What is J-1 Work & Travel?

If someone has told you about “doing a summer in America”, this is the programme they meant. Here is what it actually is, in plain terms, with the parts that catch people out.

The short version

J-1 is a United States visa for exchange visitors, run by the US Department of State. It has several categories. Summer Work & Travel is the one most students mean: you work a seasonal job in the USA for a few months, usually over your summer holiday, and you are allowed to travel afterwards. Intern and Trainee are related categories for placements tied to your field of study or career.

The jobs are seasonal work: national park lodges, hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, ski resorts, shops in tourist towns. Real jobs in places that need a lot of people for a few months a year.

Sponsor, agency, employer — three different things

This is the part almost nobody explains, and it matters, because when something goes wrong the three are not equally responsible.

The sponsor

An organisation officially designated by the US State Department to run the programme. Only a designated sponsor can issue the document that gets you the visa, and they are the ones responsible to the US government for your placement. There are not many of them.

The agency

The company in your own country that you probably paid, that helped with paperwork, and that found you the job. Agencies work with sponsors. Your agency is usually who you talk to — but they are not the sponsor, and they are not your employer.

The employer

The actual business you work for and who pays you. This is the one SeasonStamp collects reviews about, because it is the one that decides what your summer is actually like.

A good agency and a good sponsor do not guarantee a good employer. That gap is the reason this site exists.

What is a DS-2019?

The form your sponsor issues once you are accepted. Its official name is the Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status, and you need it to apply for the visa. It names your sponsor, your programme category, your programme dates, and the place you are approved to work — and it carries a SEVIS number, which is how the US government tracks your participation.

Keep it. You need it at the embassy, at the border, and if anything goes wrong during your season. SeasonStamp can also use it to confirm you were really on the programme — your phone reads it and we never receive the picture.

What to check before you say yes

These are the questions that decide whether a season is worth it, and they are exactly what SeasonStamp asks past students to answer. Ask them before you accept, not after you have landed.

Hours promised against hours given
The single most common complaint. An offer saying 32 hours a week is not a promise you will get them, and your budget depends entirely on it.
What housing actually costs
Often deducted straight from your pay. Ask the weekly amount, how many people share a room, and how far it is from work.
Whether a second job is allowed
Some employers and sponsors permit one, some do not. It can be the difference between coming home with savings and coming home with nothing.
How you get to work
Many seasonal employers are far from any town, and public transport in rural America is often nonexistent.
What previous students said
The one you could never check before, which is what this site is for.

A note on what we do not cover

Visa rules, fees, eligibility and programme dates change, and they differ by country, by sponsor and by year. This page explains how the programme is shaped, not what the current requirements are. For those, your sponsor and the US embassy in your country are the only sources worth trusting — not us, and not a Facebook group.

Already done a season?

You know the answers to every question above for the place you worked. Writing them down takes a few minutes and is the only thing that makes this useful to whoever goes next.

Write a review

Deciding now? Look up the employer before you accept.