Background
The Summer Work Travel program provides foreign students with an opportunity to live and work in the United States during their summer vacation from college or university to experience and to be exposed to the people and way of life in the United States.
Participants in the program must be post-secondary school students in an educational institution outside the United States who have completed at least one semester or equivalent of post-secondary academic study. Additionally they must possess sufficient proficiency in English and must be pre-placed in a job prior to entry unless from a visa waiver country. Applicants bearing Turkish passports must be pre-placed in a job prior to entry. U.S. based exchange visitor sponsors will issue form DS-2019 once they accept applicants into their program.
Participants are allowed to work up to four months during the period May 15 – October 01 and are generally allowed a grace period (usually 30 days) to travel in the United States after the end of the exchange program. The Summer Work Travel is not for visitors who only want to travel in the United States; to enter the United States as a tourist only the correct visa category is B-2.
For more information about the Summer Work & Travel Program, please click here.
Know Your Rights
All program participants must read and understand the Wilberforce Act pamphlet (PDF 3MB) which explains the rights they have while in the United States. During the visa interview the Consular Officer will verify that applicants know and understand their rights under the Wilberforce Act.
Procedural Guidelines:
- Applicants to the program need to submit a valid DS-2019 form that they can receive from a U.S. based sponsor. A list of the U.S. based sponsors can be located by clicking on “Find a Program Sponsor”.
- It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that their online application (DS-160) is completed accurately. In addition to the online application form applicants must pay the SEVIS fee, MRV fee and also bring the original form DS-2019 to the interview.
- Applicants for the Summer Work&Travel Program must pay a SEVIS fee online at least 72 hours in advance of appointment date.
List of Agencies
There are some education consultancy companies in Turkey that partner with U.S. based exchange visitor sponsors and they can assist applicants in obtaining a DS-2019 from a U.S. based exchange visitor sponsor. The U.S. Consulate General assumes no responsibility for the professional ability or reputation of the agencies whose names appear on this list. (PDF 63KB)
