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GETTING STARTED--What
happens after you have been approved
for an award?
INTERNS - THE
APPLICATION PROCESS
INTERNS - BASICS
FOR TRAINING
HEADING HOME AND FOLLOW-UP
FINAL PAPERWORK
GETTING STARTED--What
happens after you have been approved
for an award?
We’ve
received the award packet with paperwork
that needs to be signed and returned
- what if we don’t get it back
to you within a month?
This paperwork is your agreement to
accept SABIT funding. It must be signed
and returned to the Department of Commerce
promptly. You have one month (30 calendar/business
days) to return the paperwork, or your
award will be cancelled. The Grants
Office at the Department of Commerce
is very strict about deadlines.  top
We haven’t
heard from our SABIT program officer
- what should I do?
Call SABIT! You are always welcome
to call and request a consultation.
Your SABIT program officer is there
to help you, and he/she wants your grant
to be a success! Your program officer’s
contact information can be found in
the award letter. top
How long does
our company have to complete the training?
Once a company is selected, the SABIT
award is valid for one (1) year and
all training must be completed within
this time frame. If a SABIT award is
scheduled to expire before the internship
is completed, a request to extend the
award must be made at least 30 days
prior to the expiration date. top
We’re
leveraging this grant with funds from
other sources - do we have any “wiggle
room” with what SABIT covers?
No. SABIT covers three things only:
1. International economy class
airfare to/from the intern’s
home city to the initial U.S. training
site (SABIT will cover rail fare or
auto service to/from the nearest airport
if there is no airport in the intern’s
home city.)
2. Per Diem for each
intern exclusively at the rate of $34/day
for each day in the United States. If
you choose to provide occasional meals
for your intern, SABIT cannot reimburse
you for that.
3. Housing up to $750
a month (depending on local market rates),
per intern. Reimbursement for housing
is based on market surveys for the training
location. You must provide market survey
documentation (classified ads for apartments,
etc.) for proper reimbursement. This
means that, while you may be reimbursed
at a rate of $750 a month for housing
in New York, you probably won’t
be reimbursed for housing in Wichita.
Under no circumstances does
SABIT reimburse for costs other than
the three noted above. If you
foresee difficulties in meeting the
costs of the proposed project, look
for other small grants or private sources
of funding to supplement SABIT’s
funding. top
INTERNS - THE APPLICATION
PROCESS
What do you
mean by intern application process?
I already forwarded you the intern’s
resume(s). Isn’t that enough?
Your award was evaluated based on the
information provided in your application
about your company, your proposed project
and work plan. Your interns still have
not been approved. They will need to
fill out an intern application, and
then they will be interviewed by SABIT
staff. top
We don’t
have a specific intern in mind - how
do we find one?
SABIT can help you. With SABIT’s
many programs, we get hundreds of applications
every year that might be the perfect
match to your needs. Contact your SABIT
program officer for assistance. top
What are the
basic requirements for SABIT interns?
With few exceptions, all candidates
must speak English. They will be spending
an extended period of time in the United
States, and it will be difficult for
them if they cannot interact with others
outside of the training. All candidates
should have 3-5 years of managerial
or research experience. top
What’s
the order of activities for us to follow
to get our intern here?
1. Contact your SABIT program officer
and provide this information:
A. Name/country of your prospective
intern
B. Desired dates of training
Your officer will send this information
to the appropriate SABIT field office.
2. If your intern has not already completed
an internship application, have him/her
do so immediately and forward it to
the nearest SABIT field office. Our
staff will interview your candidate.
3. Prepare an invitation letter for
your intern and send the draft to your
SABIT program officer for review/approval
(samples are in your packet). When finished,
send the invitation to SABIT - we will
forward the invitation for you via our
field office.
4. Make flight reservations for your
intern.
5. When your intern has his/her visa,
purchase the tickets. Do NOT
purchase tickets before a visa has been
granted! top
Which SABIT
field office will handle our intern’s
interview and visa?
• The Moscow, Russia office handles
all Russian interns.
• The Kiev, Ukraine office handles
Ukrainian, Belorussian, Moldovan, Georgian,
Armenian, and Azerbaijani interns.
• The Almaty, Kazakhstan office
handles Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen,
and Uzbek interns.
top
Where can
our intern get an application?
SABIT internship candidates can get
applications from their nearest SABIT
field office. Interns must follow the
application directions completely for
their documents to be considered. top
Why does our
intern have to go through an interview?
I thought we had the final approval!
SABIT has final approval over all interns.
Each intern must go through an interview
process to protect you and SABIT. The
SABIT Director makes the final decision
on each intern, and it is a decision
taken very seriously. top
Our intern
hasn’t been interviewed yet, but
we need to buy his/her airline tickets
now to get the best price - should we
do it?
It’s not a good idea. Your intern
may not pass the interview process,
or it may take longer than hoped to
get his/her visa. Make reservations,
but don’t purchase tickets until
you know your intern is approved and
has visa in hand. Planning as far ahead
as possible is key. Keep your SABIT
program officer informed of your plans,
so he/she can best help you. top
Why does our
intern have to fly on an American carrier
for his/her overseas flight?
