Intern
PAHO/WHO may offer an internship to a student who meets the following criteria:
- is at least twenty years of age on the date of application;
- is enrolled in a master's or doctoral program; or has graduated within the last two years from a bachelor's, master’s, or doctoral program;
- is fluent in at least one of the working languages of the office of assignment (English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish);
- is not related to a staff member as defined in Staff Rule 410.3 (i.e., spouse, children, parents, or siblings of the staff member or the children, parents, or siblings of the staff member's spouse);
- has not previously participated in PAHO/WHO's internship program at the same location in the Region of the Americas or at WHO;
- has strong writing, research, and organizational skills to support technical cooperation efforts; and
- can 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:
- be a U.S. Citizen, or a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident;
- have a valid visa with an Employment Authorization from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or be sponsored by PAHO with a G-4 visa;
- be a Foreign Student in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status Participating in Curricular Practical Training that provides a valid Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT), or be a Foreign Student in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status with the correct endorsement in the I-20 by the university.
Volunteer
The same requirements as listed above apply except that volunteers should have already finished their studies and their experience and professional background should enable them to be able to make a valuable contribution to PAHO's work.
Payment, Liability, Insurance
PAHO will provide financial support in the form of a stipend. The stipend is calculated based on the intern’s location and whether the intern is serving on a part-time or full-time basis. The stipend will not be sufficient to cover all costs of the internship and the cost difference should therefore be borne by the intern or their sponsoring institutions or governments. This includes costs relating to travel, living, and accommodation, which are the responsibility of the intern.
PAHO will provide, at no cost to the intern, accident and illness insurance coverage during the internship assignment.
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.
Future Employment at PAHO
Following completion of an internship with PAHO, an intern may not be hired under any staff or non-staff contractual arrangement with the PAHO for a period of six (6) months. Any subsequent employment with PAHO after the six (6) month period shall be subject to established recruitment and selection procedures.
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 appropriate visa prior to departure. PAHO may assist if there is a PAHO office in the country of departure. Interns who will be working at PAHO's headquarters in Washington, D.C. 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 PAHO's headquarters in Washington, D.C. who are not already lawfully present in the United States in an immigration status which permits the intern to participate, must apply for and be granted a G-4 visa prior to beginning 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 at PAHO under the PAHO 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); and
- Foreign Students in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status with the correct endorsement in the I-20.
For other types of visas, please contact the Internship and Practicum Coordinator at interns@paho.org who will advise you as to whether or not your visa is acceptable.