J-1 visa employer requirements start with a structured training program. To host an intern or trainee, your company needs to work with a designated sponsor, develop an approved training plan, provide qualified supervision, and have the resources to support the participant throughout the placement. The sponsor oversees the exchange program, while your company is responsible for delivering the training and meeting its host-employer obligations.
Global Internships is part of Intrax, an international cultural exchange organization and U.S. Department of State-designated J-1 sponsor. The team helps employers assess a proposed placement and complete the J-1 sponsorship process. For your team, the first step is to confirm the candidate’s eligibility and establish what they will learn during the program.
This guide covers the J-1 Intern and Trainee categories, which are governed by 22 CFR 62.22. Here, you’ll find what employers need to know about eligibility, the DS-7002 training plan, supervision, and their ongoing responsibilities.
What Are the J-1 Visa Employer Requirements?
For a J-1 intern or trainee placement, your company must:
- Work with a Department of State-designated sponsor
- Sign a completed DS-7002 (training plan)
- Provide qualified supervision and resources
- Follow the approved training plan
The program must be full-time, with at least 32 hours per week, and must help the participant develop skills without replacing U.S. workers or filling an ordinary labor need. The sponsor also screens your company before approving the placement (more on that shortly).
Your company provides the training, workplace, supervision, and required evaluations, and must follow the approved training plan. The designated sponsor reviews the placement and participant’s eligibility, issues the DS-2019, and oversees the exchange program’s compliance requirements.
J-1 Host Company Screening and Site Visits
Before a sponsor approves the placement, prepare the company information it needs to verify the host and learning environment. Under 22 CFR 62.22(g), this screening includes business details and a site visit when the applicable conditions are met.
- Provide company records: Share your Employer Identification Number, business activities, address, telephone number, and contact details. Have workers' compensation coverage, equivalent coverage, or evidence of a legal exemption ready for each state where the participant will train.
- Confirm whether a visit is required: A sponsor must visit a host that has not previously participated successfully in that sponsor's program and has either fewer than 25 employees or less than $3 million in annual revenue. The regulation excludes academic institutions and government offices from this particular requirement; other screening still applies. Your sponsor can confirm whether a visit is needed and how to arrange it.
- Show the learning environment: Explain who will supervise, what facilities and equipment are available, and how the participant will receive continuous guidance. Give the sponsor an accurate picture of what the placement will look like.
Third-Party Sponsor or Become Your Own J-1 Sponsor?
Most companies that want to host a J-1 intern or trainee do not need to become sponsors themselves. They can work with an existing Department of State-designated sponsor, which administers the exchange program, reviews the proposed placement, and essentially provides a visa sponsorship service. Becoming a sponsor is a separate (and extensive) process that requires the organization to qualify for designation and take responsibility for running its own exchange program.
- Work with a designated sponsor: Global Internships works with host companies through Intrax's J-1 program, the designated sponsor International Training and Exchange, Inc. dba Intrax. Your company provides the training and supervision, while the sponsor reviews the candidate and plan and issues the DS-2019 when requirements are met. U.S. consular officials decide visa applications, and Customs and Border Protection decides admission.
- Apply for sponsor designation: If your organization wants to administer its own J-1 exchange program, it must meet the Department of State's designation and ongoing operating requirements. Review how to apply to become a sponsor to learn more; this route involves additional responsibilities such as administering the program and monitoring compliance.
For most employers, working with an established sponsor is the more straightforward option.
The DS-7002 Training or Internship Plan
Form DS-7002, the Training/Internship Placement Plan, explains what the participant will learn and how your company will teach it. The designated sponsor must obtain the required signatures on the plan before issuing Form DS-2019, which the participant needs for the J-1 visa process. The plan should:
- Define the activities: Describe the participant's tasks, department, program dates, weekly schedule, and compensation. Show how each activity connects to their academic field or qualifying professional background.
- Set learning goals: Name the knowledge, skills, and techniques the participant will gain. For trainees with existing work experience, explain how the program builds on their skills rather than repeating work or training they have already completed.
- Identify supervision: Identify the staff who will supervise the participant and describe how they will teach new skills, review work, and provide feedback.
- Organize the training structure: For a trainee, describe distinct training phases or components, including the methods and schedule for each. For an intern, explain their role, responsibilities, and the departments or functional areas involved, where applicable.
