Work and Travel USA

Do you want to experience the USA up close and authentically? With Work and Travel, you have the chance to immerse yourself in American life, discover new places and earn money at the same time. Whether you go to live with a typical American family, work at a summer camp or explore New York, a gap year with Work and Travel USA allows you to get to know the country from a side that tourists do not often get to see.

What you should know: the USA does not offer a classic working holiday visa of the type you might be able to apply for in Australia, Canada or New Zealand. But that should not stop you from following your American dream. Instead, the U.S. offers a variety of alternatives with which you can combine work and travel. Unlike in Australia or Canada, however, you will not be able to hop flexibly from job to job in the USA. The programmes are more structured and focus on specific activities or employers that are often associated with a cultural experience. This not only allows you the opportunity to experience the country in-depth, but also affords more security and planning during your stay.

Here are some of the most popular options:

• Summer camp: Every year, American summer camps are on the lookout for motivated team members to offer activities to children and young people or to help with the organisation. A stay generally lasts between nine and twelve weeks, after which you can travel around for 30 days. This classic among the options for Work and Travel not only offers an incomparable atmosphere, but also the opportunity to work with international colleagues and make new friends.
• Au Pair: For those who want to experience American family life up close and personal, working as an au pair is the ideal choice. As an au pair, you will help a host family out with childcare and in return receive accommodation, board, weekly pocket money and paid vacation time. For one year, you will have the opportunity to travel, experience American culture and improve your language skills at the same time.
• Cultural exchange programmes: There are also numerous exchange programmes that allow you to experience the country’s culture. The focus here is often on internships, volunteer work or project-related jobs, which provide a fascinating insight into everyday working life in the U.S.

The J-1 visa will allow you to make your dream of Work and Travel USA come true. Unlike a classic working holiday visa, like those offered by Australia or Canada, the J-1 visa is tied to a specific programme or job, and applications have to be made within the framework of an organisation. The organisation in question will usually also help you with all the important steps, such as submitting your visa application and organising your stay.

The duration of your stay will depend on the respective programme. In most cases, the J-1 visa allows you to live and work in the U.S. for up to 12 months. Many programmes also offer an option for extending your stay. You can also take advantage of the so-called Grace Period, which allows you to travel around the USA for 30 days before and after your programme and discover the country at your leisure – but working is not allowed during this period.  

You have to be at least 18 years old to apply for a J-1 visa (with the exception of those applying to attend a high school). Officially, there is no upper age limit, but some programmes set individual limits.

• Summer Camp: As a supervisor in the summer camp, you have to be at least 18 years old, need a flawless certificate of good conduct and very good English skills.
• Au pair: To work as an au pair, you have to be between 18 and 26 years old, have a school-leaving certificate and driving licence, as well as a flawless certificate of good conduct and 200 hours of experience in childcare.

To apply for a J-1 visa, you must meet several conditions. The conditions can be divided into general requirements and programme-specific requirements. We present the general ones below:

• J-1 visa sponsor: Since applications for the J-1 visa must be made within the framework of an officially recognised organisation, finding an exchange organisation should be your first step. Here you will find a list of all approved J-1 exchange organisations.
• DS-2019: You will receive this form from your organisation. It proves your participation in an exchange programme.  
• Make an appointment: Once you have the form, the next step is to make an appointment for an in-person interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate: in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main or Munich. At this point in the process, you will also directly pay the visa application fee of 185 dollars.  
• DS-160: The DS-160 form is part of the visa application and has to be completed and submitted before the interview. For this, you will also need a recent digital, biometric passport photo in American format: 5 x 5 cm.
• SEVIS fee: The J-1 visa is subject to the SEVIS fee. This is 35 dollars for au pair and summer camp programmes but can be higher for other programmes.
• Visa interview: The interview takes place in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate. You will need to provide the following documents for the interview:
  • Appointment confirmation
  • Passport (valid for at least six months beyond your stay in the U.S.)
  • DS-2019 form
  • DS-160 form
  • Proof of payment of the fees
  • American-format biometric passport photo 5 x 5 cm
• Other: You may need to provide additional documentation, depending on the consulate or embassy and the type of stay or programme. You can find more detailed information in the context of your programme or on the website of the U.S. embassy and consulates in Germany.