J-1 Internship or Trainee Visa for Engineers & Tech: Your US Internship or Traineeship

From€1,505Intern for 1–3 months, trainee from €1,875. Health insurance included.

What We Do for Your J-1 Internship or Traineeship in Engineering and Tech

Train or intern in engineering, IT or another tech field at a US company. You can bring your host or ask us to search for a paid position with you. We take care of the entire J-1 internship or trainee sponsorship, from your eligibility and a review of your training plan to the sponsor, until your DS-2019 is issued.

At a glance

Price€1,505 as intern, €1,875 as trainee (1–3 months)

Placement€1,500, paid positions only, due on acceptance

IncludedSponsorship work, DS-2019, SEVIS fee, J-1 Visa health insurance

DurationUp to 12 months as intern, 18 as trainee

All prices

What You Get

Your J-1 Visa in engineering or tech, as an intern for up to 12 months or a trainee for up to 18.
No US company yet? We look for paid engineering and tech positions, €1,500 only once you accept an offer.
A DS-7002 training plan that sets out the technical skills you gain, checked by us before it goes to the sponsor.
One price with health insurance, the SEVIS fee and your DS-2019, and no processing fee.

Your Price

You pay for your training months, and for placement only if you take an offer from a position we found.

J-1 Internfrom €1,505for 1–3 months, €2,945 for the full 12Students, or graduates whose program begins within 12 months of graduating

J-1 Traineefrom €1,875for 1–3 months, €4,470 for the full 18Engineers and developers with work experience abroad

Placement€1,500only once you accept an offerPaid engineering and tech positions only

Each sponsorship price covers J-1 Visa health insurance, the SEVIS fee and your DS-2019. You pay no processing fee. Month-by-month prices are on our J-1 Visa costs page.

How It Works

1
Your free check in Engineering & ITChoose “Engineering & IT” as your field, and the check shows you whether we can take you on and what you pay.
2
Your US company, or our searchIf a US company wants you, we coordinate with it directly. If not, we check whether placement fits your profile and look for a paid position in your discipline.
3
Your training planYour host sets out in the DS-7002 what you work on, which skills and techniques you learn and who supervises you. We check it and help with the wording where needed.
4
Your file at the sponsorWe take your complete file to the sponsor and deal with any follow-up questions for you and your host.
5
DS-2019, then the consulateOnce the sponsor issues your DS-2019, you book your interview at the US consulate.

Plan to send us your documents four to six weeks before your start date. With all documents in place, our aim is to complete your sponsorship within one to two weeks.

Engineering and Tech Positions

There are two sections on our job board. Under our placements, you find role profiles we fill with US companies. These profiles are not confirmed vacancies. We check the actual conditions, including pay, and whether you fit before introducing you to a host. Under open roles, you find paid internships at other US organizations taken from their own career pages. You apply to those directly.

Is It for You?

It is for students and recent graduates in engineering, IT or tech who want an internship, and for engineers and developers with work experience abroad who want a traineeship. Engineering is part of the US category “The Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Mathematics, and Industrial Occupations”, one of ten the rules allow for J-1 interns and trainees. The J-1 Visa Check on this page tells you whether it fits. The difference between intern and trainee is set out in the library under J-1 Trainee.

Extras

Site visit, if your host is small and new to the sponsor€250 once

The sponsor’s express option, no guarantee€2,000

Spouse or children on a J-2Per person, from €1,210

Extending, within 12 or 18 monthsPrice difference plus €100 (USCIS fee extra)

FAQs

My US host is a startup with a small team. Does that count against me?

Size alone does not prevent it. A small company may host you if it can deliver the structured training and supervision described in your DS-7002. A company new to the sponsor with fewer than 25 employees or annual revenue below $3 million must first receive a sponsor visit. The sponsor charges €250 for this, see Site Visit.

Do I need my own offer, or do you find the position?

Either is possible. If you bring your own offer, you only pay for sponsorship. Otherwise, we check whether placement suits your profile and search for paid engineering or tech positions. Each host chooses whether to offer you a place. You pay the €1,500 only after accepting an offer.

I’m a developer without a degree. Is a J-1 trainee visa still possible?

Yes, as a trainee, with five years of work experience in your field outside the US. If you hold a degree or professional certificate from a post-secondary school abroad, you only need one year of related experience outside the US.

What do I pay for an 18-month traineeship with placement?

The total is €5,970, made up of €4,470 for 18 months of training plus €1,500 for placement after you accept an offer. It includes health insurance, the SEVIS fee and your DS-2019 are part of that amount. The $185 visa fee is paid to the consulate, and a visa integrity fee set by US law may apply, see Visa Fee (MRV).

And if the sponsor declines my application?

You receive the full sponsorship payment made to VisaNerd back. Only a site visit already completed at your host is excluded; the sponsor charges €250 for it.

The Bottom Line

Bring your own US offer or let us look for a paid engineering or tech position, and we handle your whole J-1 internship or trainee sponsorship. Send us your host’s contact or your CV and we start right away.

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.
J-1 TraineeThis US exchange visitor category allows people with a degree and work experience abroad to train at a US company for up to 18 months.
J-1 InternThis US exchange visitor category allows up to 12 months of training at a US company for students and recent graduates.
DS-7002The Training/Internship Placement Plan. You, your host company and your sponsor all sign it.
Site VisitThe sponsor visits a host company new to it that has fewer than 25 employees or annual revenue below $3 million.
Pay & HousingWhat the J-1 rules say about pay and accommodation for interns and trainees. They set no wage, but you must be able to cover your whole stay, housing included.

Legal basis