- Set evaluation milestones: Explain how and when the supervisor will assess the participant’s progress. Identify who will coordinate the required evaluations and submit any necessary documentation to the sponsor.
Specificity is key. For example, "assist the finance team" tells a sponsor little about the training. A more useful proposal explains that the participant will learn a budgeting method through demonstrations, practice it on sample accounts, and review the results weekly with a finance supervisor. This gives the sponsor a clearer picture of the learning experience and helps your team deliver the training as planned.
J-1 Visa Rules for Host Companies
Federal rules for J-1 Intern and Trainee programs restrict the activities participants can perform. Before offering a placement, check that the proposed duties meet the requirements in the Department of State’s regulations for interns and trainees.
- Provide structured training: Intern and Trainee programs cannot involve unskilled or casual labor or displace U.S. workers. A position created primarily to cover staffing shortages does not qualify.
- Exclude patient care and other prohibited activities: Participants cannot engage in childcare, eldercare, or patient care or contact, including activities involving physical therapy, nursing, or veterinary medicine. Check the specific duties with the sponsor if the role is in an adjacent field.
- Check that the sponsor can support the proposed field: Sponsors must be authorized to administer the relevant exchange program. Ask the sponsor to review the role and its duties rather than assuming that a job title or industry automatically qualifies.
- Limit clerical duties to 20%: Clerical work cannot account for more than 20% of the program. If the role includes scheduling, filing, or routine administrative support, make sure these tasks remain a limited part of a broader training experience.
- Plan hospitality rotations when required: Hospitality and tourism internship or training programs lasting six months or longer must include at least three departmental or functional rotations. Ask the sponsor to confirm the appropriate structure for a shorter program.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee approval. The sponsor must also assess the candidate, host company, supervision, and training plan. If the proposed role relies heavily on routine work, revise the actual duties and learning activities before submitting the placement for review.
Ongoing Obligations While You Host a J-1 Participant
Your responsibilities continue throughout the placement. You must deliver the approved training, provide appropriate supervision, keep the sponsor informed of relevant changes, and complete the required evaluations.
- Provide continuous supervision and mentoring: Experienced staff must guide the learning activities and remain available to the participant. Set regular review points, and arrange suitable coverage when the main supervisor is absent.
- Report concerns and changes promptly: Contact the sponsor about changes in duties, supervision, location, hours, or the agreed plan before treating them as approved. A normal internal reassignment can affect the exchange program, so HR and the supervisor should use the same reporting process.
- Contact the sponsor immediately in an emergency: Keep the sponsor’s emergency contact details available to the supervisor and participant. Your internal response procedure should explain who contacts the sponsor when an emergency involves the exchange visitor.
- Follow workplace laws and sponsor rules: Meet applicable federal, state, and local occupational health and safety requirements, and confirm wage obligations with your HR or legal team. J-1 sponsorship does not remove ordinary employer responsibilities.
- Maintain resources and complete evaluations: Ensure the participant has access to the equipment, facilities, staff, and learning opportunities described in the approved plan. Programs longer than six months require midpoint and concluding evaluations; programs of six months or less require a concluding evaluation. The participant and immediate supervisor must sign the evaluations, and required evaluations must be completed before the program ends. Follow any additional sponsor requirements.
- Check that the training stays on track: Compare the participant’s actual activities with the DS-7002 plan and discuss progress regularly. If the placement shifts toward repetitive tasks without meaningful learning, work with the sponsor to address the gap.
An evaluation should describe skills gained and where the participant needs more instruction, rather than simply confirming attendance. Keeping examples of supervised practice, feedback, and completed training activities will help your team assess the participant’s progress.
Completing Form I-9 for a J-1 Intern or Trainee
If your J-1 intern or trainee is an employee receiving wages or other remuneration, your company must complete Form I-9 to verify their identity and employment authorization. Follow the same verification process you use for other employees, including allowing the employee to choose which acceptable documents to present. The USCIS Handbook for Employers explains the document requirements for J-1 exchange visitors.
For eligible J-1 participants, USCIS accepts a combination of an unexpired foreign passport, Form I-94 showing J-1 status, and Form DS-2019 endorsed by the sponsor’s responsible officer as List A evidence. This is one acceptable combination, not a list of documents your company should demand. Follow the current USCIS guidance if the employee presents another acceptable combination.
