ciee - council on international educational exchange

Hurricane Irene Approaches U.S. East Coast

As Hurricane Irene makes its way to the east coast, CIEE wants to provide some useful information on what to do if your community is affected. We will continue to post updates to the CIEE website and provide email updates and news that will be helpful to you. You can also call CIEE at 1-888-268-6245 at any time if you have questions about the storm. Please see below for helpful safety tips in preparation for the storm’s arrival:

Stay informed. Watch local news for storm updates. If Hurricane Irene is a serious threat to your community, evacuation instructions will be provided on the local news networks. You may also view updates on Hurricane Irene on the National Weather Service website.
The American Red Cross may arrive in your community if the hurricane does happen. They are an excellent emergency response organization and we ask you to look at their website to learn their latest news on the storm: http://www.redcross.org/.
Local authorities or the Red Cross may organize storm shelters for your safety. These shelters are excellent places to go, even if you only have questions. If there is a shelter available and the hurricane will be in your area, CIEE strongly advises you to go there for your safety.
Please know the police and fire departments are friendly and they will help you in an emergency situation.
Prepare yourself. CIEE encourages you to read more about hurricanes on the National Weather Service and the Red Cross websites. They offer excellent ideas for how to safely prepare for a hurricane storm.

Ask your employer if Hurricane Irene will affect your town if you’re not sure. Your employer may have experienced these storms in the past and will be able to tell you what to expect and what to do.

In the event that you must move to a temporary shelter, and if you have access to email or a telephone, please let us know where you are and that you are safe. If necessary, we will notify your CIEE agent in your home country so that they can notify your parents. You can email us at contact@ciee.org or call us, toll-free, at 1-888-268-6245.

Repeater Rules

Can I Repeat the Program?

If you have previously participated in a J-1 Intern/Trainee program, you are subject to rules regarding repeat programs. You are not considered a repeater if you have previously completed a different J-1 program, such as Work & Travel USA.

Restrictions

Your situation:	Minimum waiting period between programs:
You completed a program as an Intern and you still qualify as an Intern	90 days required by CIEE if intending to return to the same Host Organization
You completed a program as an Intern and you now qualify as a Trainee	2 years required by Department of State
You completed a program as a Trainee and you wish to do another Trainee program	2 years required by Department of State
You completed a program as a Trainee and you now qualify as an Intern	90 days required by CIEE if intending to return to the same Host Organization

Visit our Eligibility Section to find out which program category you are currently eligible for.

How Do I Apply?

You should contact your in-country agent to determine if you are eligible and receive the application materials. If you wish to return to the same company at which you completed an internship before, your new training should be different from the original training. Your training plan should demonstrate that you are learning new and different skills, perhaps training in a different department. We are unable to support repeat programs that cover the same material as your first program.

212(e) – Home Country Physical Presence Requirement

You may be subject to the U.S. government’s home country physical presence requirement (section 212(e) of the U.S. Immigration & Nationality Act). This requires participants to return to their home country for a minimum of two years before returning to the U.S. on certain types of visas. (H, K, L and legal permanent resident) though usually not another J-1 visa. If you are subject to 212(e) it is advisable to contact the embassy to confirm your eligibility for another J-1 visa program.

Participants are typically subject to the requirement because of one of the following reasons:

Their field of training is on their country’s Exchange Visitor Skills List (see below)
The participant received government funding for their program

This requirement is applied at the sole discretion of the Consular Officer performing your visa interview. They will mark it on your J-1 Visa and DS-2019. They should also inform you of the reason why you are subject to the requirement. For more information visit http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/info/info_1288.html.

Exchange Visitor Skills List

The Exchange Visitor Skills List is a list of fields of specialized knowledge and skills that are deemed necessary for the development of an exchange visitor's home country. When you participate in an Exchange Visitor Program, if your skill is on your country’s Skills List, you are required by the program regulations to return to your home country for two years at the end of your program.

More information on the Exchange Visitor Skills List can be found at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_4514.html.

Live / Work / Play

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I've grown both personally and professionally, in a way that will be a great for my career. Being in the U.S. has given me experience that will be very useful working anywhere in the world. I've grown stronger as a person and believe I can do what I want, and go for it.

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