The starting point: education and experience
Intern generally serves qualifying full-time students at post-secondary institutions outside the US, or qualifying graduates whose programme will begin no more than 12 months after graduation. Your field of study connects to the work you will undertake.
Trainee generally considers a qualifying foreign post-secondary degree or professional certificate plus at least one year of related experience outside the US, or at least five years of relevant experience outside the US. The five-year branch does not require a degree.
The purpose of the proposed work
For Intern, the experience connects academic preparation with practical professional development. For Trainee, the proposed training should add skills and understanding beyond existing work. Neither category is simply a way to take any ordinary job in the United States.
A useful programme description explains supervision, tasks and learning goals. Software testing, financial reporting, design documentation and research can be relevant examples where they fit the candidate and approved plan. Patient care, ordinary casual labour and independent legal practice are outside this service.
Duration and commitments
Intern normally has a maximum of 12 months. Trainee can be up to 18 months where the category and sponsor permit it, with shorter limits applying in some circumstances. Do not assume that an Intern candidate can obtain 18 months by choosing a different label.
Standard Intern and Trainee training is full-time, at least 32 hours per week. The host and training plan must be arranged before the relevant programme documentation is issued. Duration preferences need to be considered alongside the actual work and your commitments.
Matching support or an existing host
Either potential category can involve help finding a suitable host or coordination around a host you have independently identified. Own-host support is a service route, not a separate immigration category. The candidate, host and training plan still require acceptance.
Aureus coordinates the agreed application and programme steps. Appropriate designated sponsors perform their formal responsibilities. Host compensation and programme fees are separate; the individual offer and agreement explain each.
What to prepare for review
Have your institution country, qualification, subject, exact graduation date where relevant and related outside-US experience ready. Explain the work you want to develop towards. If timing falls near a recent-graduate boundary, month-only dates are not enough to make a confident determination.
Official sources for programme requirements. Reviewed 10 November 2026 where recorded in our source register.