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Internship in USA, which visa?!

Alright, so I got offered an internship (non-paid) at University of Auburn. Its a research project based on dusty plasmas in micro gravity. I have got many cousins around USA and quite a few friends too. And I was planning to stay with my uncle.

I have got a letter from the university, from my uncle whose a professor too, and my mum who'll be supporting me financially. Also, in supporting documents I got my mum's payslips and bank statements (she is a registrar doctor - child specialist) and proof that I'm enrolled at a grammar school, sixth form, in UK and will be returning.

Now the problem is, I'm a dependent of my mother whose on Tier 1 (highly skilled worker visa). I'm 18 years of age. I went to the embassy today for my appointment. I had originally applied for B-1/B-2 and got refused :frown:

I don't know what to do! They said I'm applying the wrong type of visa, i ought to be applying for J-1 apparently if i want to do the internship. But thats a looooong procedure, it requires the university to sponsor me and all that b*******.
HELP! What do i do?! I could say i'm going for tourism, which is kinda true, disney land woop woop..

Reply 1

medic101

J1 - the university should have told you this, did they give you a DS2019? You need that from the university. Never ever lie to the US border people, you'll never go there.

Reply 2

zaraxai

What do i need for the J1? Is it just a form? I had to beg the university for the internship, they'll tell me to f*** off if i tell them to go to the embassy and sit there to get me a visa.

Reply 3

Benno1323

I think the university is aware of the procedures that need to be made in this case. If you say your uncle is a professor at the university as well maybe he can help you.

I think you'll need a letter from the university stating they have offered you an internship and also a form that you will need to fill.
If it's the same as in my country, after that you'll need to go to the U.S. embassy in YOUR country and submit the paperwork to get the visa.

Hope this helps.
Best of luck to you.

Reply 4

medic101

I did the same at an ivy league school. I was informed I could go on a visitors visa (90 day) which is incorrect because I was clearly not going to visit. Being British, they said I didn't need to apply for anything if it was under 3 months but telling pokies at the border is a bad thing - especially in your case since they already have you on the system as being declined for a B1/2 - they already know your reasons for wanting to go there, so what will you say when you get there? They will just send you back.

Stop panicking. You need to contact the international office at the university and tell them you have been accepted for ..... and need to apply for a J1. They should be able to get you to send them your mum's bank statements etc to see that you can afford to stay there during your internship. They will need to know details of your internship too. Then they'll issue a DS2019 - it only takes a few days. You then need that DS2019 to apply for your J1 visa, which should be approved the day you go to the embassy if you have done everything properly.

Don't be scared to approach their international office, they do this all the time for overseas students and visiting students etc. Enjoy your time in the US.

Reply 5

zaraxai

My uncle visited the international office, they told him the interviewer must have been somebody new or silly because apparently J1 is only awarded to university level students and not to high school students who are going for short-term internships. This sucks!