Summer Work Travel
In the summer work travel program, post-secondary students may enter the United States to work and travel during their summer vacation. Participants can be admitted to the program more than once. The maximum length of the program is four months.
How do I apply?
To take part in the summer work travel program, candidates must work with a designated sponsor of the summer work travel program. A sponsor can be found in the list of designated sponsors.
Possible Summer Work Travel Jobs
Most of the time, participants work in unskilled service positions at resorts, hotels, restaurants, and amusement parks. However, they may also work in other types of organizations. For example, they could work in architectural firms, scientific research organizations, graphic art/publishing and other media communication businesses, advertising agencies, computer software and electronics firms, legal offices, etc. The program may not exceed four-months and must be finished during the student’s summer vacation. Participants receive pay and benefits equal to an American working in the same or similar position.
Positions in which Summer Work Travel Participants Cannot Work
Participants cannot work as domestic help (housekeepers, etc.) in American homes. Nor can they work in positions that require them to invest their own money for inventory, such as door-to-door sales. Participants cannot work in jobs that require them to provide patient care or that might bring the Department of State into notoriety or disrepute. Please read the regulations for more details.
Designated Sponsor Requirements
Most participants enter the United States with prearranged employment. However, sponsors are only required to place 50% of their participants each year. If a participant does not have a prearranged job, the sponsor will need to make sure that the participant has enough financial resources to support himself or herself during the employment search.
Sponsors must give participants information about how to find employment and how to find a place to live in the U.S. before departing their home countries. The sponsor must also give participants a directory of jobs that has at least as many job listings as the number of program participants entering the U.S. without prearranged employment. If participants are not able to find jobs on their own within one week, sponsors must make a reasonable effort to find suitable employment for the participants after one week.
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