This is a small guide and help for students or employees that want to go to the United States. For further help contact Lucas Plabst or the international relations team.
Finances:
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Auslandsbafög: Not possible for mandatory Internships because minimum duration is not long enough.
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PROMOS:
- Can be applied for at the International Office, covers some living expenses and probably total travel cost.
- PROMOS Scholarship - International (uni-wuerzburg.de)
- Be sure to check the specific application deadlines
Going to the United States:
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Secure Internship at foreign university. Either find a listing or try just writing to researchers you are interested in
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Receive an invitation letter
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You will need a J1 Visa and a Form DS-2019
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If duration is under 6 months you will count as Short term scholar, if longer then it's a Research Scholar.
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Some costs will occur until you get your VISA:
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Shipping for DS 2019 (depends, but about 50$)
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SEVIS Fee (220 $ at the time of writing)
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DS 160 Fee (160 $ ATTOW)
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You need specific health insurance requirements:
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J-1 Insurance Requirements - Academic Personnel (washington.edu)
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Recommendation: ADAC Auslandskrankenversicherung, Allianz Auslandskrankenversicherung( but always check alternatives as rates vary)
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NOTE: If you have regular Urlaubs or Reise travel insurance, this does usually not count as most vacation insurances do not cover a stay this long.
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SCHOLAR_PreArrivalGuide_2018.pdf (colostate.edu)
Steps for getting a J-1 VISA:
- Get DS 2019 from sponsoring university
- Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee
- Complete and pay the DS-160 form
- Make an appointment at the embassy in Frankfurt.
- Pay Visa application fees.
- Go to your appointment at the embassy This is the make or break point, but under normal circumstances everything should be fine. If you have not been in the US as a tourist in the last few years, you will most likely need to appear in person. Under certain circumstances the interview might be waived and you will only need to drop off all your documents and will get the VISA by mail. If you need to go an interview, best come prepared:
- Bring financial evidence you can pay for your trip.
- Best already bring plane tickets including your flight back out of the US.
- Certain evidence that shows you intend on going back to Germany after your program ends. (Stuff like rental contracts, family, continuing your university studies, work contract etc...). America is really scared of illegal immigrants.
- NOTE: You are not allowed to bring literally anything besides the documents required inside the embassy. So have someone hold your things during the interview outside the embassy. There might be lockers available at some stores around the embassy.
Things to consider when you get there:
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Driving: If you are in the US for longer than 90 days you need to get a license in most states. In practice police probably wont care but its really cheap so do it. Getting a drivers license varies from state to state. In Colorado at least, German drivers do NOT need to retake any exams, you can just pay a small fee and get the license.
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Paying for things:
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In the US, checks are still really prevalent, while the rest of the world moved on. As checks are mostly not easily available, most payments including fees and rent can be done with a credit card.
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If you do not own a credit card be absolutely sure to get one before going to the US! Your regular EC Card will NOT work.
- Recommendation: N26 for good exchange rates with a Girokonto and Debit Card, Barclays for just a free Credit Card.
- NOTE: A lot of credit cards in Germany are not "true" credit cards but debit cards. While debit cards take money out of your account instantly, credit cards accumulate all expenses and bill your account at the end of each month. Debit cards are usually fine, but some car rental agencies or hotels might not accept them. These companies often put a "hold" on some money as sort of an insurance that you will pay, which is usually not possible with debit cards. In that case, they might take 500 $ out of your account and then refund it later, which might be inconvenient.
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When paying for daily essentials, take note that cash is only rarely used in comparison to Germany. Most people pay with their phone or with their card. So keep cash on you at a minimum and make sure to have a backup card at your home in case your wallet gets stolen.
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Housing: Living in the US is really expensive, at least when it comes to rent. Your best options are trying to secure housing at the University you will be working at. As most bachelor students in the US are required to live in college dorms, most universities have their own apartments they rent out, also Called "On Campus Housing". If you do not get housing from the university, things get a bit more complicated. Most apartments require one year leases. Also, a lot of them require criminal background checks and credit score reports (Schufa Auskunft). Try to avoid third party apartments and try to get on campus housing. The best other alternative are AirBnb rentals, but they might be expensive. Also try and look for Facebook groups where you might be able to find rooms.
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Travel: After your program ends, you have 30 days to leave the US, so you can use the situation to get some nice vacation in.
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Leaving the US and re-entering is possible, but check the specifics depending on which country you intend on travelling to. So in case of any emergency etc in Germany, it is possible to leave the US and re-enter at a later time. Prolonging your DS 2019 is also possible.