Travel Guide / USA
Seattle guide: Where to do your J1, Grad visa or US internship
USIT Staff
Jul 9
Sleepless nights on where to work or intern in the USA? Meet Seattle.
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USIT Grad USA
USA Graduate program
Just graduated? Hats off! Put what’s on paper into practice with a year working in your academic field in America – with the flexibility to find your position when you arrive.
Find out
if I'm eligible?
Hear from Navigating New York host, Sophie Colgan, at our 22 Jan Dublin grad event! Check Events for more
Stand out and see the world
Why do USIT Grad USA?
If this was a Friends episode, it would be ‘The One That Almost Got Away.’ Why? Because you only have 12 months from your grad cert date to enter the USA on this one-time visa. The bridge between college and your career, Grad USA is the chance to put all your academic achievements into practice – to learn from leaders in your field, globalise your CV, and jumpstart your professional training.
Why do it with USIT?
US sponsorship
Founded by Irish students, USIT has been running work and travel programs to the USA since 1959. Together with our long-standing US partner, we provide the sponsorship and visa support to work in the States for up to one year.
Placement advice
Unique to this visa, you must find your position within 90 days of arriving in the US. Before you go, our team can dive into your degree and advise on the types of graduate positions you can do and companies you should target.
Internship resources
From defining your career goals to converting your CV to an American resume - you'll find start to finish guidance on sourcing your position on our Intern Hub. Plus, a directory of US employers where past Irish participants have interned.
Aged 18+
Graduate-only visa
1-year US sponsorship
Intern anywhere in the USA
CV and placement resources
90 days to find a position
€1,999
Holly, USIT Grad USA Intern
at Warner Music Group in NYC
"I decided to do the USIT grad visa because I figured I had to become an adult when I finished college, and I may as well do it in one of the coolest cities in the world.”
Need to know
1-year Grad USA | €1,999
What is Grad USA?
Exclusive to Ireland, this US graduate visa allows Irish students and grads to work in the USA for up to a year in professional internships related to your field of study. You can work anywhere in the USA, doing paid or unpaid positions, and you’re not limited to one year-long internship. You can do multiple shorter placements with 30 days of travel permitted in-between – giving you the freedom to live on different coasts, travel around the States, and add more varied work experience to your CV.
Reasons to do Grad USA
Professional experience
Getting practical work experience can be essential to nailing that first job after college. You’ll get hands-on industry expertise – learning from experts outside a lecture hall. Plus, secure that all-important employee reference for your CV.
Cultural exposure
In an interconnected world, having a global POV is important when starting your career. By working overseas you'll get exposure to different business practices, cultural environments and industry opportunities that aren't available in Ireland.
Experience America
Representing every sector and size of business, America is the leading place in the world to intern – and has an established internship culture to match. You'll get to live like a local in the city of your choice – growing personally as well as professionally.
Eligibility
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Who can apply
To go on this program, you must:
- Have an Irish passport
- Be 18+ years old
And be able to fulfil one of the below student requirements:
- If you’re a final year student you can apply for the Grad USA visa program now and travel any time after you’ve received your final exam results and passed your degree.
- If you’ve already graduated you must enter the USA within 12 months of the date on your graduation certificate. You must have done a full-time academic course in a recognised Irish university or college including Northern Ireland (running for at least two years) that will ultimately lead to a degree or higher qualification (Level 6 Major Award on Qualifax). If you have completed a Level 6 Major Award, then at least 50% of coursework must be academic. Unfortunately, online, special purpose, springboard or professionally awarded degrees such as ACCA or FE1 are not eligible.
- If you’re a Masters student you must enter the USA within 12 months of the date on your graduation certificate.
- If you’re a resident in Northern Ireland but hold an Irish passport and have graduated from an Irish university, you may still be eligible for this program. Please contact the team on workusa@usit.ie before you book.