The employee completes Section 1 no later than the first day of employment, and the employer generally completes Section 2 within three business days after that first day. For a J-1 intern or trainee, USCIS instructs the employee to use the program end date on Form DS-2019 as the employment authorization expiration date in Section 1. The visa stamp’s expiration date does not determine how long the participant may work. Contact the sponsor before the current authorization ends if an extension is proposed, and follow USCIS requirements for reverification.
Can You Host a J-1 Intern or Trainee Remotely?
A virtual internship completed entirely outside the United States is not a U.S. J-1 exchange program. For participants entering the United States, remote or hybrid work arrangements must be assessed against the program’s supervision, training, and location requirements.
Before offering a remote or hybrid placement, explain the proposed work arrangement to your designated sponsor. BridgeUSA Guidance Directive 2023-01 allows up to 40% remote participation in qualifying Intern and Trainee programs when the host has a partial-remote policy and the sponsor approves the arrangement. Program activities must take place in the United States. Global Internships' public host requirements describe on-site supervision, so confirm its current policy and the approved DS-7002 before offering remote days.
Why U.S. Employers Host J-1 Interns and Trainees
J-1 programs give U.S. companies a structured way to share professional knowledge while learning from a participant’s international perspective. Employers can introduce new methods, exchange ideas across cultures, and help interns or trainees develop skills through supervised, practical experience.
The program should be designed around genuine learning and cultural exchange, not routine staffing needs or a pathway to permanent employment. If your longer-term goal is to hire someone for an ongoing role, assess the appropriate employment-based immigration options separately.
Getting Started as a J-1 Host Company
Before starting the J-1 process, gather the information the Global Internships team needs to assess your company, candidate, and proposed training program. These steps will help your HR contact and training supervisor prepare:
- Check the candidate and company: Gather the candidate’s academic records or work history, proposed program dates, and details of any previous exchange-program participation. Prepare your company’s EIN and relevant insurance information, and provide details about the training location, staffing, and proposed supervisor so the sponsor can assess its screening requirements.
- Develop the training plan: Work with the supervisor to define learning goals, training activities, weekly hours, compensation, cultural exchange opportunities, and evaluation methods. This guide on how to start an internship program offers some tips.
- Complete the approval process and prepare for onboarding: Coordinate the required signatures and provide the documentation the sponsor requests. Follow the sponsor’s instructions on approval, Form DS-2019, visa processing, and the participant’s permitted start date.
To discuss a proposed placement, reach out to Global Internships.
자주 묻는 질문
Does a host company need an Employer Identification Number or workers' compensation coverage to host a J-1 participant?
The sponsor must obtain your company's EIN and verify workers' compensation coverage or equivalent protection in each state, or evidence of an applicable state exemption. It also checks the company's contact details and professional activities before approving the host.
DS-7002 양식이란 무엇이며, 호스트 기업이 이를 작성해야 하는 이유는 무엇인가요?
The DS-7002 records the learning objectives, activities, supervision, and evaluation methods for a J-1 intern or trainee placement. The sponsor must obtain the required signatures before issuing the DS-2019.
Does hosting a J-1 intern require paying a fee to a sponsor?
There is no universal rule requiring the host to cover the sponsor’s fees; payment depends on the arrangement between the company, participant, and sponsor. Review the 2027 pricing calculator from Global Internships to learn how the fee structure operates.
How is a J-1 trainee different from a J-1 intern for a host company?
Interns are qualifying students or recent graduates of an eligible academic institution outside the United States. Trainees need a qualifying foreign credential plus at least one year of related work experience abroad, or five years of experience abroad in the training field.
Can a host company change a participant's supervisor or role partway through the program?
Tell your sponsor about any proposed change before implementing it, and follow its approval and documentation process. A change to duties, supervision, or location can affect the approved training plan even when your company treats it as a routine internal adjustment.
What happens if a host company doesn't follow the program's activity restrictions?
The sponsor can require corrections and may end a placement that does not meet program rules. Contact it promptly when activities deviate from the DS-7002 so you can address the problem and determine whether the program can continue.
Is a J-1 visa the same as an H-1B for hiring international talent?
No. J-1 Intern and Trainee programs provide structured learning and cultural exchange, while H-1B is a separate specialty-occupation employment category. Design your J-1 placement around its own learning purpose rather than treating it as a substitute or transition strategy.
Does the host need to pay the participant?
J-1 sponsorship does not determine whether a participant is an employee entitled to wages. Your company must assess applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, confirm the sponsor's requirements, and document the agreed compensation accurately before the placement begins.
