Student-interns are strictly prohibited from finding work outside the University of Minnesota or receiving payment that is not directly related to their internship.
UMN Payment
If your DS-7002 and DS-2019 states your program sponsor is the “University of Minnesota,” you are permitted to receive payment from your UMN hosting department for the student-intern training activities that are detailed on the DS-7002.
If your hosting department wishes to provide you funding after you arrive at UMN, you must ensure that your DS-7002 and DS-2019 are updated accordingly. To do this:
- Your UMN hosting department must complete the Continuing Student-Intern DS-7002 and DS-2019 Request.
- Your UMN hosting department must submit the completed request with a copy of your UMN offer/funding letter to [email protected]. Please allow 1-2 weeks of processing for the updated DS-7002 and DS-2019.
Student-interns cannot have other jobs or receive other payments from the University of Minnesota.
Non-UMN Department Payment
J-1 student-interns are strictly prohibited from finding work that is not directly related to their student-internship training activities (such as part-time work at a local coffee shop). As such, you are not permitted to receive payment from any U.S. entity other than from your UMN hosting department.
Occasional Lectures and Short-term Consultations
Student-interns cannot receive payment for occasional lectures or short-term consultations. This kind of work authorization is only for exchange visitors who have expertise in their field. Because student-interns are training in their field of study and therefore are not experts, they are not eligible for this kind of work authorization.
Permanent Sites of Activity
In rare circumstances, a student-intern’s hosting department might require a student-intern to perform their training activities on a continuous basis at an additional site of activity other than at UMN. The UMN Faculty Mentor or host department must consult with ISSS to discuss the individual case and to request authorization.
As this would be considered a significant change to the student-intern’s training plan, your faculty-mentor and hosting department will be required to initiate the process to obtain a new DS-7002 and DS-2019.
