FAQ

If you wish to work or gain practical, professional experience in the United States, whether your training or internship is paid or not, and regardless of its duration, the US Department of State requires that you obtain a J-1 visa, category «Summer Work and Travel», «Intern» or «Trainee».

In order to obtain this visa, you must go through a sponsor organization. Your host company cannot be your sponsor unless it can deliver the certificate of eligibility entitled «DS-2019». This case is rather unusual.

To give you access to J-1 visas, Parenthese has set up a partnership with CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange), designated official sponsor by the US Department of State. Together, Parenthese and CIEE allow you to work during the summer or undertake a structured program of practical training (1 to 18 months) within a US host company.

Yes we can! We are not a placement agency but can certainly help you find your paid placement or summer job or in the United States.

Please contact us for more information.

You do not only pay for the DS-2019. You pay for all the services included.

The DS-2019 is a legal document, numbered and nominative, issued by the U.S. government through a legal sponsor.

The issuance of the DS-2019 requires several verifications in Europe as well as in the United States. It also requires follow-up and a 24 hour/7 days a week service on the part of your sponsor. We also provide you with the necessary insurance for the duration of your stay in the U.S.

The presence of a sponsor is the only way American employers will accept you as international trainees or seasonal workers. Without a sponsor, they would have to get into a long-term and expensive process to obtain a work permit for you!

The insurance policy included in your program fees is mandatory.

This allows the sponsor to have the same insurance policy for all its participants and guarantee the coverage required by the U.S. Department of State.

Yes. Even if you have already found your internship or your job, you must pay all the Parenthese fees since they do not include work placement.

This is normal! The DS-2019 form is not a document one can download. It is delivered officially by the American government through your legal sponsor (in this case, CIEE).

A common mistake!

If you are going to the United Sates for any other purpose than tourism, you must have a visa*.

If you leave without a visa, you are running the following risks:

• Being refused entry at customs,
• Not being authorized to return to the U.S. for several years.

* If you do not have a biometric passport or if your biometric passport was delivered after October 26, 2005, you need a tourist visa, even for a period shorter than 90 days. Please check with your local United States Consulate.

Do not worry. For all our programs (internship, training or summer Work and Travel), the turnaround time for the receipt of your DS-2019 is 3 weeks.

In spite of high demand, the embassy does its best to give J-1 visa applicants an appointment as soon as possible. You have priority over tourist visa applicants.

We will email you instructions on how to make an appointment and how to advance it if necessary.

Please do not schedule your appointment at the Consulate before sending us your application and receiving specific instructions from us.

We process applications the same day they are received. As soon as your application is approved, we will give you walk you through the steps of your embassy appointment.

It depends on the program. In all cases, there are two different steps : first, the receipt of your DS-2019 and Sevis and afterwards, the issuing of your visa.

For Internship USA and PCT USA, you will get your DS-2019 & SEVIS receipt in:

• 7 business days (with Expedited Fees)
• 2 weeks (with Acceleration Fees)
• 3 weeks (normal process, without extra fees)

If your employer requires a site visit, you need to add 2 business days to these timeframes.

You should add 3 to 5 days for your embassy appointment and you can generally count on receiving your visa within 48 hours after your interview.

For summer Work and Travel, the turnaround time for your DS-2019 and Sevis is between 2 to 3 weeks.

NOTE: the countdown begins the day your application is complete in our office. We will send you a confirmation email indicating the scheduled date when we’ll receive your DS-2019 in our office in Paris.

The choice of program depends on your status at the time of your application:

If you are a student or have graduated within the past 12 months, «Internship USA» is for you. You can apply for PCT if you have 12 months of professional experience during your studies (internships can be taken into consideration).

If you are a college graduate with 1 year of professional experience or if you are a high school graduate with 5 years of professional experience, you need to apply for the «PCT USA» program.

You can just check option « D » and we’ll call you for a short phone interview.

The J-2 visa is for accompanying members of family – spouse or children – for participants holding a J-1 visa.

Not at all. We have had participants from all over the world who obtained their visa without difficulty.

If you’re a foreign student in your final year of studies, you’ll have to show proof of ties to your country of residence. Please remember that only the American Consulate has authority on the issuance or refusal of visas.