Hello Architect-US Family!
My name is Olga and I am from Poland. During my architectural education, I got a chance to go to different countries and continents. In 2018, as part of international exchange, I studied at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. After completing the semester, I also completed a design internship in Thornton Tomasetti in New York. In 2019 I participated in another exchange program with Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea. I have finally graduated from Cracow University of Technology in Poland in July 2020 with M.Arch. I had a few internships in architectural firms and contracting companies in Poland. After a year of this professional experience, I have decided to try my hand in architecture in New York and apply for my J-1 trainee visa.
In the process of looking for the right architectural office for me and for the J-1 program, I have sent around 90 applications. After 3 months of searching, I got an invitation for an interview in a boutique studio in Brooklyn, which is Studioteka Design. Following the interview, I got a training offer and since that day I knew I would get my J-1 visa. Initially, I was expecting that the process of issuing the visa would take 1 month, but it was 3 months. Back then, I also did not know that the overall cost of the process would be 4.000 USD. I was patiently following the visa process step by step, and here I am now getting on the plane to JFK in great excitement.
About the visa process itself, I can tell you that I got huge support from Architect-US Team and it would not be possible without them. I have read good opinions about Architect-US from previous participants, so I chose them to be my sponsor. I am very happy with my sponsor Architect-US, and also the partner sponsor ASSE. I was informed about every step of the process from the day I contacted Architect-US to the day I had my interview in the US Consulate. The appointment in the Consulate went excellent, I was asked about the purpose of my visit to the United States, about my post-graduation experience, and also about my past exchange program at the University of Tennessee.
Three months later, which is since I started issuing my visa, I can finally relax! Very soon I will meet my Team in Brooklyn, and in the long run, I want to learn as much as possible about the architectural approach in New York. I will let you know how it goes!
Olga
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