International Internships

This Internship Type is for international students who are looking to complete an internship in their home country. Students will need to attach a letter to their internship application to verify that they are doing their internship in the country that they have citizenship in by providing their permanent address.

International internships must meet a higher standard and require special handling due to potential risks associated with travel/living outside the U.S. Please be aware that this process may take several weeks, so please submit your request at least six weeks prior to the internship start date to allow sufficient time to process and/or authorize it.

Not all international internship requests are approved, so any expenditures made before final approval and authorization for credit are done at the risk of not receiving internship credit for the experience (if your internship is denied). Such expenditures might include pre-paid travel, lodging, and program participation costs. You are encouraged to research travel restrictions for potential internship locations you are considering prior to application by visiting the US Department of State site and the TravelSmart International Travel page.

Approval Criteria

BYU-Idaho encourages all students to seek domestic internships that lead to probable employment offers upon graduation. However, if an internship outside of the United States demonstrates high career preparation value and high relevance to a student’s chosen major, it will be considered for approval based on the following criteria:

• The requested internship is in a country that is not on the restricted travel list.
• The internship offers academic and career preparation experience clearly related to the student’s chosen major and career path.
• The sponsoring entity provides an appropriate visa and permits
• The internship experience does not primarily consist of providing humanitarian service (except for some Public Health major students) or teaching English (except for some TESOL minor students)

BYU-Idaho will also generally approve an internship outside of the United States if the applicant is an international BYU-Idaho student and the requested internship is in the applicant’s country of residence or in a country that is within the same region as the applicant’s home country and does not have travel restrictions or warnings.

Notwithstanding the above criteria, University officials reserve the right to deny any internship application for safety, academic, or any other lawful reasons.

If an internship outside of the United States is approved, the student acknowledges that it is the sole responsibility of the student to research, understand and calculate risks to health and safety.

Approval Process

1. A student submits an international internship application through iPlan, which is simultaneously emailed to the faculty internship coordinator (according to major), the BYU-Idaho Career Center internship team, and the employer indicated in the form (with the contact information provided by the applicant).

   Note: In a domestic internship, if an employer submits the master agreement and a student completes all necessary forms, iPlan automatically approves the applicant for registration. This is not true for “Exceptions Internships,” which include international internships, entrepreneurial internships, on-campus internships, or healthcare internships.
   

2. For international internships, iPlan requires the student to upload an Internship Request Letter 1. and the Acknowledgment of International Health Insurance in order to submit the Internship Request Form. Applicants should consult the U.S. State Department international travel information and the BYU Travel Smart advisory page for their destination country. Countries with a travel advisory rating more than level 2 will not be approved.
3. The lead internship student reviews the completed documents and works with the applicant to complete any missing information.
4. 1. The internship office reviews the completed documents (internship request letter and Acknowledgment of International Health Insurance) and works with the applicant to gather residence and work addresses for the internship which the internship office will then provide this information to Travel Administration to secure appropriate travel insurance.
5. Once the application documents are complete, the BYU-Idaho Career Center’s internship office works with the travel administrator to assess any travel. The travel administrator, in collaboration with, the Managing Director of Student Placement (Career Center) determines whether the country meets the criteria for approved travel.
6. Countries with travel restrictions are denied and the applicant is informed.
7. If there are no travel restrictions, the internship team approves the internship and conveys relevant travel advisory information and relevant cautions to the student, inviting them to review the information and do their own further research regarding safety and preparation.
8. The Internship Office ensures that Travel Administration is notified of the approved internship and provides information necessary to enroll the applicant in Geo Blue International Health Insurance. Geo Blue is an international health insurance that includes political and natural disaster evacuation. Students should keep their own domestic health insurance. Geo Blue is used only while the student is out of the country. Travel Administration provides any available and relevant information and precautions related to the residence and work locations and provides them to the student.

For approved internships, The Internship Office notifies Travel Administration which enrolls the student in GEO Blue International Insurance and bills the student’s BYU-Idaho account (unless it is an international student doing the internship in their home country of record). Travel Administration will notify the student that insurance has been secured.

The following two items must be submitted before your internship is approved for registration:

1. Proof of Insurance

• You must complete and sign the Acknowledgment of International Health Insurance form and submit it with your request.
• If your internship is approved, you must also purchase supplemental GeoBlue Insurance for international travel. Contact Travel Admin ( 208 496-1974) to enroll, then submit your enrollment document to us for confirmation. (If you are from the country you are interning in you will not need to purchase the GeoBlue insurance.)

2. Request Letter – Requirements & Guidelines

This letter must be filled out completely and attached to your internship application to avoid delays in the approval process. Address your letter to the BYU-Idaho Career Center.
Include the following information:

• Your name as it appears on your passport/visa
• Your date of birth
• Your flight information. (If you do not have it yet, please indicate that flights have not been purchased yet)
• Cellphone number
• Company/Organization for which you’ll be interning
• Name and contact information of on-site supervisor
• Internship location (city, country)
• Address of where you will be living during your internship
• Dates of travel
• Costs of travel, lodging, fees for programs, travel documents, and how you plan to pay these expenses
• How did you find the position
• How many hours you will be working/work schedule
• Benefits of the internship
• How the internship meets your educational goals
• How the internship enhances your employability after graduation
• Who you will be traveling with (to the location, and during your stay)
• What you will do in your free time while there
• Additional travel you will be doing during your internship (this must receive separate advance approval)
• A brief outline of previous international travel experience(s)
• Language requirements and your fluency
• Logistics of church attendance (chapels/Branches/wards nearby? Church leaders contacted?)
• Name and relationship of anyone you know who lives there
• Are your parents aware and supportive of your plans to travel internationally?

Please include as much information as possible to help us understand the nature of your internship, travel experiences, and plans.