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Working in the U.S.
25 MINUTE READ
February 3, 2022

If you are looking for a summer job or an internship in the United States, there are many organizations in Ireland which can assist you.

One of the most important tasks is helping you get the correct and necessary visa for your time in the US.

US immigration laws prohibit you from taking a summer job or studying at university if you do not have the proper visa.

You may not enter the States on a tourist visa and then search for a place to work or do an internship. You must apply for the necessary visa in Ireland. The exchange organizations mentioned below not only offer help in getting visas, but they also often offer jobs.

Young people wishing to work for a while in the United States can find help and support from a number of other organizations offering various programs, for example: Au pair programs in child care, jobs as counselors at American summer camps, or internship

Au Pairs

Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition

The United States is a federal republic with a decentralized system of education. Degrees, diplomas, and credit recognition are not performed or regulated by the federal government. Recognition is not usually done by state or local governments either, except in the case of professional licensure. Instead, the federal government and other levels of government rely on, and recognize, the evaluations of foreign academic, professional, and vocational credentials performed by the delegated competent authorities at the institutional level and in the private sector.

Law Enforcement Agencies

U.S. Police Force and Other Law Enforcement Agencies

Law enforcement agencies in the United States come under the jurisdiction of many different authorities at federal, state, county and municipal levels of government. There is no national police force, although there are several federal law enforcement agencies.

The best known of these is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. It is charged with gathering and reporting facts and compiling evidence in cases involving federal jurisdiction. Also part of the Department of Justice is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) which is the lead federal agency in enforcing narcotics laws and regulations.

General information is available from:

International Association of Chiefs of Police
515 N. Washington St
Alexandria
VA 22314
Tel. + (703) 836-6767
Fax.+ (703) 836-4543

American Police Hall of Fame and Museum describes itself as the nation’s only memorial and museum honoring all police in federal, state, county and local departments.

American Police Hall Of Fame & Museum
3801 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami
FL 33137
Tel: + (305) 573-0070
Fax: + (305) 573-9819

Most states maintain police departments but state police force activities are usually concentrated on highway patrol and other traffic work. County governments, of which there are more than 3,000, maintain police forces under the command of a sheriff. There is much variation in the scope of the authority and the size of these forces. In some states, particularly those in the South and West, the county sheriff’s office wields considerable power, but in others this power is restricted by the jurisdiction of the city police departments. At local or municipal level, city police departments encompass all areas of police work from traffic control and detection to laboratory and forensic.

Employees of most American law enforcement agencies must hold U.S. citizenship

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20535-0001
Tel: + (202) 324-3000
Fax: + (202) 324-4705

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
600-700 Army-Navy Drive
Arlington VA 22202
Tel:+ (202) 307-8000
Fax+: (202) 307-4778

National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA)
1450 Duke Street
Alexandria VA 22314-2490
Tel: + (703) 836-7827
Fax:+ (703) 683-6541

Selected City Police Departments

Anchorage City PD
4501 S. Bragaw Street
Anchorage, AK 99507.
Phone: + 907-786-8590

Atlanta City PD
675 Ponce de Leon Avenue, N.E.
9th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30308.
Phone: + 404-817-6900

Austin City PD
715 E. 8th Street
Austin, TX 78701.
Phone: + 512-974-5000

Baltimore City PD
601 E. Fayette St.
Baltimore, MD 21202.
Phone: + 410-396-2525

Boston City PD
1 Schroeder Plaza
Boston, MA 02120.
Phone: + 617-343-4500

Chicago City PD
1121 S. State St.
Room 400
Chicago, IL 60605.
Phone: + 312-747-5501

Dallas City PD
2014 Main St.
Room 506
Dallas, TX 75201.
Phone: + 214-670-3698

Denver City PD
1331 Cherokee Street
Denver, CO 80204.
Phone: + 720-913-6527

Indianapolis City PD
50 N Alabama Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: + 317-327-3282

Kansas City PD
1125 Locust StreetKansas City, MO 64106.
Phone: + 816-234-5000

Los Angeles PD
150 N. Los Angeles St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Phone: + 213-485-3202

Minneapolis City PD
Minneapolis, MN 55415.
Phone: + 612-673-2853

New Orleans City PD
715 S. Broad St.
New Orleans, LA 70119.
Phone: + 504-826-2727

New York City PD
1 Police Plaza
New York, NY 10038.
Phone: + 212-374-6710

Orlando City PD
100 S. Hughey Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801.
Phone: + 407-246-2401

Philadelphia City PD
700 Race Street Rm 311
Philadelphia, PA 19106.
Phone: + 215-686-3128

Phoenix City PD
620 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85003.
Phone: + 602-262-6747

Pittsburgh City PD
100 Grant Street 7th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
Phone: + 412-255-2814

St. Louis City PD
1200 Clark Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63103.
Phone: 314-444-5624

Salt Lake City PD
315 E. 200 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Phone: 801-799-3800

San Diego City PD
1401 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101.
Phone: 619-531-2000

San Francisco City PD
850 Bryant St.,
Hall of Justice Rm 505
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-553-1667

Seattle City PD
610 3rd Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104.
Phone: 206-684-5577

Washington, D.C. PD
300 Indiana Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001.
Phone: 202-727-4218

Nursing in the United States

Nurses qualified outside the United States who plan to practice in the U.S. must take the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) examination. It is a one-day, visa-qualifying examination that assesses an applicant’s basic level of knowledge in nursing and English.

To qualify to take the CGFNS exam, applicants must have graduated from a government-approved nursing program, which included at least a two years general nursing training and must hold a valid license to practice as a general nurse in their country. NOTE: Persons licensed solely as midwives, children’s nurses, psychiatric nurses, or other specialized nurses are not eligible for the CGFNS examination.

Application for this exam should be made at least three months prior to the exam – application forms can be obtained by writing to CGFNS at 3600 Market Street, Fourth Floor, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104-2651. Website is: http://www.cgfns.org/Telephone: (215) 349 8767. All inquiries concerning this test must be directed to CGFNS in Philadelphia.

Nurses who pass both portions of the exam and receive CGFNS certificates are eligible to apply for a non-immigrant occupation preference visa (called a H-1) from the U.S. Embassy in Dublin. To practice in the United States, however, certified foreign nurse graduates must be licensed in the state where they wish to practice. To do this, they must pass the Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Applicants for this exam, which can only be taken in the United States, should contact the board in the state where they want to practice for information on how to register for the test.

State Boards of Nursing

Resumes

Summer Jobs, Work & Travel

Should you wish to apply for an Au Pair position in the US, please contact an authorized Au Pair organization, as organizing an Au Pair exchange on your own is not possible.

IMPORTANT: Au pairs may only enter the United States with an exchange visitor visa.

Young men and women (from ages 18 to 26) can participate in Au Pair programs if they meet the following criteria:

  • have experience in childcare
  • have a driver’s license
  • have basic skills in English (which will be proven during a selection interview)
  • are non-smokers (for some organizations, this is a prerequisite)

Working as a Doctor in the U.S.

United States Medical Licensing Examination

The USMLE assesses a physician’s ability to apply knowledge, concepts and principles that are important in health and disease and that constitute the basis of safe and effective patient care. Each of the three complements the others; no one can stand alone in the assessment of readiness for medical licensure.

Because individual medical licensing authorities make decisions regarding use of USMLE results, you should contact the jurisdiction where you intend to apply for licensure to obtain complete information. The Federation of State Medical Boards” can provide general information on medical licensure.