CORE Program

The  Cultural and Occupational Resource Exchange (CORE) Program places international professionals primarily in the Central Ohio area (USA). The program is coordinated by CIP, which manages the participants' training experience, cultural needs, and compensation. Participants usually live with a host family and participate in arranged cultural activities. Suitable housing arrangements could be made for programs lasting more than 2 months.
 
The participant is responsible for providing round-trip airfare, program administration fee, health insurance, and money for their personal expenses (approximately $200-$500 per month). In most cases, this program is funded through the training site. 
Participant Responsibilities:
  • Providing round-trip airfare
  • Arranging the required health insurance (must be completed upon arrival)
  • Trainee financial agreement to be paid prior to arrival 
  • Provide extra spending money
  • Flexibility and commitment to learning and professional development
 

Our Responsibilities:
  • Assisting with securing a placement in an U.S. organization
  • Creating an individualized training plan (DS-2007 form)
  • Sponsorship for the J-1 training visa by arranging the DS-2019 forms
  • Providing the trainee with an orientation to the U.S. and the affiliate city
  • Assisting with securing room/board either through host family living or apartment living
  • Providing information about local transportation 
  • Assisting with securing health insurance (if needed)
  • Providing cultural and/or educational opportunities
  • Evaluations throughout the program
  • Providing general support to the trainee

You can read about past international professionals who participated in the CORE program here.
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Download the CORE Application here.  
The application must be completed in its entirety in order to be considered!

In case you have any questions in regard to the program or the application process please contact our Director Mark Poeppelman at mpoeppelman@ustogether.us
​How to Apply: If you are interested in applying:
  • Fully complete the CORE Program application in English
  • Clearly type or print on the application form (if we cannot read the application it will not be processed)
  • Include a complete mailing address, home or work telephone number, and active email address
  • Include 1 passport photo with this application
  • Include an American style resume
  • Include copies of your degrees or certificates
  • Include two professional letters of reference

Criteria for Eligibility:
To be eligible for this program you must meet the J-1 Trainee visa requirements:
  • You are at least 21 years old
  • You must apply from your home country
  • You have attained a university degree or professional certificate
  • You have the ability to understand and communicate in English
  • You have at least one year of relevant work experience in the field for which you’re applying
 
U.S. State Department Information: The J-1 trainee visa is one of several visas offered through The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Cultural & Educational Affairs' Exchange Visitor Program. This program provides countless opportunities for international candidates looking to travel and gain experience in the United States. The multifaceted programs enable foreign nationals to come to the U.S. to demonstrate special skills and receive on the job training for different periods of time. Such programs are also intended to increase participants' understanding of American culture and society and to enhance Americans' knowledge of foreign cultures and skills through an open interchange of ideas between participants and their American associates. A key goal of the Fulbright-Hays Act, which authorizes these programs, is that participants will return to their home countries and share their experiences with their countrymen. Click here to find out more about the J-1 trainee visa and other visas offered through the Exchange Visitor Program.
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