Summer Work & Travel Program

The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw and the American Consulate General in Krakow invites all Polish students attending university-level studies to consider the Summer Work & Travel program.  Through this exciting program, each year thousands of Polish students are able to stay in the United States for up to four months and earn money by working in a wide variety of fields.

Full-time students attending Uniwersytet, Wyższa szkoła, or Studium Policealne (first year students of a two year program) are eligible for this program.  All participants must have a good command of English.  There are some limitations as to the type of work participants can perform (such as can not work with medical patients, as member of a ship’s crew, etc).  Given the enormous size of the United States, sometimes the hardest decision students make is deciding exactly where they want to spend their summer!

Students participating in this program usually arrange their stay in the United States through a recruiting agency that has been accredited by the U.S. Department of State.  The fees charged by travel agents vary significantly.  While most Polish students use travel agents based in Poland, it is also possible to use accredited travel agencies located in other countries.  The basic package provided by accredited travel agents includes the following services:

• Arrangement of all required paperwork with American authorities
• Help with locating a job and housing in the United States
• Scheduling the interview for the visa
• Providing travel insurance and contacts in the United States that will help in event of an emergency.

If you are interested in using the services of an accredited recruiting agency, the following is a list of several agencies previously used by Summer Work & Travel program applicants in the past. The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw and the American Consulate General in Krakow do not endorse the use of any particular agency and only provide this information as a resource for potential SWT applicants.   We strongly suggest that applicants research how much each agency charges applicants for their services. 

1.  ADVENTURE CLUB POLSKA  www.acp.org.pl
2.  AMERICA CAMP  www.campamerica.pl
3.  ALMATUR  www.almatur.pl
4.  BUSINESS TRAVEL CLUB  www.stany.pl
5.  CAMP COUNSELORS USA  www.ccusa.com.pl
6.  EMAKOPOL  www.emakopol.pl
7.  GO2USA (USŁUGI KONSULTINGOWE) www.go2usa.pl
8.  STUDENT POINT  www.studentpoint.pl
9.  STUDENT EXPRESS USA www.studentexpressusa.com
10. FOSTER   www.jobster.pl
11. THE BEST WAY  www.tbw.pl

Whether you use a recruiting agency or not, all Summer Work & Travel participants must register with SEVIS upon arrival in the United States and must also obtain social security numbers.  While SEVIS registration is easily done on-line, students must register in-person with the Social Security Administration in the United States to receive a social security number.  Upon completion of a work assignment in the United States, students have thirty days to travel within the United States and return to their home country. 

Information on how to pay the SEVIS fee can be found at the DHS SEVIS website: www.fmjfee.com.

If you would like more information about the program, we encourage you to research through the internet.  The following link contains a list of Summer Work & Travel program sponsors in the United States <http://eca.state.gov/jexchanges/index.cfm?fuseaction=record.list&cat=12 >

J1 Summer Work and Travel Visa Procedure

Interview Procedures 

• Each applicant must pay the non-refundable visa application fee ($131) in zloty at either a Polish post office or local bank.  Please check the U.S. Embassy website for the latest exchange rate information.  Applicants must submit an original receipt with confirmation of payment at the time of their interview.  Applicants must also submit proof that they have paid the non-refundable SEVIS fee ($35) and completed all the forms;
• Applicants must appear for their interview on the scheduled date at the appointed hour;
• Students failing to qualify for J-1 visas will receive their passports and supplemental application materials immediately following the interview;
• Qualifying applicants’ passports will be given to the agencies that applicants applied through, who will return the passports with visas back to the applicants;
• If an applicant will not be able to arrive in the U.S. in time for the beginning date of the program, as reflected in the DS-2019, the application MUST BE SUSPENDED until the beginning date is amended in the SEVIS system;
• Applicants should NEVER purchase tickets prior to receipt of their passport with visa.  We will not expedite the issuance of visas on the basis of pre-purchased tickets. 

Application Package Details

• Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the applicant’s intended date of departure from the United States;
• Completed Bar-Coded DS 156 Form (nonimmigrant visa application) completed in English or Polish and available on-line at https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156.asp with a 5x5 cm photo (NOTE: The computer printout is three pages and includes a 3-D barcode on the third page. This barcode MUST be submitted as well or the application will be rejected as incomplete);
• Supplemental Form DS-157 for all male applicants above the age of 16;
• Supplemental Form DS-158 (supplemental information form required of all J visa applicants). – The DS-157 and DS-158 may be filled out on a computer or by hand. This form must include ALL employment regardless of whether or not it is “official”;
• DS-2019 Form (acceptance to a designated exchange visitor program);
• $35 SEVIS fee payment receipt (only for J1 SWT participants, not H2B);
• Confirmation of payment of all processing fees;
• Student Indeks and Legitymacja;
• Job Offer Letter from the United States (when applicable).

Applicants: 

• Although there are no formal age restrictions for participants, applicants who are not of normal student age will receive greater scrutiny.
• Final-year students may apply, but should be prepared to adequately explain their future plans in Poland following their return to Poland upon completion of their Summer Work & Travel program. 
• Correspondent students, as well as those attending vocational schools and secondary schools for adults do not qualify for the Summer Work & Travel program.
• Repeat participants are welcomed.  Previous participation in the program, however, does not guarantee that future applications will be successful.
• Applicants must have a good command of English to qualify for the program.