AIPT Teach USA

Details for Sponsorship Service and Placement Service

AIPT connects certified international teachers with U.S. schools that have a growing need for them, while enabling school systems to continue focusing on student education, rather than on the complexities of visa sponsorship. AIPT is designated by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor certified foreign teachers in the United States under the J-1 visa for teachers.

As your sponsor, AIPT provides all the documentation you need to apply for a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa and enter the United States to teach in a primary or secondary school for up to 36 months.

School systems’ responsibilities:

  • Identify available teaching position(s)
  • Provide a written offer for full-time teaching position
  • Pay a salary in line with what American teachers with similar qualifications are paid. (NOTE: the salaries of J-1 visa holders are NOT subject to withholding for federal unemployment taxes FUTA, Social Security, or Medicare)
  • Help integrate trainee into the community by providing information about housing, transportation, local attractions, etc.
  • Complete an application form that outlines the teaching curriculum and the role of the exchange visitor in the position.
    The application also asks for:
    • Goals for the program
    • Location of the program
    • Planned cultural activities
    • Length of the program (three-year maximum)
    • Financial compensation provided
    • Contact information for the teacher’s supervisor, who must work in the school in which the teacher is placed and be responsible for regularly evaluating the J-1 teacher.

Candidates are responsible for providing:

  • Proof of teaching certification in his or her home country
  • Verification of at least three years of teaching experience
  • Statement that describes his/her reasons for coming to the United States to teach
  • Explanation of the professional goals and qualifications the teacher has for this experience
  • CV with educational background and employment history
  • References attesting to the teacher’s good reputation, character and teaching skills

AIPT’s responsibilities:

  • Serve as the teacher's legal visa sponsor
  • Ensure that candidates meet the qualifications of the state in which he or she will teach
  • Verify that participants have at least three years of teaching experience
  • Ensure that the work outline provided by the hiring school system meets J-1 visa regulations
  • Provide mandated health and accident insurance coverage to participant
  • Manage visa processing paperwork
  • Send necessary documents to visa applicant
  • Provide orientation materials and sessions
  • Administer periodic evaluations to monitor the progress of the teacher
  • Handle government reporting
  • Designate a Program Manager/Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) who will:
    • keep abreast of partner countries’ requirements and issues related to the teaching profession, as well as the requirements for U.S. states
    • stay informed about collective bargaining agreements and/or pay scales for the states in which AIPT places teachers
    • review reports issued by state departments of education documenting subject areas facing critical teacher shortages
    • educate AIPT’s partners regarding the standards for educators in the United States and the subject areas in which critical shortages exist 

The AIPT Teach USA® program fee for the Sponsorship Service and Placement Service provides the following participant benefits:

  • Complete management of federal reporting requirements, including documenting arrival information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database
  • Job placement for up to 36 months
  • J-1 visa sponsorship and visa assistance
  • Federally mandated comprehensive medical insurance coverage
  • Pre-departure orientation for select countries
  • Tax return services and advice
  • Assistance with obtaining a Social Security Number
  • International phone card, as well as a 24-hour emergency hotline that connects directly to AIPT staff
  • The AIPT Participant Handbook
  • Wages paid directly to each program participant by the U.S. employer
  • Site visits by AIPT representatives
  • Information on services researched by AIPT will be made available to participants to make it easier to locate housing, banking, travel services and optional supplemental travel insurance

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