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Arrival Guide United States of AmericaArrival Notification:If you have not already (or as soon as you have it), upload your flight ticket, J-1 visa scan, andinsurance ID card via: www.worldwideinternships.org/arrival. Register at least 48 hours beforeyour departure date. You will also have the opportunity at this stage to evaluate our service thusfar!**If you are Filipino, you will need to wait to receive your J-1 visa first, and then you will book yourPre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) with the Commission of Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Afterattending the PDOS, you will be able to purchase your flight ticket.Flight ticket: Here are some websites where you can find good deals on flights:o www.kayak.como www.google.com/flightso www.skyscanner.como Southwest Airlines, Jet Blue, and Frontier are budget airlines within the USAInsurance: For the USA Program, your insurance is automatically included in your program.Be on the lookout for an email from your visa sponsor that will contain your insuranceidentification card. If you do not receive it before your departure, you must notify yourcoordinator immediately.Always carry a copy of your insurance ID card with you, physically and digitally.Be sure to call your insurance provider to ensure your medical service is covered beforegoing to the doctor, when possible.o IMPORTANT: Pre-existing conditions are NOT covered under these insurancepolicies. Please note that health care in the USA is very expensive. For any nonemergency procedure, be sure to check with your insurance provider first to makesure you won’t be responsible for the entire bill. A pre-existing condition is:any condition for which the patient has already received medical advice ortreatment prior to enrollment in a new medical insurance plan. Examples include:asthma, diabetes, or heart disease.o When you call the insurance provider, ask them what any procedure will cost byphone. When the insurance provider tells you which hospital to go to, call them aswell to find out what that procedure usually costs and if it would be covered by yourprovider.o Be sure to bring any medications you may need for the entirety of your program.In case of an urgent medical emergency situation, dial 911 to call for an ambulance.The US government requires certain criteria to be met regarding the insurance. The criteriais listed below:o Medical benefits of at least 100,000USD per accident or illnesso Repatriation of remains in the amount of 25,000USDo Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the J-1 visitor to his or herhome country in the amount of 50,000USDBangkok Barcelona Mexico Citywww.worldwideinternships.orgPrivacy Policy · Aviso de privacidad
oA deductible not to exceed 500USD per accident or illnessVisa Sponsor Arrival NotificationWhen you have your flight details ready, you will use the above link to notify Worldwide Internships.HOWEVER, you are also expected to directly notify your visa sponsor upon arrival. If your visasponsor is: Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE):o Call CIEE to register in SEVIS. The phone number is 1-888-268-6245. American Hospitality Academy (AHA): You will need to watch the following anhospitalityacademy.com/intern application login.php - you will alsoreceive this information via emailo Maker/d171167410kP653070768o2l1/j1-aha-wayo Top 10 items to succeed in your program - atyour-programo Top 10 items to know living in the USA - ing-inthe-usa Intrax: You will need to login into your MyIntrax and complete your check-in on the rightside of the page.**If your visa sponsor is not listed, you should simply be on the lookout for an email from themas to what steps you will need to follow to do your SEVIS check-in. If you are unsure, ask yourcoordinator.SEVIS/Arrival to the USA When you arrive, be sure you use your J-1 information to enter, NOT your tourist visaUpon entry, you will be registered in the I-94 system automaticallyhttps://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home (you will need this website to register for your socialsecurity number)Due to the wide variety of internship locations we offer in the USA, airport pick-up is rarelyoffered.If there will be someone at the airport to pick you up, we will specifically let you know. Weshare your arrival details with the host company in advance, so they will know to be awaitingyour first day of your internship.Even though we will be informing the host company of your arrival with notice, be advisedthat your main host company contact can also be found in your DS-7002 form and yourDS-2019 form.If airport arrival service and complimentary hotel stay is not included by your host company,plan to arrive directly to an Airbnb, Hostel, or other affordable lodging while you arrive andbegin your housing search.Take a taxi and go to the accommodation you planned to stay ino You can take Uber, Lyft, a taxi, or public transit (i.e. bus, metro)o Price for any of them can vary widely as some airports are not located near themetropolitan areao Plan to spend 20-50USD depending on the transportation option you chooseBangkok Barcelona Mexico Citywww.worldwideinternships.orgPrivacy Policy · Aviso de privacidad
