01Apply
All 11DS-2019 for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: What It Is, Where to Get It, How to Use It
The DS-2019 is the Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status, issued by your designated sponsor after it screens and selects you.
How to Apply for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: Steps from Sponsor to Visa
You apply through a designated sponsor, not directly to the government: contact one, complete its interview, then receive a DS-2019 after the sponsor enters you in SEVIS.
I-901 SEVIS Fee for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: Amount, How to Pay, Receipt
Summer Work and Travel participants pay a reduced I-901 SEVIS fee of $35, while most other J-1 participants pay $220.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Eligibility: Who Qualifies and What Rules Apply
You qualify if you are a full-time student at an accredited post-secondary school outside the US and have finished at least one semester of study.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Job Offer Scams: Red Flags and Who to Call
Honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job, and never send a check and ask you to send part of it back.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Program Dates by Country
Your season is a window tied to your country's academic break, capped at four months.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Sponsors: List, How to Check One, What It Must Do
Every Summer Work and Travel participant needs a sponsor designated by the State Department, and its sponsor search lists Summer Work/Travel sponsors by name and office.
J-1 Visa Interview for Summer Work and Travel: What to Bring and What the Officer Decides
A consular officer interviews you to decide whether you qualify for the J-1 visa, and applicants from age 14 through 79 need the interview, with few exceptions.
Returning to J-1 Summer Work and Travel: Second Season, Visa and the 2-Year Rule
Yes.
Visa Waiver Countries and J-1 Summer Work and Travel: What Changes for You
The Visa Waiver Program covers 42 countries, whose citizens may visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa.
Work and Travel USA Program Cost: Government Fees, Sponsor Fees and What You Pay Yourself
No single price applies, because sponsor program fees vary by sponsor and by country.
02Arrival
All 6Entering the US on a J-1 Summer Work and Travel Visa: Port of Entry, Documents, CBP
A visa only lets you travel to a US port of entry and ask for permission to enter, and CBP officers there decide whether to admit you.
First Week in the USA on J-1 Work and Travel: A Step-by-Step Checklist
In your first week, tell your sponsor you have arrived: the rule is within ten days of arrival.
I-94 for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: How to Get, Print and Read Your Record
CBP typically issues Form I-94 electronically, and you can apply up to 7 days before entering the US through the CBP I-94 website or app.
Phone and SIM Card for a J-1 Summer Work and Travel Season: What to Check
A US phone number matters on this program: you must report any change in your telephone number to your sponsor within ten calendar days.
SEVIS Validation for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: What It Is and When to Do It
After you arrive, you must tell your sponsor within 10 days, and again within 10 days of every change of address.
Social Security Number for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: Steps, Documents and Timing
Only noncitizens with DHS permission to work can apply for a Social Security number, and you can start online but must finish at an SSA office with your documents within 45 calendar days.
03Jobs
All 9Changing Jobs on J-1 Summer Work and Travel: What Your Sponsor Must Approve First
You can change jobs on Summer Work and Travel, but you may not start the new one until your sponsor has verified its terms and vetted the employer.
Common J-1 Summer Work and Travel Jobs: Lifeguard, Resort, Retail and More
J-1 Summer Work and Travel participants generally work in low-wage service jobs such as amusement park ride operator, cashier, lifeguard, resort worker, restaurant worker or retail sales assistant.
How to Find a Job for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: Pre-Placed or Searching in the US
Students from non-visa-waiver countries must have a job lined up before entering the US, while visa-waiver students may arrive without one.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Workplace Rights: Pay, Safety, Discrimination and Who to Call
J-1 workers in the US have the right to be paid fairly, work in a healthy and safe workplace, and be free from discrimination, harassment and exploitation, whatever their immigration status.
Second Job on Summer Work and Travel: Vetting Rules and What to Do First
You may take an additional job on J-1 Summer Work and Travel only after your sponsor has verified its terms and fully vetted the employer.
Summer Work and Travel Job Vetting: What Your Sponsor Must Check Before You Start
A J-1 Summer Work and Travel sponsor must verify the terms of every initial, replacement and additional job, and fully vet the host employer, before you may begin work.
Summer Work and Travel Pay: Minimum Wage, Overtime and Deductions
A J-1 Summer Work and Travel job must pay at least the higher of the federal, state or local minimum wage, including overtime.
