Visa Types
Internships/Training/Exchange Visitors
Researcher, medical resident, trainee, au pair, and exchange visitor applicants must immediately identify themselves as such to the call center in order to get a timely appointment.
Please bring the following documents to the visa interview:
- Passport
- One photo
- Application fee (mandat de compte)
- Self-addressed Chronopost envelope
- DS-156
- DS-157
- DS-158
- Original DS-2019 (issued by the sponsoring organization)
- Proof of payment of SEVIS Fee
- Documentation supporting your visa application
Interns, trainees, and student interns are also required to provide a DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan.
Additional application information for J - Exchange Visitor
If your primary purpose is to participate in an exchange program or a fellowship, or to work as an au pair or medical resident, you need a"J" visa. Applicants must have sufficient funds or adequate arrangements to cover their expenses while on an exchange visitor visa (J). The embassy maintains a list of some sponsoring organizations that offer assistance for exchange programs. To qualify for this visa, you need to overcome the presumption in Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that all visa applicants are intending immigrants. You can overcome this presumption by providing evidence that you have strong, binding ties to your home country, which, in this case, is France and that you have no intention of abandoning your residence here. See the list of recommended documentation to support your visa application.
Forms/Procedures
To obtain an exchange visitor visa, an exchange program in the US must first accept you. You must have the correct form (DS 2019), which is generated in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and supplied by the accepting institution, to confirm that you are enrolled. Applications cannot be processed without the appropriate SEVIS form. In addition, every applicant, including spouses and children planning to accompany, must be properly registered with SEVIS. For long-term training programs, US Embassy Paris requires J visa applicants to submit evidence of academic credentials and information on the training program.
Your spouse and children (under the age of 21) are eligible to receive visas to accompany you to the US. They will receive the same type of visas at the same price, provided that evidence of the relationship is submitted (e.g. birth or marriage certificate). The French status ofc oncubinage is not recognized under US law, so persons in this status are not eligible to receive dependent visas.