J-1 Intern or Trainee Application Rescue: We Take Over Your Stalled Case
If it’s possible, we get it through. If it isn’t, we tell you straight.
What We Do When Your J-1 Internship or Trainee Application Is Stuck
Your J-1 internship or trainee application has stalled with another sponsor or organization, been declined, or lost its host. We establish why, put the application back together with your host and submit it to a sponsor we work with. No quick no: either it’s truly impossible, or it’s a yes.
At a glance
What You Get
- A free first look at your case and why it stalled.
- Your application rebuilt, from the training plan to the host details the sponsor checks.
- A new application with a sponsor we work with, or a Sponsor Transfer if your program is already running.
- Your sponsorship payment to VisaNerd back in full if the sponsor declines.
Where You Stand, What We Do
| Where you stand | What we do |
|---|---|
| Your application has been stuck for weeks | We find out what is missing and take a complete file to a sponsor we work with. |
| The sponsor declined your training plan | We read the reason and help your host fix the DS-7002, see our training plan service. |
| Your host pulled out | A new host needs a new plan. You bring one, or we look for a paid position for you. |
| Your program is running and you need another sponsor | A Sponsor Transfer within your category, if both sponsors agree. |
| The planned work is not allowed | No rescue. We tell you why and what could work instead, see Program Exclusions. |
Your Price
A rescue is our normal payment, everything included. There is no surcharge for a rescue, and the first look is free.
Health insurance, the SEVIS fee and the DS-2019 are included. No processing fee is added. The visa fee of $185 goes to the US consulate, and a visa integrity fee set by US law may apply, see Visa Fee (MRV). For a sponsor transfer in a running program, ask us for the price.
How It Works
- 1Tell us where you standYour program, your host, your dates, and the decline or the last message you received.
- 2We find the reasonThe issue might be missing documents, a plan describing a job rather than training, a host the sponsor cannot verify or a prohibited activity. Each calls for a different response.
- 3A clear answer, freeIf there is a way, you hear what it takes and what you pay. If there is none, we say so before you pay anything.
- 4We rebuild your applicationWe complete your file, gather the host details for the sponsor’s review and help your host revise the training plan wherever necessary.
- 5Sponsor, DS-2019 and visaWe submit to a sponsor we work with and answer its questions. You receive your DS-2019 and book your visa appointment.
When we have everything, we aim to complete your sponsorship in one to two weeks. When the visa appointment takes place is up to the consulate.
When It Can’t Work
Only if the rules rule it out: for example, a prohibited activity, a program already at its maximum duration or a switch to a different J-1 category. We don’t rename an activity to get it through, and we don’t hide an earlier decline from the new sponsor. Everything else, we fight for. No one can promise 100% beforehand. We are nevertheless very confident.
Your Direct Line to the Sponsor
Our direct partners are sponsors designated by the US Department of State. We are also an official international representative of our main sponsor, CIEE. We submit your new application through the sponsor’s own portal and speak directly with its program team.
Is It for You?
It is for interns and trainees whose application is stuck, declined or without a host, before or during the program. The J-1 Visa Check on this page tells you whether the program fits you. How switching sponsors works is in the library under Sponsor Transfer.
More Help
- Declined or stuck elsewhereHow we compare with where you applied before.
- J-1 Training Plan ServiceHow we check a training plan before the sponsor sees it.
- Paid Internship in the USANo host? We look for a paid position for you.
Extras
FAQs
Can every application be rescued?
No. If the planned work is excluded, see Program Exclusions, or the maximum program length has been reached, another sponsor cannot approve it. We flag this in our initial review, before you make any payment.
I’m already in the US. Can I switch sponsors?
Possibly, through a Sponsor Transfer. Approval from both sponsors is required. Your category and the maximum program length remain unchanged. Let us know if your program is still active, has been shortened or has ended.
My host pulled out. Can my application be saved?
A training plan is tied to its host, so changing hosts means preparing a new plan. If you still need a host, we can search for a paid position. You pay €1,500 for placement only when you accept an offer.
What if the new application is declined too?
We return the full amount you paid VisaNerd for sponsorship. A site visit already carried out at your host is the sole exception. The sponsor charges €250 for that visit.
The Bottom Line
Stuck or declined? Send us the decline, your training plan and your host’s contact, and we start right away. If it’s legally possible, we get it through.
In the VisaNerd Library
- Sponsor TransferMoving a running J-1 program from one sponsor to another. Possible only within the same category.
- Program ExclusionsThe kinds of positions and duties that J-1 internships and traineeships are not allowed to include.
- DS-7002The Training/Internship Placement Plan. You, your host company and your sponsor all sign it.
- Placement (Finding a Host)The training position at a US host organization where a J-1 intern or trainee does the program. You find it yourself or through a third party working with the sponsor.
- Host CompanyThe US organization where a J-1 intern or trainee does the training program.
- J-1 SponsorAn organization designated by the US Department of State to run J-1 exchange programs. Every J-1 participant needs one.
