Search all sites
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 

IAESTE University of Houston welcomes
all of its incoming trainees
 

Contents

  1. 1 Before Leave your home country or Arrival to the United States
    1. 1.1 Visa and Documentation
  2. 2 Upon Arrival
  3. 3 During your training
  4. 4 After your training
If you have been accepted for an internship in the United States through IAESTE, we hope you enjoy your time in the United States! We have provided the resources below to help you acclimate to life here.

When you come for a “traineeship” in the United States, you might be surprised that your host employer, colleagues and local committee members do not call you a “trainee.” Instead, you are an intern and you are here to do an internship. Knowing these American terms will be helpful, not only for understanding this booklet, but also for your time in the United States.

Finally, IAESTE United States knows you are excited about your internship, experiencing a new culture and living in a new country. And we will work our hardest to make sure that your internship is a great professional and personal experience. But please remember, however, that you have certain responsibilities as an intern. If you read all of the information that IAESTE United States sends to you, you should understand these responsibilities. Carefully read all information sent to you by IAESTE United States, and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We are here to make your time in the United States as enjoyable and beneficial as possible!

Note: For simplicity, the recommended items and suggestions are set in bold

  • Before Leave your home country or Arrival to the United States

    • Visa and Documentation

      • Before you come for your internship in the United States, you must have a J-1 practical training visa, issued by a United States embassy or consulate. In order to receive your visa, you must have the “Certificate of Eligibility” (form DS-2019). This form, issued by IAESTE United States, will allow you to apply for the J-1 practical training visa. The Certificate of Eligibility will be sent to your national committee after you have returned the necessary documents from the N5 packet. Please remember to return all necessary forms as quickly as possible.


        Please be aware that IAESTE United States cannot advise you on how to exactly obtain a J-1 practical training visa because every U.S. embassy or consulate has its own procedures.
        Once you are accepted for training, contact your nearest embassy or consulate. All will require that you interview with them once you have your DS-2019. Follow the directions that the embassy or consulate gives you! Visa processing time depends on your home country, so contact your nearest embassy or consulate quickly.

      • CUSTOMES - You will have to go through CUSTOMES. You will be asked where you will be living, and if you don't know, then your passage through CUSTOMES will be delayed, possibly up to more than one hour, so please resolve this detail with an IAESTE UH officer prior to leaving. In case you printed this out with insufficient time to resolve this detail, please tell them you will be staying in the Marriott Medical Center hotel and use the default address Marriott Medical Center, 6580 Fannin, Houston, Texas 77030.

      • Transportation from the Airport - An IAESTE UH officer or member will be/should be waiting for you at the airport. To make it easier to recognize each other, please send a picture of yourself to iaeste@uh.edu and when you arrive, look for a colorful sign that says "IAESTE" on it!
      • In the event that you do not see anyone with a sign, please call the LC Contact people at the bottom of this page in the order that they appear, starting with the Reception Coordinator. If you can not reach the LC Contact people, wait up to 1.5 hours past since your scheduled landing (Houston traffic can get pretty bad so please allow us some extra time just in case) for someone to arrive. At this point if no one has arrived, please go down to the baggage claim area (specific to IAH airport), and look for the Texas Shuttle counter/desk and request a shuttle to take you to: Marriott Medical Center, 6580 Fannin, 713-796-0080, cost $23, and please calling the LC Contact people again.

  • Upon Arrival

    • Visas, Tax papers, other paperwork:
      Any SEVIS paperwork will be handled by the IAESTE National Office. You need a Social Security Number (SSN) to get paid, so after you arrive, you will be taken to the Social Security Office after 10 days to apply for your SSN and sort out miscellaneous paperwork, and it usually takes between 2-5 weeks for it to arrive, so be prepared to bring enough money to last until you get your SSN. 1-1.5 months worth of money is advised

  • During your training

    • Lodging
      • Rent is usually due on the 1st of the month, and the penalty for missing rent can range, but the penalty is always severe, so don't forget to pay ontime (or early!). The details vary from lease to lease, but usually utilities are not included, so expect to pay for your water/trash utility bill, energy bill, and possibly a telephone bill.
      • Apartments - It is customary to sign a lease for an apartment while in Houston. The details in signing a lease is to pay before moving in: a deposit (~$50-500), First and Last month rent (1 Bedroom $575-850 and 2 Bedroom $700-950), and any miscellaneous paperwork fees.
      • Dorms - Living on campus is another option, but until now the paperwork and the cost of rent, ~$800, has been prohibitive, although, if you are interested, we can investigate this option in more detail upon your arrival.
    • Climate and recommended clothes
      It's hot in Texas during the summer, 32-40.5 degres Celcius, so please pack accordingly for the heat. It also rains in downpours rather than light rain, so please pack accordingly for the rain. As a consequence, it is hot and humid all the time, unless we experience a drought, in which case it while be a hot dry heat. The only reason this is explicitly outlined is that any which way you look at it, the heat is formidable, and you now have been warned :)

      If you come during other times of the year, please reference the weather channel, www.weather.com, and use the zip code: 77004.


    • Specifics of the cost of living

      • milk 1gal ~$2.50-5.00 (nonorganic vs organic)
      • bread 1 loaf ~$0.89-4.00 (presliced and packed vs freshly baked)
      • beer at a resturant ~$2.75-5.95 (happy hour vs non-happy hour)
      • pizza ~$3.00-15.00 (bake at home vs delivery)
      • burrito ~$3.00-7.00 (Mexican taqueria vs American franchise eatery)
      • movie tickets ~$5.50-8.00
      • public transport
        • Metro bus or Metro Lightrail $1 per way (www.ridemetro.org/)
        • Taxi, unless you are in NY or Las Vegas, taxi cabs are usually prohibitively expensive, none-the-less, here are a few suggestions
          • City Cab Svc (713) 649-2000
          • Greater Houston Transportation Company (713) 236-1111
          • Lonestar Cab Company (713) 794-0000

    • Contact info
      Police (EMERGENCY) 911
      Police (non-emergency) (713) 732-5133
      Fire Department (EMERGENCY) 911
      LC Contact (EMERGENCY)

  • After your training

    • Submit your report to home NC for refund of your deposit.
    • Share your IAESTE experience with others.

Chat with IAESTE UH
Join our listserv
Subscribe to our news
Join us on Facebook