J-1 Placement: How Interns and Trainees Find a Host

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.
Table of Contents
  1. What Is a J-⁠1 Placement?
  2. Two Ways to a Host
  3. What the Sponsor Checks
  4. Third Parties
  5. Fees
  6. FAQs
  7. The Bottom Line
  8. Related Terms
  9. Sources

What Is a J-1 Placement?

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.

Key Takeaways

  • You find the host yourself or through a third party.
  • The sponsor must secure and check the placement before it issues the DS-2019.
  • You must receive a list of all fees before you arrive.

At a glance
Found by
You or a third party
Secured by
The J-1 sponsor
Needed before the DS-2019
Placement and signed DS-7002
Third parties
Written agreement with the sponsor
Not allowed
Staffing or employment agencies
Fees
Itemized before arrival

Two Ways to a Host

Either you find a host organization on your own (see Self-Placed), or a third party working with the sponsor finds one for you. Regardless of their own location, many sponsors can place participants anywhere in the United States.

Source: 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns · J-⁠1 Visa: Common Questions (US Department of State)

What the Sponsor Checks

The sponsor may only issue the DS-2019 once it has secured the placement and the DS-7002 training plan is signed by everyone. Before that, it screens the host, including its tax number (EIN), a third-party check of its address, phone number and business, and its workers' compensation insurance. New hosts with fewer than 25 employees or less than $3 million in annual revenue get a Site Visit.

The host confirms by signing that the placement fits your objectives. Intern placements must be tailored to the intern's skills and experience. Training must be the main purpose of the position, which may not fill a labor need or displace American workers.

Source: 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns

Third Parties

Sponsors may work with third parties, such as host organizations, partners, academic institutions and agents in the US or abroad. Each must have a signed written agreement with the sponsor setting out its obligations. The sponsor stays responsible, and any rule a third party breaks counts against the sponsor.

For third parties outside the US, the sponsor must check that they are legitimate in their home country, for businesses with documents such as a business registration. Their written agreement must include an annually updated price list.

Sponsors may not work with a staffing or employment agency to recruit, screen, place, train or evaluate interns and trainees, or involve one in any other way.

Source: 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns

Fees

Before you arrive, the sponsor must give you an itemized list of all fees you will pay, whether to the sponsor or to a third party.

Source: 22 CFR § 62.10: Program admin­is­tra­tion

FAQs

Can I find my own host company?

Yes. The sponsor still has to secure the placement and check the host before it issues the DS-2019, see Self-Placed and Host Company.

Source: 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns

Can a staffing agency place me?

No. Sponsors may not involve staffing or employment agencies in training and internship programs in any way. Other third parties can help if they have a written agreement with the sponsor.

Source: 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns

What does finding a placement cost?

The regulations set no price. They require the sponsor to list, before you arrive, every fee you pay to the sponsor or a third party. Third parties abroad must have an annually updated price list in their agreement with the sponsor.

Source: 22 CFR § 62.10: Program admin­is­tra­tion · 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns

Does my sponsor have to be in the same state as my host?

No. The address on the list of designated sponsors is the sponsor's official location, and many sponsors can place participants anywhere in the United States. Ask the sponsor for details.

Source: J-⁠1 Visa: Common Questions (US Department of State)

The Bottom Line

Whether you find the host yourself or a third party finds it, the sponsor must check and secure the placement before the DS-2019. Third parties need a written agreement with the sponsor, staffing agencies are excluded, and every fee is listed in advance.

Sources

  1. 22 CFR § 62.22: Trainees and interns
  2. J-⁠1 Visa: Common Questions (US Department of State)
  3. 22 CFR § 62.10: Program admin­is­tra­tion
9 October 2026 · Checked against the sources above.
Next check · November 2026