J1 Visa Program

Thanks to its connection with FACC New York, FACC New England can help its corporate members (Senior Corporate level or higher) enjoy the great benefit of hosting an international trainee or intern. The FACC network offers three J-1 visa programs: Student, Young Professional and VIE (Volontaires Internationaux en Entreprise). Please note that as of January 1, 2010, all companies participating in this program must be a Senior Corporate or Benefactor Member.

The FACC New York is authorized by the U.S. State Department to sponsor eligible trainees on a J-1 visa hosted by a company member of a FACC local chapter. With this document, a foreign candidate with the offer of a training program from a company in the United States may apply for J-1 visa at the U.S. embassy in Paris. The J-1 visa allows participants in our program come to the United States for up to 18 months for full-time, paid, practical training at an eligible FACCNE member company.

"I first used the FACC ICDP program last summer to hire a French intern with a Ph.D in biology. Priscilla received her convocation to the US Embassy in Paris only 12 days after her file was submitted to the FACC. The dedicated team of J1-visa experts in New York made the entire procedure easy and cost-competitive. Furthermore, our HR manager was put in contact with a professional and friendly correspondent who gave us pertinent advice. I will definitely use the service again, and I would recommend FACCNE to companies of any size that host foreign interns and trainees."

Frederic Chereau
CEO, Pervasis Therapeutics
Cambridge, MA

In order to be eligible for a J-1 visa through the FACC program, the candidate must:

• Be a from a foreign country (non US). For the VIE program he/she must be from a European Union member country.
• Speak English well enough to participate in a training program in the United States.
• Be 18 to 35 years of age (18 to 28 years of age for the VIE program).
• Have received an offer to receive training from an eligible host company that corresponds with his/her studies.
• Have medical insurance coverage for the entire duration of the training per U.S. law.
For more information about the procedures, please click here.

In order to welcome an international trainee or intern through the FACC program, the host company in New England must

• Be a member (Senior Corporate level or higher) of the local FACC chapter in the United States : French-American Chamber of Commerce, New England Chapter
• Be a part of the business sector; i.e., schools, churches, hospitals and government institutions are not eligible.
• Have sufficient structure to provide proper supervision for the trainee.
• Provide a stipend to the trainee at least equivalent to U.S. minimum wage.
• Develop an eligible training plan and ensure that it is carried out by the trainee during his stay in the U.S.
• Ensure that the trainee is participating in the training program on a full-time basis; at least 35 hours per week.
• Demonstrate the ability to provide the trainee with an American experience in the workplace and through cultural activities.

For more information, please visit FACC New York.

The FACCNE can also help you find interns. Do not hesitate to contact us and please explore our pages for employers under the Employment menu.