Internships in the USA for students, graduates, and young professionals
Internships in the USA
Internships in the USA will open doors to the world of American business and cutting-edge work practices. Hone your skills, work at prestigious companies, and advance your career in the field you want!
Internship in the USA: a step toward professional success
Students and graduates aged 18 and up can take part in the internship programs in the USA. If the specialty you plan to intern in doesn’t match your degree, you’ll need at least 5 years’ work experience. All internship participants must have a good command of English — knowledge of industry-specific terminology is especially important.
Possible internship fields include: business management, accounting, architecture, finance, tourism and hospitality, media and communications, engineering, marketing, trade, and others.
Applications are open year-round, but it’s best to submit your documents 4–6 months before the program start date.
Depending on the participant’s skills and preferences, the program is divided into the following options:
1. Self-Arranged: participants look for a US employer on their own. After finding an employer and providing the Training Plan, you register for the program and the internship is reviewed. The employer and the proposed internship must meet all program requirements and conditions.
Internship Program — for students from their second to fifth year and young professionals (those who graduated no more than 1 year ago). Participant age: 18 to 27. Program duration: from 1 to 12 months.
Practical Training — for those who have already completed higher education. The participant must be a degree holder with at least 1 year of work experience. If they want to take part in an internship in a specialty that doesn’t match their degree, they must have at least 5 years’ work experience in the desired field. Participant age: 20 to 35. Program duration: from 1 to 18 months. Taking part in an internship program in the USA will let you gain valuable hands-on experience, improve your industry-specific English, and get familiar with American business practices and ways of working.
2. Placement option: the sponsor offers a single internship placement. Program duration: from 1 to 18 months. Participants must have the appropriate education and/or professional experience in the desired internship field.
Why join this program?
From $3,345 for 1-6 months (Full Service option)
First payment — $600 + $220 SEVIS fee
Price varies depending on program length.
- Health insurance (unless stated otherwise);
- SEVIS fee $220 (unless stated otherwise);
- Training Plan (Placement program option);
- Employer verification;
- Issuance and mailing of DS-2019;
- Sponsor support throughout the program.
- Flights;
- Find an employer (Self-Arranged option);
- Room and board;
- SEVIS fee $220 (unless otherwise agreed);
- Training Plan (Self-Arranged program option);
- Visa application fee (185 USD).
Program materials
- Program brochure
- Sample participation agreement
- Country & placements guide (manual)
- Program cost calculator
Requirements
- Ages 18 to 27 (Internship option);
- Ages 18 to 35 (Practical Training option);
- A language level of at least Intermediate (especially professional terminology) for the Internship Self-Arranged option;
- A language level of at least Upper-Intermediate (especially professional terminology) for the Trainee Self-Arranged and Premium placement options;
- For university graduates — a specialist with at least 1 year of work experience in their specialization, or at least 5 years in the desired internship field unrelated to their degree (Practical Training option);
- Students in their 2nd to 5th year or recent graduates with a diploma no older than 1 year (Internship option);
- An internship with the same employer you worked for through Work and Travel USA is prohibited;
- For the Self-Arranged option, the internship placement in the USA must meet all program requirements.
Programs have fixed dates. Confirm the start date of your chosen program with your IEC coordinator. Program duration ranges from 1 week to 3 years, depending on the program you choose. Submit your application 4–6 months before the program start date.
Related programs
Got questions?
We’ll be happy to answer them!
Feel free to drop by our office — we’ve taken part in exchange programs ourselves many times, so we can share our personal experiences and impressions and help you choose a program and find temporary summer work in the USA and other countries around the world.
