Intern
PAHO/WHO may offer an internship to students who meet the following criteria:
- are at least twenty years of age on the date of application;
- are enrolled in a master's or in a doctoral program; are in the final year of a bachelor's program; or have graduated within the last six months from a bachelor's, master's or doctoral program;
- are fluent in at least one of the working languages of the office of assignment;
- are not related to a staff member as defined in Staff Rule 410.3 (i.e., spouse, children, parents, and siblings of the staff member or the children, parents, and siblings of the staff member's spouse);
- have not previously participated in PAHO/WHO's internship program at the same location in the Region of the Americas or at WHO;
- have strong writing, research, and organizational skills to support technical cooperation efforts;
- are able to work independently and demonstrate initiative and flexibility to effectively benefit from an internship at PAHO.
For interns located at PAHO Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the intern must also meet the following criteria:
- is a U.S. Citizen, or
- is a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, or
- has a valid visa with an Employment Authorization from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or
- is sponsored by PAHO with a G-4 visa.
- Foreign Student in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status Participating in Curricular Practical Training that provides a valid OPT or CPT or,
- Foreign Student in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status with the correct endorsement in the I-20 by the university.
Volunteer
- The same requirements except that Volunteers should have finished their studies and their experience and professional background enable them to make a valuable contribution to the work of the Organization.
Payment, Liability, Insurance
Under PAHO regulations, no provision is made for the remuneration of interns/volunteers. All costs connected with internships must, therefore, be borne by the interns or their sponsoring institutions or governments. This includes costs relating to travel, living, and accommodation (arrangements responsibility of the interns).
The following stipulations should be noted with regard to insurance coverage: PAHO accepts no responsibility or liability for costs arising from damages, travel, accident and/or illness incurred during an Internship.
Interns are therefore asked to submit(in advance), proof of coverage by a medical insurance plan valid for locations in which the internship will take place as interns are not covered by PAHO Insurance Plan.
Future Employment at PAHO
Following the completion of an internship with PAHO, any subsequent employment with PAHO shall be subject to established recruitment and selection procedures. For recruitment purposes, interns are not considered "internal candidates".
Visa
When required, a visa must be obtained by the intern prior to initiating travel to the country/place of work. It is the responsibility of the intern to apply for and obtain the visa on his/her national passport prior to departure. PAHO may assist if there is a PAHO office in the country of departure. Interns who will be working at the PAHO HQ in Washington, DC must be lawfully present and able to participate as interns pursuant to U.S. State Department and USCIS rules and regulations.
Applicants interested in interning at the PAHO HQ in Washington DC who are not already lawfully present in the United States in an immigration status which permits him/her to participate as an intern, must apply for and be granted a G-4 visa prior to commencing their internship. Human Resources Management will provide a letter to the intern for use in applying for a G-4 visa. PAHO will not sponsor a G.4 visa for the dependents of persons working in PAHO under the Organization's internship program.
Interns with the following types of visas are also eligible:
- Foreign Students in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status Participating in Curricular Practical Training (OPT or CPT)
- Foreign Students in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status with the correct endorsement in the I-20
For another type of visa, please contact the Internship and Practicum Coordinator at interns@paho.org who will advise you as to whether or not your visa is acceptable.