Recently, opportunities to work in the U.S. have become extremely limited. One relatively easy option, which has not been widely used—perhaps because it is less well known—is the J-1 visa for interns or trainees. With this visa, one can go to the U.S. quickly and easily for up to 12 or 18 months to do an internship, gain new skills, and experience American life. This visa is issued in less than a month and allows you to be paid, but you must have already found a company where you will do the internship or training.

For the intern visa, you must be a student at a university outside the U.S. or have graduated within the last 12 months. For the trainee visa, you must have a degree and at least one year of work experience outside the U.S. in your field—or, if you don’t have a degree, at least five years of work experience in the area where you want to do training. The intern visa lasts up to 12 months, while the trainee visa lasts up to 18 months. The work must be specialized and should not involve contact with patients, children, or the elderly—most fields are suitable. There is no age limit for these visas, as long as you are over 18.

For Greek citizens, the J-1 intern/trainee visa generally does **NOT** require a two-year return to the home country. This requirement applies to different J-1 visas that involve participation in Government Funded Exchange Programs, Specialized Knowledge or Skill (which does not apply to Greeks), or Graduate Medical Education/Training.