Ask HN: Are there companies willing to sponsor visas for interns?

I would guess that would not be very likely, but I'm not sure.

All you would have to prove is that you have a skill set that employers are not able to find in the US. I would guess that would be difficult at the intern level.

For example, if you were really good at Matlab there is always a need for that. (It is taught in universities but the demand is still high).

Depends on the intern and the Visa. Someone coming from Canada who just needs a TN is an easy sell to most companies. Someone who is eligible for an OPT or F1, maybe, really just depends on how much money your C-level likes to throw around. Anything else, probably not worth it.

Yes. A J-1 visa is relatively cheap and fast to process.