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Outreachy Supports Diversity in Tech

Outreachy Eligibility Rules

Outreachy is open to applicants around the world. You will need to meet the following requirements:

1. General eligibility

• You must be 18 years of age or older by Dec. 9, 2024
• You must be available for a full-time internship. Outreachy interns work 30 hours per week. The internship runs from Dec. 9, 2024 to March 7, 2025.

2. Past internships

• You are welcome to apply to Outreachy multiple times. However, you can only be accepted as an Outreachy intern once.
• You must not be a past Outreachy intern.
• You must not be a past Outreach Program for Women intern.
• You must not be a past Google Summer of Code intern. All Google Summer of Code interns are ineligible for Outreachy. This includes people who did not successfully finish their Google Summer of Code internship.

3. Current or future internships

• The Outreachy internship runs from Dec. 9, 2024 to March 7, 2025.
• You must not have another internship during the Outreachy internship period. This includes unpaid internships.
• Applicants are required to list their current internships on their initial application. We understand you may be applying to many jobs. If you receive a job or internship offer, please notify Outreachy organizers immediately.

4. Rules for people with jobs

• The Outreachy internship runs from Dec. 9, 2024 to March 7, 2025.
• You must not have a full-time job during the Outreachy internship.
• You must not have a full-time contracting position during the Outreachy internship period.
• You must not be on a leave of absence from a full-time job during the Outreachy internship.
• If you are willing to quit your full-time job, you are welcome to apply to Outreachy. If you cannot quit your full-time job, you are not eligible for Outreachy.
• If you have a part-time job, you are welcome to apply to Outreachy. Part-time jobs must be approved by Outreachy organizers.
• Applicants are required to list their current jobs on their initial application. We understand you may be applying to many jobs. If you receive a job or internship offer, please notify Outreachy organizers immediately.

5. Rules for people who are not students

• People who are not students are welcome to apply to Outreachy.
• Outreachy has two internship cohorts: May to August, and December to March. If you are not a student, you may apply to either internship cohort.

6. Rules for students

• Both students and people who are not students are welcome to apply to Outreachy.
• University students must have 42 consecutive days free from school and exams during the internship period.
• Students must apply to the correct internship cohort (see rules below).

Outreachy internships run twice a year, May to August and December to March. We have some rules around which internship round you can apply to:

• If you are a student of a university in the Northern Hemisphere, you will only be eligible for the May to August internship cohort. Students in India are considered to be in the northern hemisphere, regardless of where their university is located.
• If you are a student of a university in the Southern Hemisphere, you will only be eligible for the December to March internship cohort.
• Otherwise, if your university is near the equator, you may apply to any internship cohort. We will review university term schedules on a case-by-case basis.
• If you are completing your last term for your degree, you may be eligible for either internship cohort, regardless of what hemisphere you are in. To be eligible for the Dec 2024 internships, the exams for your last school term must end before Jan. 24, 2025. If the school academic calendar continues past that date, graduating students are not eligible.
• When determining student eligibility, Outreachy looks at the school's academic calendar dates. We do not consider the individual student's course load. We do not consider special arrangements students have made with their university. Students who plan on taking a school term off to pursue an internship are not eligible for Outreachy. We cannot accept letters from universities about pausing classes or joining classes at a later date.

7. Rules for students on visas

• Your visa must allow you to work 30 hours per week. If you cannot work 30 hours per week, you are not eligible for Outreachy.
• If you are on a student visa in the United States of America, you might have limited dates when you can work 30 hours a week. We will work with you to shift your internship dates by up to five weeks. However, we cannot accommodate shortening the 13 week internship.
• If you are a student on an F-1 visa, you may need to apply for CPT with your university. Outreachy organizers can provide you documentation for your CPT application once you are selected as an intern.

Additional Information to Provide

The initial application also includes four essay questions. Please read our essay tips carefully.

Intern Agreements and Forms

All accepted interns must sign an intern agreement. This is a legal document that certifies you are eligible to apply for Outreachy, and that all the eligibility information you supply in your application is truthful. All accepted interns will need to fill out either a W8-BEN or a W-9 tax form. It is fraud if you sign these legal documents after supplying incorrect information.

If you are concerned about these forms, please note that Outreachy has experience with people in the middle of a legal name change and transgender people who cannot change their legal name. Only Outreachy organizers and the Software Freedom Conservancy accounting team will see these legal documents. Your mentors will not see your tax form or your signed intern agreement.

Applicant Guide

Please read our Applicant Guide. The Applicant Guide includes tips for getting your initial application accepted. It also includes tips for preparing for the contribution period and writing your final application.

Internship Guide

The Outreachy Internship Guide includes detailed information about the internship schedule, payment schedule, blogging schedule, and other details.

Initial Application

All Outreachy applicants will need to fill out an initial application.

The application system for Outreachy internships is currently closed. The application system will be available when the next application period opens.

To get an email when the round opens, subscribe to the Outreachy announcement mailing list.