Program Details

Overview and Advantages of our Program

GACC California assists you in fulfilling all legal and organizational requirements necessary to obtain a J-1 visa. Our team will answer any question you might have and prepare you for your appointment at the U.S. embassy or U.S. consulate.

A J-1 visa allows you to train for a minimum of 3 weeks to a maximum of 12 months for interns and 18 months for trainees. The exact duration of your visa depends on you and your host organization’s cooperation. It is important to note that there must be a direct correlation between the internship/training objectives and your field of study or previous professional experience.

In order to receive a J-1 visa, a DS-2019 form has to be issued and sent to you according to the guidelines, rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of State. In our visa program, we will happily assist you with the application for a DS-2019 which you will need to present at the U.S. consulate or embassy in order to obtain your visa.

Why you should work with us:

The German American Chamber of Commerce California is an experienced partner for dealing with your application.
We facilitate your visa application as quickly as possible with as little bureaucracy as necessary!
Short processing times of only app. 4 weeks with our PREMIUM service and 8 weeks with our SELF service
Each participant has an individual contact person / program coordinator
Students, graduates and young professionals can apply for our program
All applicants are treated the same, whether students, graduates or young professionals. We also have the same prices no matter how long your internship/training will last.
There is no time wasted, because we will supply you with the necessary paperwork immediately after receiving your application.
If your insurance covers a lengthy stay in the U.S. and meets all of the U.S. State Department requirements, you are allowed to use it with our program.
Optional First-class insurance through licensed third party agency in Germany: 100% reimbursement of costs, no deductible, and free choice of doctors.
Optional Travel cancelation insurance through licensed third party agency in German
No danger of upsetting your host company by burdening them with extra work
You will receive a confirmation of participation from the German American Chamber of Commerce California, Inc. after successful completion of your program
We will make sure that you don't fail to complete your application due to formalities and red tape
We don't require costly certified translations of your transcripts and other documents

Program Requirements

You are eligible to participate in our J-1 Visa Program if you meet the following requirements:

Students (Intern Category):

You are 18 or older.
You will complete your internship either during your studies (having completed at least one full semester) or within 12 months after graduation.
Your proposed internship must be in a field directly related to your studies.
You must have secured a training position with a company in the U.S.
You can demonstrate sufficient financial funds to cover expenses (with a minimum of $1000 per month).
You plan to leave the U.S. within 30 days after the completion of your internship.
You know English well enough to perform successfully in the proposed internship position.
Your internship will not exceed 12 months in length.

Trainees and young professionals (Trainee Category):

You are 18 or older.
You must have successfully completed your studies in the field of your proposed training OR non-graduates must demonstrate at least five years of work experience outside the U.S.
You must have secured a training position with a company in the U.S.
You can demonstrate sufficient financial funds to cover expenses (with a minimum of $1000 per month).
You plan to leave the U.S. within 30 days after the completion of your training.
You know English well enough to perform successfully in the proposed training position.
Your training cannot exceed 18 months. (Exception see Hospitality/Tourism)

Host Company Requirements

In order to be eligible to offer an internship or training to foreign nationals, the U.S. State Department requires that all host companies must present us with the following information:

Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) number
Employer Identification Number (EIN) - Tax Number
Verification of address, phone number and business activties by website.
Verification of the company's/organization's general Workman's Compensation Insurance Policy
Site Visits for companies with less than 25 employees or less than $3 million in annual revenues if they have never before participated in our program.

Services and Fees

The following information will give you an overview of our two available service packages: SELF and PREMIUM.

Please read carefully, so you can make a decision that best accommodates your personal situation and individual needs.

Applying for a visa can be a tremendous burden for your host organization as there are numerous documents that have to be checked and submitted. Unfortunately, many internship positions are cancelled by the host organization at the last minute due to the extensive paperwork involved in the process. If the DS-7002, the Training and Internship Placement Plan, is not filled out according to the requirements, rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of State, you and your host organization will be asked to repeatedly make corrections to the training outline. Therefore it is highly important to support your host organization in creating the DS-7002, and in filling out all other required documents. Don’t leave the entire burden on the shoulders of your host organization. Otherwise they might withdraw their internship or training offer last minute. In short, without a detailed DS-7002 you will not be able to attain a DS-2019, no J-1 visa, and no internship. In app. 70% of all applications, delays and problems emerge with the DS-2019. This is why we offer our PREMIUM Service, which will help you to avoid problems with your host organization, as we provide extensive assistance in filling the required forms out properly from the beginning.

PREMIUM Service

Due to many years of experience in providing support in the DS-2019 application, we can professionally and safely guide you through the process. We know how to deal with your host organization, and how to make it as easy and smooth as possible for them. In many cases the host organizations are thankful for every help they can get, as it is not easy to complete the required forms, especially the DS-7002, even for an American company. We will provide you with up-to-date information on your status and your current situation. Your individual program coordinator will be your partner throughout the entire process and will answer any questions you may have.

This service package includes the following:

Personal assistance throughout the whole J-1 visa process provided by GACC California
Cooperation with your host company in filling out all other required forms as well as answering all questions your host organization may have during the whole process
Intensive support for your host organization with the preparation of the DS-7002 (training plan), the most complex prerequisite
Detailed information on the visa process
Advice and guidance for the host organization about all the U.S. Department of State’s requirements such as Dun & Bradstreet Number, Worker's Compensation, etc.
Support and help with filling out all of your required forms
Review of all your documents to see whether they are correctly completed
Preparation for the issuance of the DS-2019 form
Individual consultation and preparation for your appointment with the U.S. embassy after you have received your DS-2019 form
Counseling for all further questions regarding accomodation, taxes, social security number and much more

The fee for the PREMIUM service is Euro 790.00 plus SEVIS fee and U.S. embassy fee.

SELF Service

SELF Service is the right choice if your host company has employed interns or trainees in the very same field or position before and knows about the rules and regulation of the J-1 visa. Also, the host company should have profound knowledge about how to write a detailed Training and Internship Placement Plan (DS-7002). We therefore strongly recommend the PREMIUM Service in order to avoid problems right from the beginning.

With our SELF service you and your host company will receive all the necessary documents that you are required to fill out. It is your obligation to make sure that all the forms are filled out properly and sent back to us in time. We do not provide you with any assistance in making revisions, but will only send you all the required documents and you are required to do the rest on your own.

This service package includes the following:

Personal assistance provided by GACC California
Detailed information and application forms
Mailing of the DS-2019 documents to you and your host organization
Proofing the documents which you and the host organizations have filled out
Preparation for the issuance of the DS-2019 form

The fee for the SELF Service is Euro 620.00 plus SEVIS fee and U.S. embassy fee.

Is your host company paying for your J-1 visa?

Should your host organization be willing to cover parts or even the entire fees of the visa process we will contact your company and provide them with a separate invoice. You will be refunded accordingly as soon as the company has paid its invoice. Since we will receive the company's payment at a later point, you will be required to pay the full program fee upfront. In case you haven’t asked your host organization to support you in paying for your visa application, we will be happy to advise you or contact your host organization for you.