Academic Training for J-1 students is for temporary employment aimed at providing you with practical work experience directly related to your course of study. Academic Training can be for full or part-time employment and can be used during the course of study, or beginning no later than thirty (30) days after the completion of your course of study. J-1 students are immediately eligible for academic training. J-1 student must have an offer of employment before they can apply for Academic Training.

Duration

J-1 students are allowed up to 18 months of Academic Training. Graduate students who engage in postdoctoral research are allowed an additional 18 months of Academic Training.

The length of your academic program at Catholic University determines how much Academic Training for which you may be eligible.

Application Procedures

The application process is intended to be fairly simple:

• Obtain a written job offer from the employer for whom you wish to work. This job offer must be on company letterhead and contain the following information:
  • Job title and description of duties
  • Intended dates of employment (beginning and ending dates)
  • Number of hours of work per week
  • Rate of pay
  • Supervisors name
  • Name and address of the worksite
• Take the job offer to your academic advisor to discuss how this opportunity relates to your course of study - does it fit into the framework of existing courses (internship courses, thesis research, etc.)?
• Complete the student portion of the Academic Training Request Form, and have your academic advisor complete the second portion of the form.
• Drop off your completed application form to the office of International Student and Scholar Services or schedule an appointment to meet with one of the immigration advisors.
• The advisors at OIS will review your request. If your request for Academic Training is approved, they will update the Student Exchange Visitor Information System and generate a new DS-2019 indicating approval for this employment. You will be notified of the approval and if necessary asked to come back to ISSS to sign and pickup your new DS-2019.
• Employment can begin only after the student has been given permission and the employer has been informed.

For Academic training done after completion of the course of study, a student must apply to the RO no later than 30 days after the completion of studies, provided that the student's DS-2019 has not expired.