AUSSIES CALL 1300 135 331
KIWIS CALL 0800 440 079
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You are a participant in an educational exchange program approved by the US Department of State and will receive a J-1 visa. Under the terms of the J-1 visa, you are allowed to work for up to 12 months at sites approved by the sponsor. The visa does not allow you to work as a domestic, au pair, camp counsellor, or in the medical field. In Nov. 1986, the US Congress passed a new Immigration Law requiring employers to verify that all employees - both US citizens and non-resident aliens - are eligible to work. The company supervisor will ask to see your passport and a copy of the Exchange Visitor Visa Form called DS-2019. This was the form that served to obtain the visa. The Immigration officer will stamp it and leave it in your passport. It should remain there at all times. We encourage you to make photocopies of your passport and the DS-2019 and keep them in a safe place. These are the documents that prove your work eligibility and identity. You will also be asked to sign a form (I-9) that the host company keeps in its files. The form proves that the company has verified work eligibility.
Once your DS-2019 has expired you have 30 days from the expiration date to travel within the US.
Yes, if you plan on travelling outside of the US during your program, you must first notify CIEE and request permission to travel. This involves CIEE signing your DS-2019 form, and issuing you a letter of "Good Standing" that indicates that you are still a current participant and that you will be returning to the US to continue on with your program.
Please follow these steps for successfully travelling in and out of the country.
Please also note that your DS-2019, J-1 visa, and passport must be valid in order to re-enter the U.S. Lastly, make sure it states "M" under "Entries" on your J-1 visa. If it states "S" or "1," you will not be able to re-enter the U.S. to finish the Work & Travel USA Program .
You must have the copy of the DS-2019 form for the visa to be valid. If this is lost, CIEE will replace the form. A good safeguard is to always keep the copy of the DS-2019 form in the passport and have copies put elsewhere in a safe place. If you lose your passport, please contact your nearest Embassy or Consulate as soon as possible so that they can assist you in obtaining new documentation.
You can go on the Work & Travel USA - 12 month program at any time of the year.
Summer Work & Travel students can work in the USA between November 15th - February 28th. Your work dates will be based on the length of your vacation break from uni or TAFE/Polytechnic.
No. You can secure your job after your arrival in the US. You can work in any position which is not restricted.
According to the regulations of the J-1 Work & Travel USA program, employment cannot be approved if there are questions about the safety and well-being of the participant, or if the nature of the employment prevents the participant from having a meaningful cultural exchange experience in the United States.
The following job types are currently prohibited:
Any job, whether or not it is included in the list above, must be generally compatible with the rules, regulations, and intent of the program. Participants must be able to balance their work responsibilities with time spent exploring their local community, learning about the U.S. and getting to know Americans. In addition to the above, any job that could bring notoriety or disrepute to the Exchange Visitor Program is expressly prohibited by the program regulations.
Yes.
No.
Participants are required to contact CIEE and report their current address and employment status within 10 days of their arrival. If you have not secured a position you are required to keep CIEE informed about your location and job search process.
Your full application must be submitted to us a minimum of 8 weeks before your departure date.
You can download an application form from our website, e-mail us, or give us a call on 1300 135 331 in Australia or 0800-440079 in New Zealand and we will send you one. Please see How to Apply section.
Your program fee includes travel and medical insurance. Under US Government program regulations, you must have an approved level of insurance coverage. Our custom insurance plans meet this requirement. Our insurance covers you for emergency and accidents including hospital cover - but only while you are on the program. There is only limited baggage coverage and it does not cover loss of personal effects. If you are intending on taking expensive items we recommend you take out additional coverage.
Your program fee covers our services to you in Australia and New Zealand and CIEE’s services and support whilst in the US including sponsorship of your visa. The fee also covers your insurance. For a full list of what’s included in the program fee please click here.
Work & Travel 12 months - No, applicants are only permitted to receive the visa once.
Summer Work & Travel - Yes, applicants are permitted to repeat the program.
Work & Travel 12 months - No, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria and are more than 18 years old.
Summer Work & Travel - Yes, 18 - 30 years.
Yes, you may take a course, but the study should be incidental to the work/travel program (i.e. a night class) and not a course which issues credits, leads to a degree or otherwise would require a F1 student visa.
As your US authorised sponsor for this program, CIEE is responsible for ensuring that you arrive in the US with sufficient funds to support yourself before you start earning your own money. You will need to declare that you have access to a minimum of US $975. You may also be asked by Immigration for evidence of these funds when entering the US and when applying for your visa at the US Consulate serving your state.
For Work & Travel USA 12 months there are no specific documents that you are required to take with you.
For Summer Work & Travel USA you must be sure to print out these documents before leaving for the US:
