Internship or Traineeship in the USA: What to Check Before You Pay

What Sets Us Apart from an Agency

Many agencies help with an internship or trainee J-1 Visa, with terms that vary even more than prices. We are not an agency: we work directly with designated sponsors and are an official international repre­sen­ta­tive of our main sponsor, CIEE. Before making a payment, check the refund if the sponsor declines, the placement price and the services included. This is how it works with us.

What You Get with Us

  • No application fee. The check on this page is free.
  • Placement in paid positions only, €1,500 due only after you accept an offer.
  • Health insurance, the SEVIS fee and your DS-2019 in one price.
  • Your sponsorship payment to VisaNerd back in full if the sponsor says no.

At a glance
Application fee
None
Placement
€1,500, only when you accept an offer
Insurance
Included for interns and trainees
If declined
Full refund of your sponsorship payment
Processing fee
None

Side by Side

With VisaNerdAgencies
Before anything is decidedNo application fee. The check is free.Some charge an application or assessment fee that you don’t get back.
Placement€1,500, due only after you accept an offer. Paid positions only.Usually extra. Some also accept unpaid internships.
Health insuranceIncluded for your whole program.Not always included. Some charge it monthly, others leave it to you.
SEVIS feeIncluded.Sometimes included, sometimes paid separately.
If the sponsor says noYour sponsorship payment to VisaNerd back in full.Not every agency refunds everything. Some keep a fixed fee.

Questions to Ask Any Agency

  • What do I get back if the sponsor says no?
  • Is there a fee before anything is decided?
  • What do I pay for placement, and when is it due?
  • Are health insurance and the SEVIS fee included?
  • Who checks the training plan before it goes to the sponsor?
  • Which sponsor do you work with, and does that sponsor accept applications through you?

Our answers are on this page. We work directly in the sponsors’ application portals, and we check every DS-7002 training plan before it is submitted.

What You Can Count On

  • A direct line to the sponsor. Your application is submitted through the sponsor’s own portal. We are in direct contact with its program team.
  • One price. Health insurance, the SEVIS fee and your DS-2019 are included for interns and trainees. No processing fee is added.
  • Placement only when it works. We look for paid positions only, and the €1,500 is due only after you accept an offer.
  • Your money back if the sponsor says no. You receive a full refund of the sponsorship payment you made to VisaNerd. Only a site visit already carried out at your host is excluded; the sponsor charges €250 for it.

FAQs

Are you an agency?

No. We have direct working relationships with sponsors designated by the US Department of State. As an official international repre­sen­ta­tive of CIEE, our main sponsor, we also check eligibility for it. We use the sponsor’s own application portal and speak directly with its program team.

Do you charge an application fee?

No. You can use this page’s check free of charge, and there is no application fee. Sponsorship is paid before we begin working on the application. Placement is paid only after you accept an offer.

What do I pay for placement with you?

€1,500, due only after you accept an offer. We look for paid positions only, and first we check whether placement fits your profile and your search.

What if the sponsor says no?

You receive a full refund of the sponsorship payment you made to VisaNerd. Only a site visit already carried out at your host is excluded; the sponsor charges €250 for it.

The Bottom Line

Compare terms, not just prices. With us, there is no application fee, placement is due only after you accept an offer, and you get your sponsorship payment back in full if the sponsor says no. Send over your host’s contact so we can get started right away.

  • Self-PlacedWhen you found your US host company yourself and then look for a J-1 sponsor.
  • Host CompanyThe US organization where a J-1 intern or trainee does the training program.
  • DS-7002The Training/Internship Placement Plan. You, your host company and your sponsor all sign it.
  • J-1 SponsorAn organization designated by the US Department of State to run J-1 exchange programs. Every J-1 participant needs one.