BridgeUSA Host Employers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FAQs
To become a host employer that hires BridgeUSA Intern or Trainee participants, you’ll need to contact CIEE – the largest and oldest nonprofit J-1 sponsor in the United States – to walk you through the process.
Hosting a BridgeUSA Intern or Trainee participant creates a more dynamic professional environment that fosters new ideas and ways of doing business. International interns, trainees, and professionals can help your organization gain insights into countries or regions that you currently do business in. The program can also bridge skill gaps for both short-term projects and long-term opportunities and nurture early-career global talent.
Hundreds of companies host interns with CIEE each year, fulfilling critical workforce needs, fueling innovation and competitiveness, broadening global perspectives, and enhancing community enrichment.
If you have international sister or parent companies, CIEE BridgeUSA programs can also serve as a way to develop talent and facilitate training for international employees.
Yes, there are some restrictions for BridgeUSA participants. These programs require that work be directly related to the employee's field of study or career objectives. The work must also be educational/training in nature rather than purely productive work.
CIEE helps ensure program compliance.
The training plan (or DS-7002) is a U.S. Department of State form that serves as the official outline of the proposed training for BridgeUSA Intern and Trainee programs. Check out our page on training plans for more information.
Employers make the final decision on the international candidates hired. CIEE helps you along the way, but ultimately, the decision is yours to make.
Yes! In fact, CIEE offers our host employers access to our placement program, a personalized process CIEE strategically built to:
- Recruit and manage compliance across 140+ countries, giving you access to candidates who are the best fit for your role
- Pre-screen and vet participants to ensure they meet your skill requirements
- Facilitate the J-1 visa process from start to finish
- Provide ongoing support throughout the program until completion
Yes, many employers that CIEE partners with host multiple participants! CIEE can help coordinate multiple placements and ensure support for all participants.
Yes, employers can choose to hire interns or trainees from specific countries. This may be a benefit to you if you conduct business with certain areas around the world.
CIEE has relationships with institutions and recruitment networks in 140+ countries. With a community this large, CIEE can help you find the employees who are right for you.
You’ll receive ongoing support throughout the placement, and CIEE can help address performance issues or placement concerns. Procedures are in place for handling situations where adjustments may be needed.
CIEE provides 24/7 emergency support for participants and maintains contact protocols for urgent situations. They serve as a key resource for both participants and employers during emergencies.
Participants take part in a comprehensive orientation to help them understand American workplace culture, but as their employer, you should also be prepared to provide workplace-specific cultural guidance.
BridgeUSA Intern and Trainee programs each have their own timelines, which have been determined by the U.S. Department of State:
- Interns can stay up to 14 months in the U.S. That time includes up to 12 months working for a U.S. employer like you, plus an additional month before and after the program to travel the country.
- Trainees can stay up to 20 months in the U.S. That means they can work for an employer like you for up to 18 months, plus travel the country for one month before and after the program if they wish.
Should you want your international employee to stay with your company longer, extensions may be possible. CIEE can work with you to determine if it’s possible.
Yes, BridgeUSA Intern and Trainee participants can work full time – typically anywhere between 32-40 hours per week.
CIEE does not charge employers fees to take part in BridgeUSA Intern and Trainee programs. The participants in our programs pay their way here and the associated costs related to their visa. You do, however, need to pay these employees the same as you would domestic employees.
All participants should be onboarded and paid through payroll just like a domestic intern or trainee. The BridgeUSA program requires employers to pay through:
- Minimum wage based on geographic location
- A $1,500 monthly stipend
No participant can be paid as an independent contractor (using a MISC-1099 tax form). Participants are subject to federal, state, and local income tax, but not Social Security, Medicaid, or federal unemployment tax.
Most interns and trainees will be covered by CIEE insurance.
All paid BridgeUSA interns and trainees must be covered by their host organization’s workers’ compensation policy – unless the organization is exempt by state law.
Yes! If you’re happy with the Gold Standard Service you’ve received from CIEE, we’d be thrilled to continue and expand our relationship with you. CIEE encourages you to share what worked and what didn’t (if anything) over the internship or training opportunity so we can better cater to your needs moving forward.