Applying to Handshake AI · researched 8 Nov 2026

How to apply to Handshake AI

Sign up at joinhandshake.com/ai with a Handshake account, verify your phone, confirm US work authorization, add your expertise and a PDF resume and accept the agreements, then wait to be invited to a project; once selected, verify your ID, set up tax details and Stripe payouts, finish the project's onboarding and any assessment, and log paid hours that are paid out weekly.

Start your Handshake AI application

Applying to Handshake AI, step by step

Researched Nov 2026

Who can join

Be based in the US: Handshake's AI page says you must be (read 8 Nov 2026).
Be at least 18 (or the age of majority where you live, if that is higher). There is no parental-consent option.
A US Social Security Number or ITIN, plus a work authorization Handshake supports: US citizens, green-card holders, F-1 students on CPT or OPT approved by their DSO, and H-4 (with EAD), L-2, DACA, refugee, asylum and TPS holders. STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN and H-4 without EAD are not supported, because fellows are contractors, not employees.
Outside the US, participation is currently invite-only.
Be a current student or graduate (bachelor's, master's or doctoral) or a professional. No AI experience is needed, but some projects require subject-matter experts.
A government photo ID (driver's license, state ID, passport or green card) and a phone or tablet with a camera for the Persona ID and selfie check.
Work only from inside the US and its territories: working abroad needs written approval in advance, and VPNs, proxies and remote-desktop tools are not allowed.
Some projects also require a background check (legal name, date of birth, SSN, address), run by Yardstik in the US or Checkr elsewhere; results usually take about 7 days.

Step by step

1
Sign up
Go to joinhandshake.com/ai and click Sign up now. Log in with an existing Handshake account or create one; you can connect your school or skip that step. If you are already logged in to Handshake, click AI Work in the left-hand menu instead.
2
Verify your phone and work authorization
Enter the one-time code sent to your phone, then answer whether you are legally authorized to work in the US and whether you need CPT, OPT or H-1B sponsorship.
3
Add your expertise and resume
Describe your experience and background, upload your resume as a PDF (up to 50 MB), and accept the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Contractor Agreement. After that there is nothing else to do while you wait for a match.
4
Wait to be matched
Handshake reviews applications on a rolling basis and matches fellows to projects by background and partner demand. An application does not guarantee a project, and not hearing back does not necessarily mean you were declined.
5
Answer a project invitation
A matching project arrives as an email asking if you want to express interest. It lists the work, estimated length, time commitment and pay; some projects ask for a slide deck, portfolio or work samples. Selected fellows get a confirmation email.
6
Verify your identity
Upload a government photo ID and take a selfie through Persona, using a phone or tablet camera. It is a one-time step required before your first project; in some cases you can do it right after applying.
7
Set up taxes and payouts
Enter tax details through Handshake's tax partner (a W-9 for US persons, a W-8BEN otherwise), then finish your payout method in Stripe. You can start this before you are invited to a project.
8
Onboard, train and pass any assessment
Complete the project's onboarding steps and training in your project workspace. Many projects include an assessment, and in most cases a failed one cannot be retaken.
9
Work and get paid weekly
Log time only while actively working on a task, within its time cap. Pay for each Monday-to-Sunday week is sent by Wednesday afternoon.

Project assessment (per project, after an invitation)

Handshake has no single entry test. After you are invited to a project, its onboarding often includes an assessment set for that project and partner lab. Failing it ends onboarding for that project only: your profile stays active for other projects. Projects can also add new assessments later to re-check quality.

Format

Varies by project: a knowledge quiz on the onboarding training, a practice task or sample submission reviewed by Handshake's team, or a written or skills-based test in your field. Format, length and passing criteria are set per project, and results can take time to process.

How to prepare

Finish every training module and onboarding document before you start: Handshake says the onboarding materials are the best preparation, because assessments reflect the real project work.
Set aside uninterrupted time and do not rush.
Follow every instruction exactly; each project has its own standards.
If the assessment will not load, errors on submission or locks you out, contact Support instead of restarting or resubmitting, which can affect your result.
Write everything yourself: Handshake bans ChatGPT and other AI tools, including AI grammar tools, unless it authorizes them in writing, and you must keep drafts and notes for 90 days.

Why people get rejected

Missing the project's minimum score or quality bar; retakes are usually considered only for a documented error or technical issue.
A work authorization Handshake does not support (for example STEM OPT, J-1 or H-1B), or no SSN or ITIN yet.
Suspected use of AI tools: the work is rejected unpaid and you can be removed from the project or the program.
Credential discrepancies, task times far above benchmarks or working from outside the US: the reasons Handshake gave contractors whose accounts it closed, per Business Insider (March 2026).
A background check that does not meet a project's requirements (Yardstik first sends a notice giving at least 7 days to dispute it).
Not a rejection: no invitation often just means no current project matches your background.

How long it takes

Handshake publishes no timeline. It reviews applications on a rolling basis, and timelines for project invitations vary because each project is different; some projects add evaluations, training exercises or portfolio reviews before selection. Handshake says not hearing back right away does not necessarily mean you were declined.

When you get paid

Handshake sends pay for each Monday-to-Sunday week (Pacific time) to its payout partners by Wednesday afternoon, and it can take about 48 hours more to be ready to withdraw. If expected pay is missing by Friday noon Pacific, you can contact support or file a pay dispute form. Some projects use a different schedule, stated in their Project Terms. You are responsible for taxes on your own income.

