Academic Training
Academic Training (AT) is:
- An opportunity for J-1 students to engage in paid or unpaid off-campus training in the United States to gain professional experience directly related to their major before and after completion of their academic program.
- Employer and date-specific*
- Full or part-time
- Can be authorized for a time equal to your time enrolled at the university (18-month maximum).
- One-semester exchange students are eligible for four months of AT
*Self-employment is not permitted.
J-1 Students sponsored by Bentley University may be authorized for AT for the amount of time equal to their time enrolled at the university (18 months maximum). One-semester exchange students are eligible for four months of academic training, and one-year exchange students are eligible for nine to 12 months. Students on AT remain in active J-1 status and must report changes in contact/address information or training experience to CISS.
J-1 students not sponsored by Bentley University (i.e., Fulbright Scholars) must contact their sponsoring program for information.
- You must be in good academic standing
- You must have a job/training offer directly related to your major field of study, which is at least 60% in-person
- Your AT must begin no later than 30 days after the completion of your studies
- You must obtain approval for Academic Training BEFORE the end date of the program listed on the Form DS-2019
- You must continue to maintain your health insurance that meets regulatory requirements while on Academic Training. (See “Maintaining Your J-1 Status: Information and Requirements”) You may need to purchase additional health insurance to cover you for the entire period of your AT.
- There are various health insurance companies that work with international student and scholars. While we cannot endorse any one company here are a few options for coverage after your student insurance ends.
- Speak with your Academic Advisor regarding your Academic Training opportunity
- Receive a job offer letter that includes the following information:
- Official Company Name (no acronyms or abbreviations)
- Address of the employer-This should be the address where you will be reporting to work and must include city, state, and zip code.
- For remote/hybrid work: list your employer’s office address and the remote address where you will be working.
- Exact start and end dates of the training
- Position, title, and description of responsibilities
- Number of hours per week: 20 hours or less = part-time, 21 hours or more = full-time
- Submit an “Academic Training Request” in the CISS portal.
- Upload a copy of your offer letter
- Indicate the name and email address of your Academic Advisor- an email will be sent to your Academic Advisor asking them to confirm that the training is related to your studies
If the AT Request is approved, CISS will issue you a new Form DS-2019 within 5-7 days with the dates of the approved AT and a J-1 Employment Authorization Letter.
AT is employer and date specific. If you plan to change your training in any way, including position, dates of training, salary, location, training description, etc., you must:
- Request approval from CISS or your Program Sponsor. CISS or your Program Sponsor must approve all changes before the change.
- Submit a new Academic Training Request in the CISS Portal.
If you fail to report changes in training and obtain the proper training authorization, you will violate your J-1 immigration status.
After you complete your Academic Training (AT), you must submit an AT Evaluation. This evaluation is used to assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of the Academic Training in achieving the stated goals and objectives described in your initial application.
The evaluation must be submitted at the end of the authorized Academic Training period. You can submit the " Academic Training Post Completion Evaluation " Request in the CISS Portal.