Neha Patil (Editor)

Work and Travel USA

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Work and Travel USA is the most popular program of international cultural exchange (more than 100 000 students every year) that allows students from different countries of the world to depart on summer vacations to the United States to work and travel. The Summer Work Travel program provides foreign students with an opportunity to live and work in the United States during their summer vacation from college or university to experience and to be exposed to the people and way of life in the United States.

Contents

The founder of the program and its main supervisor is the Department of State, which determines the number of students that have a right to take part each year. Companies that represent the program abroad register students in the program, and help to provide information and get the necessary documents. Also some agencies help program participants to plan their journey to their future place of work, giving the possibility of purchasing international airline tickets on students tariffs.

State Department conducts the necessary supervision and co-ordination of the program and determines the possible number of program participants annually.

Sponsors are US organizations approved by State Department to manage the Summer Work and Travel Program.

Overseas Agencies are recruiting organizations that work very closely with Sponsors to select the right students for the program.

Employer is a US company that offers jobs to the international students.

Participant to Summer Work and Travel Program is an International Student that comes to the United States for cultural exchange, work and travel period of 4 months.

SEVIS

All students are obligated to pay $35 SEVIS fee. SEVIS is a United States Government computerized system that collects and manages data about all international students and exchange visitors during their stays. SEVIS tells the U.S. government where you live, where you work, and your legal status during your program. It's possible for everybody to observe the moving of students using Summer Work and Travel Participants map

Work and Travel students must:

  • register their information in SEVIS no later than 10 days after arriving in the USA.
  • update their SEVIS information within 10 days, if they change address during the time in the USA or if they switch jobs.
  • check-in every 30 days to maintain active status on the program, even if information hasn’t changed.

    • Failure to register or check-in may result in termination from the program.

    Requirements

    Summer Work and Travel students must be:

  • Sufficiently proficient in English to successfully interact in an English speaking environment;
  • Post-secondary school students enrolled in and actively pursuing a degree or other full-time course of study at an accredited classroom based, post-secondary educational institution outside the United States;
  • Have successfully completed at least one semester or equivalent of post-secondary academic study; and
  • Pre-placed in a job prior to entry unless from a visa waiver country.

    • General review of the program

    Program Work and Travel is intended for students who wish to familiarize themselves with the culture of the United States and to work during their summer vacation. On the terms of the program, the work placement, conditions and payment are arranged in advance of the trip. On completion of this, students are free to travel throughout the United States.

    Work

    Candidates do not normally need to have qualification or experience as training will be given at the place of work as necessary. The types of jobs on offer include sales-people, cashiers, hosts and staff in hotels, restaurants or entertainment parks.

    Travel

    Applicants may remain in the United States until the end of their exchange program, as specified on form DS-2019. Once a J-1 visitor's program ends, he or she may remain in the United States for an additional 30 days, often referred to as a "grace period", in order to prepare for departure from the country.

  • The actual J-1 visa certificate does not specifically document this 30-day post-study/exam "grace period", and consequently some airline counter staff have refused to issue a boarding pass to an embarking student. In particular, when the student's return ticket is departing after the J-1 visa has expired. For example: the return date is the next day after the students last exam.
  • If the visitor leaves the United States during these 30 days, the visitor may not re-enter with the J-1 visa.

    • The minimal and the maximal duration of stay are determined by the specific J-1 category under which an exchange visitor is admitted into the United States.

    Agencies

    Agencies are representatives of the student candidates. The agencies are engaged in the search for vacancies with sponsors, will organize the vacancies and prepare the necessary documents for participation. Agencies are also engaged in health and safety issues and are available to help solve any problems which may arise for students during their stay in the USA.

    Term of action

    Program Work and Travel operates only in the summer vacation during the five months period depending on the country of residence.

    Books

  • VerdeTax, General info for the tax system in the United States
  • Alexandra Albert 'Work & Travel in Australien und Neuseeland'
  • T.O.O. "ZAKwUSA, Work and Travel in examples; ŻAKwUSA w przykładach Work and Travel" (2012)

    • References

    Work and Travel USA Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA