Important:
Academic training is a type of off-campus work authorization that allows J-1 students to participate in employment, internships, or practicum in the student’s major field of study that will enhance or enrich the academic knowledge with practical experience. It is considered to be an integral and important part of the overall experience for international students, and you are encouraged to engage in some type of academic training.
The training may be taken during the course of study, after completion of your course of study, or a combination of these. If participating after your course of study please keep the following in mind:
Academic training may be paid or unpaid. If you are interested, make an appointment to talk with your International Student Advisor to explore prospective training opportunities and whether they may meet the requirements of the J regulations.
Click on the following topics to learn more:
To be considered for academic training, you must meet the following requirements:
J-1 students who are issued a DS-2019 by another agency (Fulbright or ISEP, for instance), must check with their sponsor for employment eligibility.
There is no set application deadline to apply for academic training during the semester. However, before you begin your internship training, you must allow enough time to receive approval from both your Academic Advisor and the International Student Advisor.
The priority application deadline for fall semester is December 1 and for spring semester is May 1. If the deadline is near, and you are waiting for a job offer, tell the International Student Advisor. You may still be able to apply.
Important: It is illegal to begin employment before your academic training is authorized. Follow these steps to become authorized to begin academic training:
EXTENSION: IF PART OR ALL OF YOUR INTERNSHIP/EMPLOYMENT WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER YOUR SDSU PROGRAM END DATE, FOLLOW THESE ADDITIONAL STEPS:
The amount of time a student may spend in academic training varies, depending on the student.
The training period is generally limited to the time spent in your course of study, unless the training is mandatory to complete your course of study.
The following time limitations also apply:
When can I start employment?
You can only begin the training opportunity on the AT start date shown on your new DS-2019 after receiving it from the ISC. If you work before receiving AT authorization, you are in violation of your J-1 visa which is grounds for termination of your SEVIS immigration record. This could result in your immediate return to your home country, an inability to finish your program at SDSU, and/or problems when applying for a new U.S. visa or trying to re-enter the U.S. in the future. AT cannot be backdated to include illegal work that was performed before it was authorized by the ISC.
Processing Time
After uploading the required completed AT documents to our Academic Training Application Submission Form, AT processing is 7 business days, provided all documents are completed and correct.
For students who do not have a Social Security Number (SSN) and are outside San Diego, allow additional time to receive your AT DS-2019 in the mail after it is processed.
Academic Training during SDSU Exchange Program
During your SDSU exchange and when class is in session, you may work part-time (up to 20 hours per week) on Academic Training. There is no minimum hour requirement. If working a campus job, a maximum of 20 hours per week is allowed between on-campus and off-campus employment.
During the summer and official school breaks, full-time Academic Training is allowed with authorization, and on-campus employment does not impact this.
Academic Training AFTER SDSU Exchange Program
Full-time Academic Training is allowed with authorization after your SDSU Exchange program. A minimum of 20 hours per week is required to be eligible for Academic Training.
Before you depart the U.S., you should confirm that you have the required documentation to travel to other countries and re-enter the U.S. If you depart the U.S. without a required document or travel signature, you could find that you are unable to re-enter the U.S. Please make sure you have the following documents available for travel:
Students are required to report all changes in employment and personal information in order to maintain their J1 immigration record in SEVIS. Please report the below items to the ISC through the J-1 Academic Training Form:
Program Evaluation
Within 30 days of your academic training ending, you'll need to submit a program evaluation through the J-1 Academic Training Reporting Form
Grace Period
Only applicable to students participating in post Academic Training:
After completion of your Academic Training, you will have a 30 day grace period to depart the country. Please note you are not legal to continue working during your grace period. You must stop working on the exact end date indicated on your DS-2019, from the end date you will have 30 additional days to prepare your things and depart the country.
International students on the J-1 Exchange Visitor status who wish to pursue an internship in their major are required to obtain approval from their Academic Deparment or Major Advisor recommending the training.
In order to meet the requirements of the J-1 federal regulations, the training must be:
Both the student’s Academic/Major Advisor and the International Student Advisor must approve the proposed training program. The student must have a guaranteed training offer before they can be authorized for the academic training.
Important: If you believe the student’s request does not meet the above criteria, the student is not eligible for the proposed training at this time, and no letter is required.
Thank you very much for your consideration of this request. If you have questions, please contact the International Student Center (ISC).
You must have a Social Security number to work in the U.S. After you have been authorized for academic training, follow these instructions to get a Social Security Number.