Hit new career heights in the USA

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Fast track your career

Trainee USA

Live and work in America for up to 20 months on our professional trainee program – without the need for a college degree.

On the fence? 

Let's talk

Missed out on our Grad USA program? Talk to us about Trainee USA instead.

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Only in America

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Why do Trainee USA?

If you have a degree and have started your grad job – but want to accelerate your training. Or if you don’t have a degree and are established in your professional field – but feel like you’ve got as far as you can in Ireland. Then it’s time to take it up a level. Doing a professional traineeship in the USA will put your experience head and shoulders above the rest. You’ll grow your skillset, learn from leaders in your industry, and get world-class experience that can see you move straight into senior leadership roles when you return home.

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Why do it with USIT

USA sponsorship

Sponsorship to live and work anywhere in the USA for up to 18 months - with 30 days either side to travel.

Visa experts

1-on-1 support applying for your trainee visa and prepping for your US Embassy interview.

Placement guidance

CV review and training plan support to make sure you get the most out of your time working in America.

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No age limit

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Graduates and non-graduates

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Work for 1-18 months

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30 days either side to travel

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Excel in your profession

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Ideal if missed out on Grad USA

From €2,445

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What we love

Being able to live and work in the USA for an extended period without a college degree.

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Need to know

Trainee USA | From €2,445

Trainee USA is aimed at helping recent grads and current professionals fast track their career with professional traineeships in America.

The Trainee USA program is designed for graduates with one year’s work experience or non-graduates with five years’ work experience in their professional field to upskill in America. You can work for up to 18 months, anywhere in the States and in most industries from fashion to finance – with previous participants working as Marketing Managers, Civil Engineering Managers and more.

Once you have your position secured, the USIT team take it from there – checking your placement meets the visa criteria, vetting your host company (if required), and starting the process of sponsoring you. When you’re in the States, our long-standing partner CIEE supports you 24/7 – with regular check-ins to make sure your training is on track.

You must be 20+ and be able to fulfil one of the below criteria:

If you don’t have a degree You must have five years’ full-time experience in your professional field. You don’t need to have worked for the same employer, but it must have been in the same industry and have been within the last seven years. Unsure if your experience makes you eligible? Email your CV to enquiries@usit.ie.

If you have a degree

  • You must have done a full-time academic course in a recognised Irish university or college. If you’ve completed a Level 6 Major Award, then at least 50% of coursework must be academic. Unfortunately, online, lifelong, special purpose or distance learning courses are not permitted on this visa.
  • Plus, you must have one year’s full-time work experience or two years’ part time work experience. There must be a clear link between your academic qualifications, work experience and training position.

If you did our 1-year Grad USA program after graduating and want to return to the USA on the Trainee USA program, you must wait two years before applying.

Age There is no age limit for this program – so you could be a graduate with a couple of years work under your belt or have worked a decade or more in your field and be at the top of your game.

When to apply You can apply at any time of the year. Applications usually take around 12 weeks once you’ve secured your trainee position.

What is a training position A training position is any position that shows you are upskilling and developing in your field while receiving supervision. This is not regular employment, and you cannot be filling a labour need or taking a job away from an American worker. Your training position should show a clear progression of skills and rotation throughout your time at your host company.

Duration and salary Depending on the length of your internship, you’ll be issued with a 1-18 month visa with 30 days before and after. The USA has a well-paid traineeship culture, with most US traineeships equalling or exceeding Irish salaries. Your salary will be negotiated directly with your host company and there is no cap to what you can earn on this visa.

Finding your trainee position It’s your responsibility to secure your own traineeship, and most professionals on this program have a clear idea of the organisations they want to target. Our team can help by reviewing your CV and directing you towards companies where past participants have found a placement based on their similar experience and/or qualifications.

Approving your traineeship Your traineeship will be assessed and approved by CIEE, your sponsor, to make sure it meets US visa and labour criteria. Our team will advise all about this and what your training plan (known as DS7002) must include. CIEE may also need to include a site visit to your US employer. Check out our FAQs for more.

Popular industries for Irish professionals to continue their training in the USA are construction, events, engineering, tech, law, finance, science, architecture, media, marketing and fashion – but you can work in most fields as long as it is related to your professional field. Since COVID-19, there has been restrictions on training within the hospitality industry. If you work in hospitality, please contact the team to talk through your experience and go over your options.