When to apply
On this visa, you must enter the USA within 12 months of your grad cert date. For example, if your grad cert date is 15 September, you must enter the USA by 14 September the following year. However, it can take around 12 weeks to go through the visa and sponsorship process, so you'd need to be applying in the June.
Other US programs
If you haven’t graduated yet and are looking for a summer internship or an internship as part of your course, check out our Internship USA program. If you’re not a student, look at our Trainee USA program or give the team a call to chat through your options.
Internships
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What you can do
About your internship
Your internship must be related to your area of study and you must find your internship when you're in the USA - within 90 days of arriving. Internships can be paid or unpaid, and you're not restricted to one 12-month internship. You can do multiple shorter internships - with 30 days to travel between positions.
How much you can expect to earn
If your internship is paid, the salary will be negotiated directly with your host company, and will vary depending on the city and company you intern for. You can typically expect to earn between USD $2,100-6,500 a month.
Help finding your internship
Although you have to secure your placement when you arrive, you're not alone! We'll work with you to look at your academic experience and what direction you want your career to take. Based on past participants who’ve interned in the USA with the same degree, we can shortlist companies for you to target. Plus, you'll have access to our Intern Hub.
Created by our Intern Team, you'll find step-by-step guidance on how to source your position - plus, handy downloadable templates for emails, resumes, visa letters and more. You'll also find a directory of US employers that have taken on past interns from this program. Hosted on our JENZA Travel Group parent site, check out our free Intern Hub resources here.
Considering NYC?
If you're looking to settle in New York, we also include a one-year membership to the IBO (Irish Business Organization) of New York. The IBO provide evening networking opportunities, monthly Zoom breakfast meetings and member-only events.
Approving your internship
On this type of visa, you are responsible for securing your own internships and have 90 days when you land in the USA to find a position and have it approved by the US sponsor. This is to ensure that your placements meet visa and labour requirements. This may include site visits to your prospective employer, which are covered in your program fee.
Industries
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Where you can do it
Industries you can work in
Popular industries for Irish graduates to work in America are construction, engineering, tech, politics, law, finance, science, architecture, media, publishing, marketing and fashion – but you can intern in any field as long as it is related to your education. Previous participants have done everything from script editing at Universal Studios to assisting at the Federal Attorneys Office.
Industries not permitted on this visa
There are some roles within certain industries such as agriculture, teaching and medicine that aren’t permitted, but our Grad USA team will be able to guide you around these restrictions and help you find a position within that industry that is likely to be approved by our sponsor. For more on the industries you can intern in, check out our FAQs.
Where you can work
Popular destinations for Irish graduates are New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco – but you can live and work anywhere in the States on this visa. You also don’t have to stay in one place. You could have a fairytale winter interning in New York and an all-American summer working in LA, with a classic road trip in-between.
Just remember… The ethos of the Grad USA program is to gain experience in your field of study and bring that experience home to Ireland at the end of your visa. If you wish to pursue a career in the USA, please do not apply for this visa. Participants should not view this program as an avenue to obtaining a full time or long-term position with an employer.
How it works
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Let’s go
The Grad USA process can be complex and can take up to 12 weeks in total. However, the payoff to spend a year growing your professional skills and having the time of your life in the States is worth it. We're pros at career coaching and form filling, so will guide you through it step-by-step.
1. Book your place
Check you’re eligible in the tab above, book your place and wait for us to give you a quick call to check your suitability for the program. If the Grad USA program isn’t right for you, we can point you in the direction of other USIT America visas that could work for you.
2. Resume review
You can then set up a coaching call via your online account where we’ll go through your education history, CV and advise on internship options and companies you can reach out to when you land.
3. Forms and flights
We’ll order your work papers (DS2019 and SEVIS receipt) from your US sponsor in the USA and the sponsor will review your documents and access your application, this may take up to 10 business days.
4. Pre-departure pack
Once your application is approved by the US sponsor, your work papers (DS2019) will ordered and sent to you digitally once you have paid in full.
