Work and Travel USA
A J1 Visa/ BridgeUSA Programme
Summer in the States
Exclusively for University students*, the Summer Work and Travel Programme offers you the chance to live and work in the US over the summer holiday - making new friends, learning new skills and exploring all the US has to offer!
*Final year students are eligible!
As long as you're a full time university level student currently studying in the UK, you're eligible!
There are some details we want you to know and understand though, so take a minute to look at the info here before you start the process!
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In order to apply, you must be:
Currently attending university level study at an accredited institution in the UK - OR a UK national studying at university level abroad
You must be at least 18 at the time of application
Your course must be at least 2 years in duration
You must not have a criminal record of any type
Please note: We are unable to accept applications from “gap year” students - ie: those who have completed A levels are are planning on going to university.
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You're allowed to work for a maximum 4 months between June 1st and September 30th.
You can arrive up to a maximum 5 days before your job starts and remain for a maximum 30 days after it ends - as long as your return home date doesn't interfere with the start of your university term in the autumn.
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Jobs are allowed in tourism and hospitality only.
This might be in a resort or hotel, restaurant or beach club.
If you position is outside of this and directly related to your field of study at university you may be eligible for our Internship USA J1 programme
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You can start the process in advance of securing a position in the US, but we won't be able to submit an application until your job is confirmed and you've provided the details
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In 2024, the costs charged by US organisations to provide placements went up massively and we don't feel again this year that we can ask students to pay the level of fees asked for a short term programme*
As a UK student, it's easier for you than almost anyone else worldwide to secure your own position as you don't have the language barrier!
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In order to enter the USA on a J1 Visa Programme you must have a passport that is valid for AT LEAST 3 months AFTER the end date of your internship or traineeship.
Please make sure your passport meets these requirements. If not your application will be subject to delays as your legal paperwork (the DS-2019) can NOT be issued without a passport that meets these criteria.
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Once your job has been verified and your application submitted to the teams in the USA, it normally takes 2-3 weeks for your paperwork to be approved and downloadable from your online account.
After that you'll need to book your interview at the US Embassy - wait times for these get longer the closer you get to the summer so get your application in EARLY!
See Embassy Interviews for more information (will open in a new tab)
Programme Fee
£1069
Your programme fees cover the following:
Medical and liability insurance for the duration of your time in the USA
Your SEVIS Fee
Processing of all documentation and release to you of the DS-2019 Certificate (this is needed in order to book and attend a face to face interview at the US Embassy)
24/7 support from a dedicated CIEE team during your time in the USA
Pre-Departure online Orientation
Get your application started here
Supporting Documents you’ll need for your application
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Work and Travel USA Fees Disclosure
Every application need to have this signed and dated in their DOCUMENTS section
This is a form you can complete and sign online - even on your phone or tablet.
It will generate a PDF copy for you to download (a copy will also be emailed to you automatically).Please note this will open in a new tab in your browser.
This will need to be uploaded into the DOCUMENTS section of your online application
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Proof of Student Status
You will need to give this document to your university to sign and stamp.
This will need to be uploaded into the EDUCATION section of your online application
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Proof of English Language Ability
Non UK or Irish passport holders only.
Any member of staff at your university can complete and sign this for you
*As you are at a UK university this does not need to be an English teacher!
A Step by Step guide to completing your online Work and Travel USA Application application
Click on any of the sections below for instructions and guidance on completing your application.
We strongly recommend you use this as a guide to avoid mistakes and delays!
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You can do this further up this page.
Within 2 working days, our team will crate an account for you in the CIEE BEACON system.
Please make sure you use this guide to complete your application successfully!
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Click on the Placements Tab at the top of your application page.
Click on PRIMARY PLACEMENT - INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OR SELF-SOURCED PLACEMENT: INITIAL
Please enter the details of your US Employer and Supervisor name/ contact details
Under Job Information enter the details of the position you have been hired for and the wage/ number of hours/ week.
If you know the details of your housing, please enter it here.
If you don't have all the info to hand you can Save without Submitting and come back to it.
If you have completed this section, please SUBMIT TO INTERNATION REP
You must then email our team to confirm you have done this!
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BASIC INFORMATION: Please check your name and date of birth (remember your date of birth is in US format - mm/dd/yyy). If any of this information is incorrect you can edit it by clicking in the boxes and saving using the blue Save button at the bottom of the section.
You’ll also need to enter your mobile phone number and social messaging accounts (these are optional).
Please enter you full home address
Upload a picture of yourself by clicking on the grey profile image
Then hit Save
WORK EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: CLICK Edit Work Experience to enter your most recent employer and information. If you haver more than one employer to add, you can do this by hitting the Add Another Work Experience button below.
EDUCATION: Choose United Kingdom from the drop down and then search for your university/ college by name
Under Major Field of Study, if you can’t see your course or a related option, please choose Basic Skills
SKILLS: Even though you already have a job lined up - or will be finding your own, you still need to complete this section (we know - we don’t like it either!)
PERSONAL INFORMATION: This section must be completed with the details AS THEY APPEAR IN YOUR PASSPORT!
*Your Country of Citizenship must be the same as the country that issued your passport!
You’ll also need to upload a copy of the ID page of your passport as a jpeg or png file.
CONTACT INFORMATION: If you’ve already entered your home address in BASIC INFORMATION, this will show here.
You still need to provide at least ONE emergency contact
Then hit Save
PREVIOUS VISA INFORMATION: PLEASE ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS TRUTHFULLY. If you provide untrue information in this section and are subsequently refused a visa by the US embassy based on information you did not enter here, you will not receive any refunds and will be barred from applying from future programmes.
STUDENT STATUS: If you have already entered your university in the WORK EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION section, this will show here.
You still need to answer the remaining questions.
In this section you also need to upload your completed Proof of Student Status Form
PERSONAL STATEMENT AND DECLARATION:
PLEASE ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS AND SIGN THE APPLICANT DECLARATION OF INTENT
HEALTH INFORMATION: Your medical insurance in the USA does not cover COVID related illnesses. If you are unvaccinated, any costs incurred will be your responsibility.
Please answer the questions in this section and SAVE
HIPAA RELEASE FORM: BY signing this section you agree in the case of required treatment or accident in the USA to CIEE being able to discuss your medical condition and history with your medical professionals - and to share your medical condition with your parents or guardian for the purposes of processing your medical insurance.
DOCUMENTS: Please upload a signed and dated copy of your Fees Disclosure into this section and hit Save.
Application complete? Email our team to confirm!
We’ll then check this for you, and as long as everything is there, we’ll issue the payment request
If there’s anything missing, we’ll let you know.
Once payment has been submitted, we’ll submit your completed application to the teams at CIEE
What Happens once my application is submitted?
The teams in the US will verify everything and look to approve your application within 2-3 weeks.
Once approved, you'll be able to download your legal documents (the DS-2019 Certificate and SEVIS receipt) from within your online application.
You'll then be able to move forward and book your face to face interview at the US Embassy.
Once you've had your appointment, it normally takes 4-5 working days to get your passport and visa returned to you!
If you have any questions, please email our team
The Next Steps
Once you have emailed our team to confirm you are ready to move forward with the application, we will email you a payment request.
Once payment has been made, we will be able to submit your completed application to our colleagues in the USA for processing.
Below is an outline of the process - each application is assessed individually however, so timelines and processes vary
We strongly recommend allowing a minimum 6 weeks for this - and significantly more in the busy periods of the year such as the months leading up to June. Embassies are much busier during these times, and wait times for interviews will be much longer!
1: After we’ve submitted your application:
The teams at CIEE will review your completed application and move forward with the approval process - if they need anything they’ll let you or your US Host Company know!
2: Approval
Once your application is approved, your legal documentation (the DS-2019 Certificate) will be available to download from your CIEE BEACON account.
*Please note your legal paperwork is normally available 2 working days after your application is approved
3: Book your face to face Visa Interview
Once you have your SEVIS ID/ DS-2019#, you’ll be able to book your face to face visa interview at your local US Embassy
See our Embassy page for details on how to do this
5: Attend you face to face visa interview
At your face to face interview at your local Embassy or Consulate, you will be required to answer some questions about your plans for the summer and your plans for when you return home and other details.
You will also be required to provide biometric data (fingerprints).
6: After the interview
Log into your CIEE BEACON account and update your VISA details
Motivated by our mission
The CIEE Difference
Founded in 1947, CIEE is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization.
CIEE Work & Travel USA is the longest-running program of its kind, and there’s a reason why we sponsor more participants than any other organization. Whether you’re a visiting student or an employer, CIEE delivers unmatched support and the best international exchange experiences.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
There is a sliding scale of non-refundable charges based on the time you cancel your application and how far along in the process you are.
Please read these carefully to avoid confusion at a later date.
After application completed and submitted to CIEE: We will refund your programme fees minus £250
After application approved and legal documentation (DS-2019 Certificate) generated: We will refund your programme fees minus £450
Cancellation after approval of visa at the US Embassy: No refund
Cancellation after listed Program Start date: No refund
Cancellation or withdrawal from the programme for any reason after your arrival in the United States: No refund
Denial of Sponsorship by CIEE: We will refund your programme fees minus £200
If your visa is denied at the US Embassy: We will refund your programme fees minus £350