Step 01 · Apply
Applying for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: eligibility, sponsors, costs and the visa
Everything before the flight. Who qualifies, how sponsors work, what you pay and to whom, and the paperwork chain from job offer to DS-2019 to visa stamp.
11 pages in this section
DS-2019 for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: What It Is, Where to Get It, How to Use It
What the DS-2019 form is, who issues it, what it lists, why you need the printed copy for the visa interview and the US border, and what to do if it is lost.
How to Apply for J-1 Summer Work and Travel: Steps from Sponsor to Visa
Apply for J-1 Summer Work and Travel step by step: choose a sponsor, interview, get a job, receive the DS-2019, pay the SEVIS fee and attend the visa interview.
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, before the visa interview. How to pay, what the receipt is, and what else costs money.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Eligibility: Who Qualifies and What Rules Apply
Who can join J-1 Summer Work and Travel: student status, English, job placement, banned jobs, insurance minimums and the 2026 entry rules that can block travel.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Job Offer Scams: Red Flags and Who to Call
How fake Summer Work and Travel job offers work, the red flags, how to check a sponsor and a job, and which agencies and hotlines to call if you were scammed.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Program Dates by Country
J-1 Summer Work and Travel season windows: the four-month cap, the full 2026 country chart from one sponsor group, and the 30-day grace period.
J-1 Summer Work and Travel Sponsors: List, How to Check One, What It Must Do
The State Department's list of designated Summer Work Travel sponsors, how to check one before you pay, what it must do for you, and where to report problems.
J-1 Visa Interview for Summer Work and Travel: What to Bring and What the Officer Decides
How the J-1 visa interview works for Summer Work and Travel: what to bring, what the officer must decide, ties to home, and what a refusal means.
Returning to J-1 Summer Work and Travel: Second Season, Visa and the 2-Year Rule
Can you do J-1 Summer Work and Travel twice? What you must prove again, how visa renewal works, what the two-year rule is and why this is not a path to stay.
Visa Waiver Countries and J-1 Summer Work and Travel: What Changes for You
The 42 Visa Waiver Program countries, what being on the list means for a J-1 Summer Work and Travel season, and why ESTA never replaces your J-1 visa.
Work and Travel USA Program Cost: Government Fees, Sponsor Fees and What You Pay Yourself
What a J-1 Summer Work and Travel season costs: the $35 SEVIS fee, the visa fee, sponsor fees from CIEE and InterExchange, insurance minimums and arrival cash.