What Is the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel Program (J-1 Visa) and Is It Right for Your Enterprise?

The BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel program is a U.S. Department of State-managed initiative that permits worldwide college students to work for American companies and reside within the United States at no expense to the American taxpayer.  

This longtime cultural trade staffing program is utilized by greater than 4,000 Summer Work Travel employers annually. College college students from all over the world pay their very own option to work short-term, seasonal jobs in America whereas they’re right here on a J-1 visa (that they’ve organized for themselves). They’ll keep within the nation for as much as 4 months, with the power to journey throughout their downtime. 

Plus, BridgeUSA applications add billions to the U.S. economic system annually and prolong, on common, the tourism season by as much as 50 days, creating hundreds of jobs for Americans. 

When Does “Summer” Work Travel Actually Take Place?

Most BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel applications happen in the summertime, because the title of the initiative suggests. In addition, most college students who take part spend their summer season working in conventional summer season positions. 

However, two extra seasons can be found for college kids to work: winter and spring. 

Consider residents of the Southern Hemisphere, who get pleasure from their summer season throughout our winter. This permits these college students to work winter roles within the U.S.: Think ski slopes, winter resorts, snowshoeing trails. 

And working within the spring permits many summer season points of interest to open to the general public earlier, permitting these organizations to extend enterprise throughout shoulder seasons. 

Why Employers Choose the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel Program

BridgeUSA program employers love utilizing the short-term Summer Work Travel initiative, and plenty of have a number of causes for hiring worldwide contributors.  

One motive is that they don’t must undergo the method alone. Working with an skilled seasonal staffing J-1 visa sponsor group – just like the nonprofit CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange – permits you to lean on a workforce that may information you thru all of it, 24/7.  

Other causes employers select to host summer season work journey contributors might embody: 

• Access to pre-screened candidates and dependable seasonal employees: Your sponsor group can handle interviews, background checks, and English language proficiency assessments to make sure certified candidates.
• Free recruitment providers: Employers can benefit from no-cost hiring assist like:
  • CIEE Road Shows: Meet and choose candidates face‑to‑face all over the world, best for employers hiring giant teams.
  • CIEE Virtual Road Shows: Interview pre‑screened candidates remotely, proper out of your workplace.
  • CIEE Connect: Access a digital job board that includes solely candidates who meet your actual job necessities.
  • CIEE Hiring Services: Let CIEE interview and rent certified candidates in your behalf.
• Flexibility for seasonal enterprise wants: The short-term work and journey program aligns completely with companies that have seasonal peaks, similar to resorts, amusement parks, eating places, and tourism-related industries. And as a result of contributors can work as much as 4 months throughout their keep, they’re usually in a position to present longer protection than native college students.
• Motivated and enthusiastic workforce members: These college students are wanting to expertise American work tradition and profit from their time within the United States. They usually carry a powerful work ethic, enthusiasm, and a optimistic perspective that may energize office groups.
• Cultural trade advantages: Employers achieve the chance to carry worldwide views into their office. This cultural trade can improve the expertise for all workers and supply worth in hospitality and tourism-focused companies.
• Support from sponsor organizations: Your sponsor group can present ongoing assist to each contributors and employers all through this system, serving to resolve points, reply questions, and guarantee compliance with laws. This assist can cut back employer burden.
• Repeat participation potential: Because many contributors return 12 months after 12 months, employers can rehire employees who’re accustomed to their operations and job expectations. This reduces coaching time and will increase productiveness.

Find out how one can decide if Summer Work Travel is best for you. 

What Types of Businesses Is Summer Work Travel Right For?

Because Summer Work Travel contributors can keep within the United States for as much as 4 months, the roles that work finest for them are quick time period. 

Best-fit Summer Work Travel employers are those who: 

• Have predictable peak seasons
• Operate in tourist-driven areas
• Serve distant or hard-to-staff areas
• Seek entry-level, trainable employees
• Value cultural variety
• Need cost-effective seasonal labor
• Range from small to giant hospitality and tourism companies
• Face home shortages
• Are open to working with designated sponsor organizations
• Aim to construct repeat recruitment pipelines

Industries That Commonly Host Summer Work Travel Participants

Seasonal companies that always search out short-term assist embody: 

• Resorts and lodging, like mattress and breakfasts, prolonged keep properties, visitor ranches, hostels, motels and motels, lodges, resorts, ski resorts, and trip rental properties.
• Attractions, like aquariums, boat and trolley tour corporations, cultural facilities, museums, nationwide park concessions, statement decks, planetariums, sightseeing corporations, tour operators, customer facilities, and zoos.
• Events and leisure, like occasion venues, fairgrounds, competition operations, out of doors film theaters, out of doors theater operations, efficiency venues, and summer season live performance venues.
• Food providers, like seashore snack bars, informal and high-quality eating eating places, espresso outlets, nation golf equipment, meals vans, ice cream parlors, institutional meals providers, and resort eating services.
• Outdoor recreation, like seashore gear rental providers, boat rental corporations, campgrounds, fishing constitution providers, mountain climbing tour corporations, kayak rental operations, marinas, out of doors journey corporations, rafting corporations, RV parks, state and nationwide park concessions, and zip-line operations.
• Retail, like seashore gear outlets, boardwalk outlets, sweet shops, comfort shops in vacationer areas, reward outlets, out of doors gear shops, resort shops, seasonal retail areas, memento outlets, specialty meals shops, and vacationer space boutiques.
• Sports and health, like seashore golf equipment, health facilities in resort areas, golf programs, lifeguard providers, leisure sports activities services, swimming pool services, tennis golf equipment, and yacht golf equipment.
• Amusements, like arcade facilities, bowling alleys, leisure complexes, go-kart tracks, laser tag services, mini golf programs, film theaters, theme parks, trampoline parks, and water parks.

What Roles Work Best for Summer Work Travel Participants?

Like American school college students annually, worldwide contributors search out roles they will work on their summer season break.  

Some of the commonest positions that J-1 visa Summer Work Travel employers embody: 

1. Front of home / entrance desk affiliate
2. Restaurant server
3. Concession stand employee
4. Gift store cashier
5. Hotel clerk
6. Ice cream store workers
7. Kitchen workers
8. Lifeguard
9. Ride operator
10. Ticket taker
11. Tour information

And there are dozens extra positions that employers put up yearly to draw worldwide employees. 

How to Get Involved with Summer Work Travel

If you’re in search of a dependable option to meet seasonal staffing wants whereas making a significant influence in your neighborhood, the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel program gives what you want. 

When you join with CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange – the biggest Summer Work Travel sponsor within the nation – you’ll achieve a associate in compliance, timelines, and program necessities, so you possibly can concentrate on working your online business. 

BridgeUSA isn’t only a staffing answer. It’s a possibility to construct worldwide connections that profit your online business and even your neighborhood. 

Ready to get began? Get extra info on how the CIEE BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel program may gain advantage your online business.