J-1 Monitoring: Supervision, Evaluations and Sponsor Contact
Table of Contents
Who Monitors You During a J-1 Program?
Your sponsor must monitor your participation, progress and welfare; interns and trainees also get on-site supervision and evaluations.
Key Takeaways
- Sponsors must monitor your participation, progress and welfare.
- Interns and trainees get continuous on-site supervision and required evaluations.
- The intern and trainee regulation does not specify a monthly contact schedule.
- Who monitors
- Your sponsor
- On site
- Continuous supervision and mentoring
- Programs over 6 months
- At least midpoint and final evaluations
- Programs up to 6 months
- At least a final evaluation
Monitoring and Supervision
Under 22 CFR § 62.10(d), sponsor employees must monitor your participation, site of activity, progress and welfare as appropriate for your category. Your activities must match your DS-2019.
For interns and trainees, the sponsor must certify that it or the host acting on its behalf provides continuous on-site supervision and mentoring by experienced staff. Your DS-7002 must describe the evaluation and supervision methods for each phase or component, where applicable.
Source: 22 CFR § 62.10: Program administration · 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns
Required Evaluations
Under § 62.22(l), programs longer than six months require at least midpoint and final Evaluations. Programs of six months or less require at least a final evaluation. All required evaluations must be completed before the program ends and signed by you and your immediate supervisor.
Source: 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns
Reporting Problems
Contact your sponsor with program questions or concerns. Your host must promptly report concerns, changes or deviations from the training plan to the sponsor, and contact it immediately in an emergency involving you.
Source: J-1 Visa: Common Questions for Participants · 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns
FAQs
Does my sponsor have to contact me every month?
Not under the intern and trainee rules. 22 CFR § 62.22 does not set a monthly schedule; it requires supervision and evaluations. The explicit requirement to maintain "monthly personal contacts" is in 22 CFR § 62.32(j)(1), for Summer Work Travel.
Source: 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns · 22 CFR § 62.32: Summer work travel
Can my sponsor terminate me just for making a complaint?
No. The monitoring rules prohibit retaliation, including threatening termination, solely because you made a complaint or sought outside help about a grievance.
Source: 22 CFR § 62.10: Program administration
The Bottom Line
Your sponsor monitors your program, your host supervises you on site, and evaluations document your progress. A fixed monthly contact schedule applies to Summer Work Travel, not to interns and trainees.
Related Terms
- J-1 SponsorAn organization designated by the US Department of State to run J-1 exchange programs. Every J-1 participant needs one.more
- DS-7002The Training/Internship Placement Plan. You, your host company and your sponsor all sign it.more
- EvaluationsThe written reviews of your progress that every J-1 internship and traineeship includes.more
- Host CompanyThe US organization where a J-1 intern or trainee does the training program.more
- Lawful StatusKeeping J-1 status means following your exchange program's rules and staying within your authorized period of admission.more
- TerminationTermination ends your J-1 program participation for regulatory reasons and is recorded in SEVIS, without the usual post-completion grace period.more
Sources
- 22 CFR § 62.10: Program administration
- 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns
- J-1 Visa: Common Questions for Participants
- 22 CFR § 62.32: Summer work travel