Congrats on landing the offer! The company has mentioned you'll be coming in on a J-1 visa and you're wondering what to expect. Fortunately, it's a lot more chill than it is made out to be :)
There are a few key threads we'll worry about: visa stuff, finances and administrative stuff, and housing.
Preface
I'll note that there's 2 guides that were commonly linked to me when it came to living in the US and proved to be very helpful, but I found that the advice listed in them was a tad dated but are still excellent resources. I'm aiming to write a guide that summarizes the high level overview of interning in the US and the key preparation activities as of June 2022.
I'll note that I am not an expert on these things and this is based off my own experiences - your mileage may vary and you take this advice at your own risk.
The unofficial USA intern guide: https://stephenholiday.com/Unofficial-Waterloo-USA-Intern-Guide/
The meticulous USA intern guide: https://anthony-zhang.me/blog/intern-101/
My situation & key assumptions
To provide better advice, I'll tailor my advice to an individual with the following profile:
Canadian Citizen
Going through a J-1 visa process with either Intrax or Cultural Vistas
Familiar with moving around for co-op (i.e. within Canada/Province) - things like booking flights, etc are not covered by this guide
My experience with this process come from when I interned US.
First co-op was with an aerospace company in VT. I had to self-arrange a J-1 visa with cultural vistas
Second co-op was with Tesla in CA, they brought me in on a J-1 visa with Intrax
Visa Stuff
Fortunately, being a Canadian citizen makes the J-1 process quite smooth, provided you're using Intrax or Cultural Vistas. I can't speak for the process with other visa sponsors, but these 2 are the most popular.
After signing
You'll be asked to e-mail/send a few documents and fill in some personal info. The handy ones that you'll be asked to submit are:
Valid passport
Transcript
Resume
You'll also be asked to fill in a questionnaire about your goals and how it relates to your job - follow your sponsors direction and while they don't have to be long, don't make them two-sentence responses either.
You'll occasionally get pinged to docusign a few documents here and there. Of particular note is your DS-7002 which describes your training plan and the types of projects you'll get to work on.
Entering the US
If everything went smoothly, you should have the following documents before you leave:
DS-2019
DS-7002
SEVIS receipt
All you have to do is bring these documents to the border alongside your passport and you're good to go. Your visa sponsor will also have other requirements you need to fulfill (such as checking in), but fortunately they are very light.
Finances & Administrative
As a resident in Canada, chances are you are familiar with the basics of North American banking. The tricky part is getting a US bank account as the banking systems are completely separate.
Before leaving the US
I would recommend opening 2 accounts with your bank in Canada. I know that TD offers both of these services, and I've heard of other banks offering such services too.
A US-based chequings account - this will allow you to receive direct deposits in the United States, and can do with it what you please. You cannot direct deposit into your accounts in Canada.
A Canadian-based US-Dollar credit card - this will allow you to pay for things in USD and transfer CAD to pay the card balance until you're able to open a US credit card (as you will be blocked by not having an SSN)
Arriving into the US
A social security number (SSN) is among the most important numbers you'll have in the United States and is required for many things. You'll need to get it as well for tax purposes. I recommend getting it as soon as possible - your J-1 visa sponsor will provide instructions on how to get an SSN.
Once you get your SSN, you'll be able to signup for an American credit card, which I recommend to start building credit and avoid hefty exchange fees. You'll also be able to sign up for Zelle (American equivalent e-Transfer) and Venmo.
Leaving the US
Taxes are something you'll have to worry about. I'll be honest, I just paid H&R block ~$100 to do them for me and didn't worry too much about it.
Housing
Finding housing in the US is fairly similar to Canada - Facebook groups are a popular way of finding housing to live in, as well as leasing sites such as Zillow. A hidden tip for housing is to connect with current interns and ask about how they figured out their housing situation and work from there.
I recall there being a rule that you need to be within 30 miles of your host company's address to live there.
FAQ
Do I need to get an American drivers' licence?
It depends on how long you intend to live there alongside state regulations, but usually no for short term duration. I'd recommend double checking this with your specific state.
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