Work and Travel USA Program Cost: Government Fees, Sponsor Fees and What You Pay Yourself

Three different payers share the bill for a season. The US government charges two fees, your sponsor charges a program fee, and you pay for travel and living costs yourself. This page keeps those three apart and gives each line its source and date. The apply hub covers the other steps.

The short version

1. Pay the SEVIS fee before your visa interview, or your visa application will be denied.
2. Pay the visa application fee, which is non-refundable.
3. Ask your sponsor for a breakdown of all costs and fees.
4. Check what the program fee includes before you compare two prices.
5. Keep at least $1,500 in cash for the weeks before your first paycheck.

The two government fees

Summer Work Travel participants pay a $35 SEVIS fee. The ICE fee list gives $220 as the full payment for J visa applicants outside the special subsidized categories. The fee is separate from visa fees. There are no fee waivers, but a third party may pay it for you.

The second fee is the visa application fee. The State Department fee table lists $185 for a non-petition nonimmigrant visa. That table is the 2025 capture seen on 2026-10-20, so check the current table before you pay. The fee is non-refundable. The same table lists no fee for J applicants in US Government-sponsored educational and cultural exchanges.

Pay the SEVIS fee before the visa interview. The ICE fee FAQ is direct: you must pay it before going to the embassy or consulate. If you are required to pay and do not, your visa application will be denied. For the full process, see the SEVIS fee page.

Who pays the SEVIS fee: you or the sponsor

Sponsors may pay the SEVIS fee for you but are not required to. The sponsor tells you whether you pay it to DHS or whether it is already part of your program fees. If your sponsor pays, it gives you a receipt confirming payment. If the fee does not go to SEVP, you are still required to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

Sponsor program fees: what the price pages show

Sponsors charge participants program fees unless the exchange is federally funded. Fees vary from sponsor to sponsor, by exchange category, program and duration. Ask your sponsor for a breakdown of all costs and fees.

Two designated sponsors publish prices. These are each sponsor’s own figures, seen on 2026-10-20, and they are not a price for every program.

CIEE publishes a Fee Disclosure page that lists the maximum fee payable by country, in the currency used for payment. A sample of its Work & Travel USA rows:

The spread is large: Bulgaria is 699 USD and China 3,849 USD. The page lists the maximum fee payable by country, in the currency used for payment.

InterExchange, another sponsor, shows a single dollar figure on some country pages. Its Australia page lists $1500 USD. Its New Zealand page lists $1500 USD. Its Jamaica page lists $1,520 USD, with a full refund of $1,520 if you cancel for any reason. For other countries it says to contact the InterExchange cooperator in your home country for specific amounts. Alliance Abroad Group also says its fees vary by region and that you should contact its team.

What the program fee covers, and what it does not

Read the “includes” list before you compare two prices. The CIEE fee covers a program fee, an application fee, agent support before departure, CIEE support in the US, orientation and an insurance plan. It also includes the SEVIS fee and the visa interview fee, both described as US government fees. The CIEE fee does not include round-trip airfare, the cost of living in the United States or passport application fees.

InterExchange’s country pages list the $1500 USD as covering program fees, SEVIS fees, insurance for the duration of the program and processing fees for visa sponsorship forms, while the government’s own rule is that the sponsor tells you whether SEVIS is already part of your fees. The Jamaica page uses the same list. InterExchange adds that you are responsible for costs such as rent, food and entertainment.

Each exchange visitor who applies for a visa at a US embassy or consulate must pay the visa application processing fee. When a price page does not say whether that fee is inside the price, ask.

The fee list your sponsor must give you

Federal rules make hidden costs harder. Before you leave, your sponsor’s pre-arrival information must, under 22 CFR 62.10, include an itemized list of all fees you will pay, meaning fees paid to the sponsor or a third party. It must also describe other costs you will likely incur, such as insurance, living expenses and transportation. Housing, with its expected cost to you, is part of that information as well.

Behind that sits a reporting rule for the overseas agents who sell the program. Sponsors must include annually updated price lists, with itemizations of all costs charged to participants, in agreements with foreign entities that market Summer Work Travel. Sponsors must submit annual participant price lists to the Department of State on January 31 of each year. Those lists break down what exchange visitors pay to both foreign agents and sponsors, country by country. Ask your agent for the itemized list in writing before you pay anything.

Insurance: required minimums and what the fee should cover

Insurance is a required cost, set by regulation. Under 22 CFR 62.14, sponsors must require that you have sickness and accident insurance in effect for the period of your program. The minimums are:

Co-insurance may require you to pay up to 25% of covered benefits. Sponsors are not authorized to charge fees for providing coverage beyond demonstrable and justifiable staff time. CIEE provides medical insurance as a program benefit, and its insurance does not cover routine medical procedures or checkups. See health insurance for the coverage rules in full.

Cash for the first weeks

You cover all your expenses until the first paycheck, and CIEE puts the minimum at $1,500. InterExchange’s estimates for Work & Travel USA show where that cash goes. These are one sponsor’s estimates, not government figures.

The majority of InterExchange participants spend between $3,500 and $4,000 throughout their stay. Its housing guide gives shared housing at $80 to $120 per week depending on location, and its cooperator guide gives an average of about $80 per week, up to $125 in certain resort areas, with some housing free. Deposits can reach $400 due on arrival. Opening a bank account usually needs a deposit of $25 to $100. The budget page puts these lines in one list.

If housing is deducted from your pay, the amount must appear in your pre-arrival information, which lists deductions taken for housing and transportation. Sponsors must also consider affordable housing and transport when placing you.

What your wages offset

Participants must be paid at least the higher of the federal, state or local minimum wage. The federal figure is $7.25 per hour for covered nonexempt workers. A tipped worker must receive a cash wage of at least $2.13 per hour, and the maximum tip credit is $5.12 per hour. Pay and wages covers state rates and overtime, and it is the right place to estimate earnings for your state.

Employers must make good faith efforts to provide the paid weekly hours stated on your job offer.

How to compare two offers

1. Ask each agent for the itemized fee list in writing, as federal rules require sponsors to give one.
2. Check whether the SEVIS fee is inside the price or paid by you.
3. Check whether the visa fee, airfare and insurance are listed as included or excluded.
4. Pay the SEVIS fee before the visa interview if the sponsor has not paid it for you.
5. Keep four months as the program limit when you plan the budget: the maximum length is four months.