Tips to get accepted

Keep your details identical everywhere: Handshake's help center says a mismatched name, an active VPN or a screenshot instead of a live photo is each enough to pause your access to work, so use your full legal name, your real country and location, and the same email across your profile and identity verification.
Complete your profile fully and finish any required assessments: Handshake calls this the most important step to become eligible for project invitations.
Keep submitting interest forms for matching opportunities in the Opportunities section of your dashboard to stay active in matching.
Check a project's pay model before you take it: hourly projects pay only up to each task's time cap, per-task projects pay only when a task reaches Ready to Deliver after review, hybrid projects pay both, and progressive per-task projects pay in stages from submission to Ready to Deliver.
Check each pay week on the pay dashboard (rolling out in phases since 14 October 2026): it lists base pay, incentives and every adjustment with its reason, such as time over the task or weekly cap or time that could not be matched to your recorded work. A week that ends below zero is deducted from your next payout.
Keep your bank details current: a returned payment is retried in the next pay cycle once you update them, and changing your payout method now requires a new selfie check.
If you are not a US tax resident, Handshake withholds 30% US tax from your pay unless you have certified with it that you work outside the US.
Read the Project Terms before onboarding: onboarding is paid only if they say so, and optional meetings, Slack time and time lost to technical problems are not paid.
Engage quickly once tasks open: availability changes fast, and fellows who stay inactive for long stretches while tasks are available may have project access reassigned.
On F-1 CPT or OPT, do not accept an invitation or sign a project contract until your DSO or USCIS has approved it; Handshake provides a DSO offer letter only once you are invited to an eligible project.
Only trust email from addresses ending in joinhandshake.com, and never share passwords or codes through a Google Form, WhatsApp or a text.

What isn't public

Handshake publishes no acceptance rate and no typical wait from application to first project; it says only that projects launch on a rolling basis according to partner demand.
Assessment formats, lengths and pass marks are set per project and are not published.
Handshake's help center contradicts itself on visas: its program overview names J-1 and H-1B as examples of valid authorization, while its work-authorization article lists both as unsupported. This guide follows the work-authorization article.
Whether onboarding, training and assessments are paid varies by project and is stated only in each project's terms, which you see after an invitation.
Handshake does not publish how it detects AI use or time-log problems, or how often fellows are removed or win an appeal (its help center now lets removed fellows request one); the removal reasons reported in the press come from affected contractors.
Handshake does not publish which countries outside the US are open by invitation, although its opportunity pages (read 8 Nov 2026) name roles based in countries such as Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India, Germany and Japan.

Sources (22)

Handshake AI Fellowship page (eligibility, payouts, fellows; read November 8, 2026)
Handshake AI Help Center: Introduction to the Handshake AI program
Handshake AI Help Center: Age requirement
Handshake AI Help Center: Fellowship work authorization eligibility
Handshake AI Help Center: Apply to the Handshake AI Fellowship
Handshake AI Help Center: Next steps after applying
Handshake AI Help Center: From application to first project
Handshake AI Help Center: Identity verification
Handshake AI Help Center: Getting Verified and Staying in Good Standing (read November 8, 2026)
Handshake AI Help Center: Background check process
Handshake AI Help Center: Stripe setup
Handshake AI Help Center: Assessments
Handshake AI Help Center: Projects
Handshake AI Help Center: Working from outside the United States
Handshake AI Help Center: Pay models (four pay types; read November 8, 2026)
Handshake AI Help Center: Earning on Handshake AI
Handshake AI Help Center: Payments processing
Handshake AI Help Center: The Handshake AI pay dashboard and how pay works (rolling out from October 14, 2026)
Handshake AI Help Center: Tax withholding for non-US tax residents
Handshake AI Help Center: Original work and prohibition on usage of LLMs
Handshake AI Help Center: Recognizing legitimate vs. fraudulent communications
Business Insider (via AOL): Some contractors who worked on OpenAI projects say Handshake AI is withholding thousands of dollars in pay (March 4, 2026)

Applying to Handshake AI: questions

How do I get accepted on Handshake AI?

Sign up at joinhandshake.com/ai, verify your phone, confirm your US work authorization, add your expertise and a PDF resume, and accept the agreements. Handshake then matches applicants to projects by background and demand; an invitation leads to ID verification, payout setup, project onboarding and often an assessment.

Can I join Handshake AI from outside the US?

Only by invitation. Handshake requires a US SSN or ITIN and a supported US work authorization, and says participation for international fellows is currently invite-only.

Does Handshake AI have a test?

Not one entry test. Many projects include an assessment during onboarding: a quiz on the training, a practice task, or a written or skills test. Retakes are usually not offered, but failing one project's assessment does not remove you from the fellowship.

How long does Handshake AI take to respond?

Handshake publishes no timeline. It reviews applications on a rolling basis and reaches out only if your background matches an active or upcoming project, and it says not hearing back right away does not necessarily mean you were declined.

How and when does Handshake AI pay?

Weekly, through Stripe: pay for each Monday-to-Sunday week is sent by Wednesday afternoon (Pacific time) and can take about 48 hours more to be ready to withdraw. You complete a W-8 or W-9 tax form and handle your own taxes.

Can I use ChatGPT on Handshake AI tasks?

No. Handshake prohibits LLMs and other AI tools, including AI grammar tools, for work product unless it authorizes them in writing. Suspected use suspends pay for that work; if Handshake concludes an LLM was used, the work is not paid and you can be removed from the program.

How long does it take to hear back from Handshake AI?

Does Handshake AI have an assessment?

Yes: Project assessment (per project, after an invitation). Handshake has no single entry test. After you are invited to a project, its onboarding often includes an assessment set for that project and partner lab. Failing it ends onboarding for that project only: your profile stays active for other projects. Projects can also add new assessments later to re-check quality.