HOW TO APPLY FOR A U.S.-BASED COURSE

If you are eligible to receive USAID funding, you should contact the USAID mission in your country. All candidates must complete the ETP application. Application forms may be obtained from the Training Officer at your USAID mission.

Please note the following requirements for USAID-funded candidates:

• They must be nominated and sponsored by their employer. Nominations are submitted to the local USAID mission.
• Application forms must be filled out both by the candidate and the employer and then submitted to the USAID Mission for review.
• Candidates must meet a minimum English-language proficiency score of 500 on the TOEFL exam or an ALIGU total score of 240 in usage, listening and reading (Contact your local USAID mission for details on U.S. language competency tests).
• Participants must attend the entire program. ETP courses are intense, rigorous and demanding. Extensive reading assignments and tests are given; active discussion during class is encouraged. Participation in an ETP course is a full-time job. Please apply for consideration for an ETP course only if you are committed to work a minimum of 40 hours a week for the duration of the course. (Participants who cannot or will not work full time during the course will be required to return home immediately.)
• J-1 visas will be issued to USAID-funded participants in U.S.-based ETP courses at the beginning of training. When the ETP course is completed, you will be expected to return home to resume your employment responsibilities and to fulfill the two-year home-country, physical presence requirement of the J-1 visa.
• The candidate's employer, government or mission must pay for round trip air travel to the U.S.