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I am studying American History at a university in the United Kingdom. Next summer I will start my year abroad studying in the United States, hopefully at a university in or near Washington, D.C. (likely to be George Mason University). I am hoping to get an internship on my year abroad and know that the application deadlines are really early so I thought I would start researching it now.
I always assumed I would be able to get an internship working for a Congressman or even in a state capitol but from research it appears you must be a U.S. citizen to do so. I looked into working for state senators in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia but they all require you to be a USC. Are there any other roles in the state capitols I would be able to work for? If not, that rules out my Plan A.
Plan B is working for either the Democratic National Convention or the Republican National Convention. The latter requires you to be a U.S. citizen but the DNC does not say, presumably they share the same stance but if you know otherwise then please tell me!
Plan C is working for a newspaper or other media organisation in D.C. and this seems the best bet on the citizenship front but it's obviously as competitive so I still need other options. I intend on applying to intern at the British Embassy in D.C. but I believe I would need a work Visa, and I will only have a student one.
Do you have any recommendations for internships in D.C. or Northern Virginia that are related to politics, government, or the media aside from the aforementioned ones?
I am studying American History at a university in the United Kingdom. Next summer I will start my year abroad studying in the United States, hopefully at a university in or near Washington, D.C. (likely to be George Mason University). I am hoping to get an internship on my year abroad and know that the application deadlines are really early so I thought I would start researching it now.
I always assumed I would be able to get an internship working for a Congressman or even in a state capitol but from research it appears you must be a U.S. citizen to do so. I looked into working for state senators in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia but they all require you to be a USC. Are there any other roles in the state capitols I would be able to work for? If not, that rules out my Plan A.
Plan B is working for either the Democratic National Convention or the Republican National Convention. The latter requires you to be a U.S. citizen but the DNC does not say, presumably they share the same stance but if you know otherwise then please tell me!
Plan C is working for a newspaper or other media organisation in D.C. and this seems the best bet on the citizenship front but it's obviously as competitive so I still need other options. I intend on applying to intern at the British Embassy in D.C. but I believe I would need a work Visa, and I will only have a student one.
Do you have any recommendations for internships in D.C. or Northern Virginia that are related to politics, government, or the media aside from the aforementioned ones?
Don't expect to work as an intern for a federal, state or local legislature without an citizenship. Your plan A is out.
Same goes for conventions, it is unlikely.
Your best bet is likely for a nonprofit or NGO like the World Bank, IMF, Red Cross, etc. THEY will take foreign interns, but it is likely to be unpaid work.
What are you exactly looking for in an internship? It seems like you are limiting yourself to politics, foreign affairs and policy?
I agree your plan A is unfeasible without a citizenship.
For an internship with the British Embassy, it says on the website:
"Under US State Department requirements, the embassy and our consulates may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Green Card holders or A visa holders. If you hold a visa other than an A visa, you are not currently eligible to work at the embassy or our consulates. The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) also accepts G visas, and British Defence Staff (BDS) outposts accept A or NATO visas. All candidates will be subject to background checks and security clearance."
I believe you must hold a visa that allows you to work in the US. I'm not sure how the UK runs their Embassy internship programs. As an American student wanting to intern in an overseas embassy, it's not only highly competitive, but you essentially have to apply at least a semester in advance to accommodate selection and security clearances. You don't arrive in the country and then hope to get an internship. I imagine an internship in the UK mission to the US is of the hardest to obtain - super critical bilateral relationship, common language, the importance of the US in the world in general...
If you are interested in media, maybe try British media that has bureaus in DC, like the BBC, Reuters, or the Guardian.
I think you are better off waiting until you get here for your study abroad program instead of applying from the UK. Most orgs will look at local students first.
Welcome! The Washington area is a terrific place to learn about American history, particularly since so many of its critical episodes (from Williamsburg to Watergate) occurred nearby.
You'll have a very difficult time getting a paid internship with a student visa. Your paycheck has to be reported to the tax authorities, who require a social security number, which you can only get under certain circumstances: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10181.pdf
Instead, you should inquire with the study-abroad programs about internships, including unpaid internships for class credit. You should also inquire directly with organizations about the latter.
Contact the Washington Center. They are the biggest internship organization in the DC area. I'm sure they could help you.
I was able to intern for the British Parliament when I studied abroad in London. It's not that hard to get an internship if you're not being paid. We had to be going to class at least half the time to be eligible to work as a foreigner.
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