Social Security Number (SSN) After you do your SEVIS check-in you must wait from 3 to 5 days to apply for your socialsecurity card.You will be able to start interning as soon as you have proof of your Social Securityapplication. This is proof that you have been registered as a U.S. Taxpayer.IMPORTANT: You will be able to start your internship as soon as you have proof ofregistration, but you won’t be able to receive your stipend until 3 to 6 weeks later, whenyou receive your actual SSN.Most offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-4:30pm and are busiestbetween the hours of 11:00am-2:00pm. If your host company does not take you directly tothe Social Security office, you can visit https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp to find yournearest office.To apply for your SSN, please bring the following: Passport, visa, DS-2019 Offer letter Training plan DS-7002 Social security number application (https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf) I-94 (https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/) (the host company may be able to help you print these)*You may not be asked for all these documents, but better be safe and bring them ALL!*If you have any questions, please call the Social Security Administration’s toll-free number:1.800.772.1213. Or, visit their website at: www.ssa.gov.Visa, legal and important documents:1. Have a virtual Print the following documents and bring them along with you:o Insurance policyo Passport and J-1 visao DS-2019 and DS-7002o Support letter of university (bring a copy if still enrolled)o Emergency contact information (last page of this guide)Temporary Accommodation & Housing Plan to stay in temporary accommodation upon arrival (unless the host company hasmentioned it is included in your internship)We usually recommend one of these safe budget options, depending on availability:o Airbnbo Hosteling Internationalo MotelsWe always advise candidates to not make any housing deposits or contacts from abroad;wait to see the housing in person before making any payments or transfers.Be sure to read any and all contracts in their entirety, and let your coordinator know if thereis something in the housing contract you don’t understand before signing itEnsure that the property manager comes to inspect it between the last tenants leaving andyour arrival; do not pay your security deposit until you are sure the property is in the rightshapeBangkok Barcelona Mexico Citywww.worldwideinternships.orgPrivacy Policy · Aviso de privacidad
Take photos upon arrival of EVERYTHING and if you notice something is damaged or missing,report it to the property manager immediately; if they don’t take any action, we do notrecommend you live thereWe also recommend that you sign a roommate agreement upon arrival. See an example g/sample.roommate.agreement.pdfIf you’d like to research some local options so you have a better idea of where to start onceyou arrive, you can check the following suggestions:o Local Facebook housing groups (search for your city and “housing subleases” or“apartments for rent”)o You may wish to try search for local “student housing” - these accommodations areless likely to ask for your credit score when applying to live thereo Craigslist.org in the section of subleaseso expat-housing-usa.como Hotpads.como Myaspenheights.como Easyroommate.como Roomiapp.como 4stay.comMoney and budget: We recommend you to have 1,500USD available to you upon arrival (does not need to be incash)We recommend you to bring your debit card and withdraw money in the USAYou will be able to withdraw money from ATM as long as your card is “Visa” or“Mastercard”. The commission varies by ATM but can be 1-6USD per transaction.You can expect to spend between 500USD and 1,500USD in your first month, depending onthe location of your internship. Find a useful budgeting guide here: bit.ly/CoLUSAYou can see the currency exchange here: www.xe.comGeneral living expenses per month:o Food:150-200USDo Transportation:50-100USDo Rent (shared):500-800USDo Others:200-400USDo Total:900-1,500USDInternet and apps: Get cell phone coverage:o Some visa sponsors may include a SIM card in your DS package; if they do, go aheadand activate it, if not, you may choose one of the following options (this list is notcomprehensive): Verizon AT&T T Mobile Sprint Metro PCS Wal-mart Straight Talko Internet packages in the USA can be very expensive compared to other countries;you can expect to spend 30-50USD a month for a decent package. plan to use WiFi when possible to minimize costsBangkok Barcelona Mexico Citywww.worldwideinternships.orgPrivacy Policy · Aviso de privacidad
APPS:o “WhatsApp”: this may make it easier for you to communicate with family membersback homeo “Uber”: on-demand taxi serviceso DuoLingo: It is an app that will allow you to practice English in your free timeo Yelp/FourSquare: helps you find restaurants, stores and other stores near to you.o Wally: helps you keep better control of your finances while you are abroad.o Another good tip is to download the local transportation app so you can seetimetables of metro, bus and train transportation.Top 5 Tips:1. Americans may come off as noisy, rude, or inattentive: don’t be put-off, they are friendlywhen you get down to it!2. Americans typically greet each other with a handshake3. Don’t worry about making mistakes when speaking English, people know you are there tolearn4. Study up on American slang phrases so you know what people are saying to you; sometimesthey don’t realize something might not make sense to you. You can find some exampleshere: IDK (I don’t know), FYI (for your information), ASAP (as soon as possible), OMG (oh mygod), see ya (goodbye), What’s up (how are you), buck (a dollar). You can learn more -training-usa/2014/11/03/american-slang/5. Things are likely to be much more expensive than what you are used to. Be sure to prepareyour monthly and weekly budgets so you can plan your expenses properly.Alcohol, drugs, and other tips:1.2.3.4.Drink responsibly, and make sure you are obeying any and all drinking laws. The legaldrinking age in USA is 21 years old, and drinking in public spaces is strictly prohibited.Using, selling, or possessing illegal drugs (even in states where cannabis may be legal) cancarry heavy fines or even jail time, or lead to you being dismissed from your program. You’veinvested a lot of time and money in to this program; don’t take the risk!Always bring a copy of your passport and visa on your wallet.Stay safe, you don’t want to jeopardize your program, you are an ambassador for yourcountry! Make them proud.Bangkok Barcelona Mexico Citywww.worldwideinternships.orgPrivacy Policy · Aviso de privacidad
o A deductible not to exceed 500USD per accident or illness Visa Sponsor Arrival Notification When you have your flight details ready, you will use the above link to notify Worldwide Internships. HOWEVER, you are also expected to directly notify your visa sponsor upon arrival. If your visa sponsor is: Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE): o Call CIEE to register in SEVIS .