There are some roles within certain industries such as agriculture, teaching and medicine that aren’t permitted, but our USIT USA team will be able to guide you on this. For more on restricted industries and positions, check out our FAQs.

Popular destinations for Irish graduates and professionals to do their career training in are New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego – but you can find a placement anywhere in the States. Check out our US city guides for more intel and inspo on where to go, and our guide on finding long-term accommodation.

Our team will support you through the entire process, from help filling in your forms to preparing for your embassy interview. You couldn't be in safer hands.

1. Secure your position Check you’re eligible in the tab above, start your online application and pay your deposit. If you don’t already have a traineeship, talk to the team about where past participants with your experience have found a placement.

2. Book a call Once you have a position secured, you’ll have an in-depth call with our USA team to run through the program, answer any questions, get you set up the sponsor’s system and conduct a phone interview (this is a visa requirement).

3. Assessment by CIEE Your employer will need to fill out your DS7002 Training Plan which will then go to CIEE, our US sponsor, for approval. If your application is approved, your work papers will be issued within 15 business days – or 21 business days if a site visit to your employer’s workplace is required.

4. Pre-departure pack Once CIEE approves your application, we’ll email your DS2019 work papers, SEVIS receipt and DS7002 Training Plan to your home address. You’ll then receive your pre-departure pack by email with all the information you need to schedule your US Embassy appointment.

5. US Embassy interview You're off to the US Embassy! This interview and a 5-7 day review of your passport will provide them with the information they need to issue your visa.

6. Land in the USA Before you go, you’ll complete an online orientation with CIEE to make sure you’re perfectly prepped for life in the USA. CIEE are then on hand 24/7 to support you during your stay.

What’s included

Everything you need to apply for your visa and get the sponsorship to live and work in America for 1-20 months.
  • 1-18 months’ sponsorship by CIEE to work in America, with 30 days before and after to travel
  • Guidance on your Training Plan (DS7002) to help ensure your sponsorship is successful
  • Issuing and shipping of your Certificate of Eligibility (DS2019) to work in America
  • 1-on-1 support applying for your visa and prepping for your US Embassy interview
  • SEVIS – a mandatory US government tracking fee worth USD $220
  • 24/7 support from your sponsor CIEE the whole time you're on US soil
  • Online orientation from the CIEE team to get the lowdown on life in the USA

Your program cost is determined by the length of your traineeship in the US.

0-3 months €2,445 | 4 months €2,489 | 5 months €2,539 | 6 months €2,589 | 7 months €2,629 | 8 months €2,669 | 9 months €2,689 | 10 months €2,729 | 11 months €2,759 | 12 months €2,789 | 13 months €2,819 | 14 months €2,869 | 15 months €2,919 | 16 months €2,949 | 17 months €2,979 | 18 months €2,999 | 19 months €3,049 | 20 months €3,099

Book now pay later

• Deposit of €150 due at the time of application • Second payment of €350 before we apply for your sponsorship paperwork • Full balance due 12 weeks before departure

What’s not included

Flights

We don’t recommend booking flights until your visa is approved.

Site visit

A fee of USD $250 will be added to your program fee if a site visit to your prospective employer's workplace is required.

Travel insurance

To cover against cancellation, we recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance as soon as you book.

US visa fee Irish passport holders

This is paid directly to the US Embassy and currently costs USD $185.

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Travel like a pro

A homerun for your career

Past Trainee USA participants have done training positions at Pinterest, Kerry Group and Hack Media – returning to Ireland with the exposure, networking opportunities and progression they need to excel in their fields.

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Hit new career heights

If you can make it there...

Ask the experts

Wondering which USA program is best for you?

Everything is bigger in America – including the professional training options! USIT has three options to train in the USA – Internship USA, Grad USA and Trainee USA. Book a call with the team and we’ll work out which is best for you.

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More ways to make it in America

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© GenTAO Ltd trading as USIT is a company registered in Dublin, Ireland with Registered Company No. 670958 and registered address at 29-31 South William St, Dublin, Ireland, D02 EY96.