Summer Work and Travel Prohibited Jobs: The J-1 List of Jobs Sponsors Cannot Place You In
Under 22 CFR 62.32, a Summer Work and Travel sponsor may not place you in jobs such as night work between 10 p.m.
Where J-1 Summer Work and Travel Students Work: Top US States and Towns
New York (6,657), Massachusetts (6,042), Wisconsin (5,913), Florida (5,558) and Maryland (5,209) took the most new Summer Work and Travel participants in 2025.
04Money
All 6How Much Money You Need for Work and Travel USA: Sourced Costs and Wage Floors
No single total exists, because sponsor program fees vary from country to country.
J-1 FICA Refund: How to Get Social Security and Medicare Tax Back
A nonresident J-1 student who has been in the US less than 5 calendar years is generally exempt from Social Security and Medicare tax on US wages.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Taxes: What Is Withheld and What You File
Federal income tax is taken from your J-1 paycheck, but Social Security and Medicare tax is not, as long as the job is authorized and fits the J-1 purpose.
J-1 Work and Travel Tax Return: How to File Form 1040-NR and Form 8843
A J-1 participant who earned US wages files Form 1040-NR, the nonresident return, after the season.
Opening a US Bank Account on a J-1 Visa: IDs, SSN and the $10,000 Rule
A foreigner can open a US bank account: banks must collect a name, date of birth, address and an ID number, and for a non-US person that can be a passport number and country of issuance.
Sending Money Home From the US on a J-1: Fees, Rights and Scams
Federal law protects electronic transfers of more than $15 that you send from the US to another country.
05Living
All 7Culture Shock on Work and Travel USA: Stages, Tipping and Getting Help
Culture shock is a normal adjustment period in the US, and it comes in three phases: the honeymoon, rejection and recovery.
Driving on a J-1 Work and Travel Visa: License, IDP and Car Insurance
In New Jersey a visitor can drive for up to one year on a foreign license plus an International Driving Permit (IDP).
Getting Around on Work and Travel USA: Bikes, Buses, Trains, Rides
Every state requires bicyclists on the roadway to follow the same rules and responsibilities as motorists.
Health and Safety on J-1 Summer Work and Travel: Emergency Numbers, Heat and Who to Call
In immediate physical danger, call 911.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Health Insurance: Minimums, Gaps and What Happens Without It
A J-1 participant needs sickness and accident insurance for the whole program, with at least $100,000 in medical benefits per accident or illness, $25,000 for repatriation of remains, $50,000 for medical evacuation, and a deductible of no more than $500.
Laws and Your Rights on J-1 Summer Work and Travel: Alcohol, Drugs, Police and Work
Federal law withholds 8 percent of a state's highway funds if anyone under 21 may lawfully buy or publicly possess alcohol, which is why the minimum legal drinking age is 21.
Work and Travel USA Housing: Who Arranges It, What It Costs and How to Avoid Scams
Housing averages about $80 a week and reaches $125 in some resort areas, by InterExchange's figures.
06Travel
All 5After the J-1 Summer Work and Travel Program: Status, Leaving and Taxes
Your J-1 program ends on the DS-2019 end date, and you then have a grace period of 30 days to leave the United States.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel 30-Day Grace Period: What You Can and Cannot Do
After your program ends, you have a 30-day grace period to depart the United States.
J-1 Two-Year Home Residency Rule (212(e)): Who Is Subject and How to Check
Some J-1 exchange visitors must return to their home country for a cumulative two years after the program before getting certain visas or green cards.
Leaving the US on a J-1 Summer Work and Travel Visa: Travel and Re-entry Rules
You can leave the US during your J-1 program and re-enter if your sponsor signs your DS-2019 for travel first.
Traveling in the US on a J-1 Work and Travel Visa: ID, Documents and Park Passes
Adults 18 and older must show valid ID at the TSA airport checkpoint, and a foreign passport is on the accepted list.
How every page is checked
Government sources first
Visa, SEVIS and program rules come from the State Department and 22 CFR part 62; taxes from the IRS; Social Security from the SSA; pay rules from the Department of Labor.
Dated, then re-checked
Each page shows when it was last checked, and each source in its list shows the day it was read. Fees carry the date they were seen.
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We are a publisher, not a sponsor or agency. No sponsor or employer pays to appear in an article, and labelled partner boxes never change a page’s content.
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