Since SABIT is a federally funded program,
it is limited by specific government
regulations, including the Fly America
Act, which requires the use of American
carriers whenever possible, for transoceanic
flights. If absolutely no American carrier
is available, your SABIT program officer
can help you with this requirement.
top
Why do we have
to provide proof of insurance to SABIT
two weeks before the intern arrives?
Your intern must be covered by medical
insurance from the moment he/she arrives
in the United States. If you do not
have insurance that first day, it is
a violation of your award. SABIT needs
to verify that your intern is covered
before he/she arrives in country. This
is to protect you, your intern, and
SABIT. top
INTERNS - BASICS FOR TRAINING
Our intern
arrives on the weekend. Can we wait
until Monday to give him/her per diem?
No. Interns should be provided with
their first two weeks of per diem ($476)
on the day of arrival. Most interns
have very little money upon arrival
in the United States. Having their initial
per diem on their first day will reduce
fears and concerns and provide the intern
the possibility to purchase needed basics.
Failure to provide interns with per
diem upon arrival is a violation of
SABIT guidelines. top
Our university
requires a U.S. Social Security Number
before we can provide per diem - what
do we need to do?
If this is the policy of your university,
contact your SABIT program officer well
in advance of the arrival of the intern.
Your program officer will assist you
in assigning a Social Security Number,
which will be in place in time for the
intern to receive per diem on his/her
first day, per SABIT guidelines. top
How often
should we provide per diem payments?
Most companies provide interns with
two weeks per diem at a time. This prevents
interns from spending all their per
diem at once, and also protects them
from the possibility of theft or loss
of all their per diem. Sometimes, interns
want to save their per diem to take
back home, and they eat very little.
Remind your intern that the per diem
is to cover their food costs, and encourage
them to eat healthy meals. top
Our intern
has requested that we reimburse his/her
visa application fee - are we required
to repay him/her?
Yes. This is a responsibility of the
host company. Visa fees are relatively
low-cost for U.S. companies, but represent
a considerable amount of money to most
interns. top
Do we have
an obligation to entertain the intern
during non-training hours?
While there is no specific written obligation
on the part of a host company, it is
appropriate to find leisure time activities
for your intern, to make their internship
fulfilling and complete. Hospitality
is a vital part of the culture in the
former Soviet Union, and it will mean
a great deal to your intern to be invited
to meals and involved in fun weekend
and occasional evening events. top
Will the SABIT
program officer be in regular contact
with us over the course of the internship?
Yes. At a minimum, expect a monthly
call from your program officer, who
will want to speak with your intern
to see how he/she is progressing. SABIT
welcomes calls from host companies and
interns with any questions that come
up during the program. top
Our intern
is homesick - how can we help him/her?
Often, the dramatic transition from
the former Soviet Union to the United
States makes homesickness much more
intense. If you have Russian-speaking
staff members, perhaps they can spend
some time socializing with your intern
- it can be very comforting to simply
spend time speaking and socializing
in your native language. Additionally,
if there is a Russian-speaking community
in your town, you might be able to find
cultural activities in which your intern
may participate. top
Our intern
lost his/her passport - what do we need
to do?
Getting new documents can take a long
time. Contact SABIT immediately, so
we can assist you in procuring new documents. top
We have some
problems with our intern - how should
we handle it?
While most interns and hosts are a great
match, some pairings are not successful.
In some cases, you may find that you
need intervention or have difficulties
that require the intern to return home
earlier than planned. If you feel that
you have a problem and need help, please
contact your SABIT program officer immediately,
and he/she will help you resolve the
situation.
Even when the internship is going well,
you may encounter issues and surprises
that you hadn’t anticipated. SABIT
is here to help you negotiate any cross-cultural
challenges you encounter and make the
internship process as smooth as possible. top
HEADING HOME AND FOLLOW-UP
The internship
is almost over - what do we need to
do before the intern leaves?
Before your intern goes home, he/she
needs to complete a SABIT Intern Exit
Questionnaire. This may be submitted
via fax, e-mail, or regular mail. When
SABIT receives the exit questionnaire,
an internship completion certificate
will be prepared and forwarded to your
intern at your address, prior to his/her
departure. top
Our intern
bought a lot of things to take home,
and his/her luggage is going to be overweight.
Will SABIT cover the additional cost?
No. The intern must cover any additional
costs due to overweight luggage. Warn
your intern that overweight luggage
charges on international flights can
sometimes be hundreds of dollars. top
We will be
maintaining a working relationship with
our intern - should we keep SABIT informed?
Absolutely! SABIT is always interested
in hearing success stories about host
companies and interns. Any relationship
you build or business you do with your
intern is a success for all of us. SABIT
would like to keep you updated about
new opportunities and include your intern
in alumni events. top
FINAL PAPERWORK
What do we
need to do to be reimbursed?
In order to be reimbursed, you must
provide complete documentation, per
the guidelines provided in your packet
from our Grants Office. Along with the
standardized government forms, you will
have to turn in air receipts, notations
of per diem disbursement, and receipts
or memos for housing. Additionally,
you must provide an end-of-internship
report, per the guidelines. Send all
of these documents together to your
SABIT program officer. SABIT must review
all the documents before they are sent
on to the Grants Office for processing. top
Is there anything
for which we can be reimbursed before
the end of the internship?
Yes. You may provide documentation to
be reimbursed for airfare once your
intern is in country. Housing and per
diem, though, can be reimbursed only
at the completion of the internship. top
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