Internships during and after training are not only a source of income, but also an opportunity to gain experience in a specialty, which will definitely come in handy for obtaining a work visa. Please note that all internships indicated here must necessarily coincide with the profession you are acquiring.
Students with F-1 visas can start their internship after the first year of study. This practice is called CPT (Curricular Practical Training), and permission to take it can be obtained with the support of the university and the course curator.
Graduates with F-1 visas have the opportunity to stay in the United States for one more year under the OPT (Optional Practical Trainining) internship program. To obtain this permit, it is not necessary to have an employment contract on hand, but the total search time for a suitable position, that is, “unemployed” days under this permit, should not exceed 90. OPT is usually issued for 12 months with the possibility of extension to 17 months in some cases … The status application must be submitted no later than 90 days after graduation.
For J-1 visa holders, there is an academic internship program that can be started while studying at the university. The duration is determined based on the goals and objectives of the internship, but cannot exceed the duration of the training program or 18 months. For graduate students, however, it is possible to extend the internship up to three years. At the time of application, you must have an invitation from the employer.