International undergraduate students

Information for international undergraduates who are seeking chemistry research experiences for summer employment in the United States or their home countries

Most of the positions listed on the ACS Get Experience website are about internships and undergraduate research experiences for undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens.

For students who are not U.S. citizens to work temporarily in the U.S. the rules are complicated and beyond the scope of this website. Please review the information on this page for some suggestions about how to proceed if you are not a U.S. citizen and are seeking an internship in the U.S.

Note:  If you are not a U.S. citizen and are seeking an internship in your home country, many of the international employers that have internships list openings on their websites in all of the countries in which they have offices or laboratories. You can find the link to the company website at the top of each of the job listings. Please search the websites of the individual companies to learn if they have openings in your home country.

Regarding internships for international undergraduate students already studying in the United States:

1.  Contact your sponsoring organization to learn if you are eligible to work in the U.S.

2.  Also contact the administration of the chemistry or engineering department in your own university to find out if your university has resources to help international undergraduate students find work experiences.  For example, there may be exchange programs that would fit your interests.

Many universities have offices that provide services specifically to help international students in a wide variety of areas. Find out if your university has such an office and seek help on your specific needs.

3.  Depending on your situation you may already have an F-1 or J-1 visa.

Take a look at the U.S. State Department website for information about obtaining a J-1 visa (required for foreign students to work temporarily in the U.S.) and how to find eligible jobs. The link is http://j1visa.state.gov/.

Also, look at the Department of Homeland Security website for information about studying and working in the U.S. The link is https://www.ice.gov/sevis/students.

4.  To apply for a position listed on the ACS Get Experience website you need to contact the employer directly. You can search the ACS website https://getexperience.acs.org/ to see if there are any opportunities listed that accept students who have the appropriate visa to work in the U.S. There may be a few opportunities listed for international students who already have a visa that permits them to work in the U.S.

You might also search other employment listing sites, such as www.indeed.com, to look for employers who are willing to hire international students who already have the appropriate work permit.

Regarding international undergraduate students who are not currently in the United States and are seeking a U.S. internship:

1.  Contact the administration of the chemistry or engineering department in your own university to find out if your university has resources to help international undergraduates students find work experiences.  For example, there may be exchange programs that would fit your interests.

2.  Depending on your situation you will need an F-1 or J-1 visa.

Take a look at the U.S. State Department website for information about obtaining a J-1 visa (required for foreign students to work temporarily in the U.S.) and how to find eligible jobs. The link is http://j1visa.state.gov/.

Also, look at the Department of Homeland Security website for information about studying and working in the U.S. The link is https://www.ice.gov/sevis/students.

3.  To apply for a position listed on the ACS Get Experience website you need to contact the employer directly. You can search the ACS website https://getexperience.acs.org/ to see if there are any opportunities listed that interest you, although this site is oriented to U.S. students looking for internships or co-ops in the U.S. There are few, if any opportunities, listed for international students who do NOT already have a visa that permits them to work in the U.S.

You might also search other employment listing sites, such as www.indeed.com, to look for employers who are willing to hire international students who need to obtain the appropriate work permit.

NOTE:  Do not submit your resume to ACS via this website. We do not process or forward job applications. You must apply to the individual employers directly.