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Summer Work Travel

College and University students enrolled full time and pursuing studies at post-secondary accredited academic institutions located outside the United States come to the United States to share their culture and ideas with people of the United States through temporary work and travel opportunities.

Program Sponsors

Sponsors are required to:

  • Provide pre-arranged and fully-vetted employment to all participants who are not from a visa waiver country. Provide all participants, prior to entry:
    • A copy of the Department of State Summer Work Travel Program Brochure;
    • The Department of State’s toll-free emergency hotline telephone number;
    • The sponsor’s 24/7 immediate contact telephone number;
    • Information advising participants of their obligation to notify their sponsor when they arrive in the United States and to provide information of any change in jobs or residence; and
    • Information concerning any contractual obligations related to participants’ acceptance of paid employment in the United States, if pre-arranged.
  • Sponsors of participants who are nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries must:
    • Ensure that participants entering the United States without prearranged employment have sufficient financial resources to support themselves during their search for employment;
    • Provide such participants with information on how to seek employment and secure lodging in the United States before they depart their home countries; and
    • Provide participants with a job directory that includes at least as many job listings as the number of participants in their program who are entering the United States without prearranged employment.
  • Sponsors must undertake reasonable efforts to secure suitable employment for participants unable to find jobs on their own after one week;
  • Sponsors must inform program participants of Federal Minimum Wage requirements and ensure that, at a minimum, participants are compensated at the prevailing local wage, which must meet the higher of either the applicable state or the Federal minimum wage requirement, including payment for overtime in accordance with state-specific employment; and
  • Sponsors must maintain, at a minimum, a monthly schedule of personal contact with the program participants (in-person, by telephone or via-electronic mail), document such contact, and ensure that issues affecting the health, safety and welfare of participants are addressed immediately.

Employers

Host employers are required to:

  • Provide participants the number of hours of paid employment per week as identified on the job offer and agreed to when the sponsor vetted the jobs;
  • Pay those participants eligible for overtime worked in accordance with applicable state or federal law;
  • Notify sponsors promptly when participants arrive at the work site and begins their programs; when there are any changes or deviations in the job placements during the participants’ programs; when participants are not meeting the requirements of job placements; or when participants leave their position ahead of their planned departure; and
  • Contact sponsors immediately in the event of any emergency involving participants or any situation that impacts the health, safety or welfare of participants.