5. US Embassy interview
You're off to the US Embassy! This interview and a 5-7 day review of your passport will provide them with the information they need to issue your visa. Once approved you can then book your flights.
6. Online orientation
A Department of State requirement, you must complete an online orientation with your US Sponsor before you go. This is to get you fully prepped for life in America.
7. Land in the USA
Your US sponsor are our partner on the ground and are in-country and on hand 24/7 to support you during your stay. From the date you land, you’ll have 90 days to find your first internship and have it approved.
What’s included
Everything you need to get sponsored and have a game-changing year living in the USA.
Grad USA inclusions
- Sponsorship by our US Sponsor to intern anywhere in the USA for up to 1 year in your academic field
- Issuing of your Certificate of Eligibility (DS2019) and sponsorship paperwork
- 1-on-1 support applying for your J1 visa and prepping for your US embassy interview
- SEVIS – a mandatory US government tracking fee worth USD $220
- Career coaching, CV and cover letter review from the Grad USA team
- Access to free resources and US employer directory on our Intern Hub
- IBO (Irish Business Organization) of New York membership for virtual and in-person networking opportunities.
- Pre-departure online orientation from your US Sponsor to make sure you’re US ready
- 24/7 support from your US sponsor the whole time you're on US soil
What’s not included
US visa fee Irish passport holders
This is paid directly to the US Embassy and currently costs USD $185.
Travel insurance
To cover against cancellation, we recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance as soon as you book.
Flights
We don’t recommend booking flights until your visa is approved.
Where are they now
The career benefits of Grad USA
"You can have all the degrees in the world. Because I had that New York experience, that was invaluable. They had so many people applying for the same position that just might have been straight from college that wouldn't have had the upper hand that I had and the connections that I made." Watch where Sean, one of our Grad USA alumni, is now.
Music to our ears
What internships can you do
Other than some restrictions in industries such as agriculture, teaching and medicine, you can work in most fields - as long as it is connected to your degree. Watch Holly's story - who landed an internship working in HR at Warner Music Group where she gets to work between New York, Nashville and LA.
Earn some dough
How to find your internship
Our team are on hand with coaching and advice, but when finding your position, it pays to get creative. Work on your resume game, utilise your uni career service and personal contacts, and set up profiles on Indeed and LinkedIn. Take Euan, who when looking for an accountancy position in NYC, used his loaf and reached out to the bakery that employed him on his summer J1.
Meet Sophie Colgan
Host of Navigating New York
If anyone knows their way around moving to the US on a graduate visa, it's Navigating New York host - Sophie Colgan. We’re excited to announce that Sophie will be flying in to speak at our in-person Grad USA event on 22 Jan at the Gresham Hotel, Dublin! Sophie is a graduate visa alumni who’s been living in NYC for the past 10 years. She’s built a successful career in the US, establishing herself as host of the popular podcast Navigating New York - which highlights the stories of Irish immigrants in NYC. A skilled Charity Auctioneer, MC and Event and Fundraising Consultant - her success in the US reflects her deep connection to the Irish community.
The USIT blog
Where to do your Grad USA visa
Events
All the insider intel from our team
Grad USA | Everything you need to know
Virtual travel talk | 20 Feb @ 17:30 GMT
Final year student or recent grad? Turn your academic achievements into professional work experience with our 1-year Grad USA program. Get the intel from our team on what visa you need, what cities you can work in, and what roles you can do.
Grad USA | In-person info event
22 Jan @ 18:15 GMT | Gresham Hotel Dublin
We're stoked to announce that Sophie Colgan - graduate visa alumni and host of Navigating New York - will be speaking at our in-person Dublin event! Don’t miss this opportunity to get firsthand advice on making it in America. Get your free ticket now.
View all events
Ask the experts
Just graduated and wondering what’s next?
It’s okay to not have your future all mapped out – that’s what your year interning in America is for. Our Grad USA team will help you focus on what it is you want to achieve with your internship and help with everything you need to get there. Book a video call with the team today.
More ways to make it in America
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