Preparing Letters of Recommendation for J-1 Academic Training: Guidelines for Academic Advisors
 

J-1 academic training is designed to allow holders of a J-1 student visa the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a practical work experience off campus. For a J-1 student to obtain authorization for academic training he or she must have a job offer and a letter from his or her academic advisor or dean recommending the student for academic training. For authorization to work after graduation, the student must receive a firm job offer within 30 days of his or her graduation date, although employment may begin later. These requirements are part of the regulations governing J-1 students issued by the U.S. Department of State.

Whether the period of academic training will occur during or following the student's completion of studies at the University, the academic advisor's letter should provide a detailed rationale for any off campus employment related to the J-1 student's field of study. To meet the requirements of these regulations the recommendation letter must state the following:

1. the student's name, certification of full-time status, major field of study and expected completion date of study; 
2. the goals and objective of the specific training program (i.e., the employment);
3. how the training relates to the student's major field of study;
4. why the training is an integral or critical part of the academic program; and
5. a description of the training program (position title and responsibilities), including its location, the name and address of the training supervisor, number of hours per week, and starting and ending dates of the training.

Departments may use uniform, field-of-study-specific explanations for points 2 and 4 above. Students should furnish advisors with the information, required in point 5, preferably in the form of a written position description. The advisor can then integrate the necessary information for point 5 into the letter. 

Letters of recommendation must be on University letterhead. The beginning of the letter may read as follows:

DATE

STUDENT NAME is a full-time student in the DEPARTMENT. He/she is working for the DEGREE in FIELD OF STUDY, which he/she expects to receive in COMPLETION MONTH & YEAR. I recommend that STUDENT NAME be authorized to engage in a period of academic training employment. The goals and objectives of the academic training are….

Points 2,4, and 5 should then follow, closing with the signature of the academic advisor, department chair, or the academic dean.