Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, Republic of Korea, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the WEST (Work, English Study, Travel) Program on September 22, 2008.

The WEST program is an innovative exchange program that will allow up to 5,000 qualifying university students and recent university graduates from the Republic of Korea to enter the United States for a period of 18 months on J-1 exchange visitor visas that will allow them to study English, participate in internships, and travel independently.

Participants will devote at least 450 classroom hours to structured English language training and coursework focusing on American business practices and business procedures, U.S. corporate culture, and general office management issues. The program will be coordinated by the private sector under the auspices of the United States Department of State's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.

All J-1 South Korean Interns in the WEST Program selected by the Government of the Republic of Korea are government endorsed candidates and meet the following program eligibility requirements:

1) Be a citizen of the Republic of Korea.
2) Be approved for participation by the Republic of Korea.
3) Be a bona fide post-secondary student or recent graduate. A recent graduate is defined as a Korean citizen who has graduated from a post-secondary college/university in their home country no more than 12 months beyond graduation. The applicant must provide evidence from his/her post-secondary institution of student status or graduation.
4) Vocational students pursuing studies at a tertiary level accredited academic institution are not eligible for participation.
5) Provide proof of sufficient financial resources, prior to coming to the United States, to support themselves throughout their program and for their return home
6) Not be accompanied by spouse or dependents.

The U.S. Department of State will designate internship programs in the following occupational categories:

Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing
Arts and Culture
Construction and Building Trades
Education, Social Sciences, Library Science, Counseling and Social Services
Health Related Occupations
Hospitality and Tourism
Information Media and Communications
Management, Business, Commerce and Finance
Public Administration and Law
The Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Mathematics, and Industrial Occupations.

Placement Criteria:

WHOmentors.com, Inc. utilizes its network of U.S. Employers to identify Executive Trainee-level rotational internships in the fields of all areas of corporate operations across the USA that are all-inclusive and directly related to a degree program:

a) J-1 Interns are paid at a minimum of $1000/month or $8/hour. (*J-1 interns are permitted to fundraise or request grants to avoid economic hardship)
b) Placement length is from 6 to 12 months.
c) Placement is at least 32 hours per week.
d) Placement allows for volunteering in the community.

The Potential Host Company is required to document that:

1. The Host Company has been in business at least 24 months.
2. Host Companies with fewer than 25 employees or $3,000,000 in annual revenue must pre-qualify before applications will be considered.
3. The Host Company currently has less than 10% of its total staff members, regardless of whether trainees, interns or in permanent staff positions, and regardless of how such staff are compensated (from stipend, grant or direct company payroll), in a J-1 Exchange Visitor Training Program.
4. The Host Company has established a bona fide training program.
5. The proposed training/internship is in a designated occupational category (see above).
6. The Host Company has qualified personnel to provide the proposed training/internship.
7. The Host Company has the appropriate facility and equipment to provide the proposed training/internship.
8. The J-1 Exchange Visitor will not be engaging in ordinary employment. The intern or trainee will not be used to fill a position that is, or could be, occupied by American workers on a full- or part-time or temporary or permanent basis.