In most cases, apply not less than three months before the internship would begin. It is always best to contact the office of the Member of Congress for an exact answer. Most of the tourist attractions in Washington are open to the public free of charge, including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Capitol Building, and all of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington, DC has an excellent metro system of buses and trains. Special passes may also be obtained for unlimited travel for a specified length of time.
Congressional internships qualify for academic credit in many colleges and universities.
Contact your college advisor for more information. Yes, the most important qualification for working on Capitol Hill is experience. An applicant with experience in a Congressional office has a real advantage over those without experiece. You will find that a very high percentage of Congressional staff, even some Members of Congress, were once interns. To our knowledge, there is no federal law barring non-U.S. citizens from being interns.