training, you must submit the J-1 Academic Training (AT) Evaluation Reporting Form