Q: Do I need a job before I go?

A: Yes, as of 2016 all j1 applicants require an approved job before you can be issued a visa. SAYITs sponsor provides access to an online jobs database, virtual interviews throughout the season and an in person job fair in January to help you with finding a job. Have your own job? No problem! Ours sponsor will contact your employer to vet your job for your J1.

Q: What type of employment do most J1ers obtain?

A: The majority of J1ers end up choosing seasonal tourism based employment. The most common jobs are in resorts, restaurants, cafes, bars and amusement parks. Some J1ers choose to work in retails sales jobs in local shops as shift work can be the most flexible way to get a few days off at a time to do some travelling to nearby locations.

Q: Are there any restrictions to the types of employment I can obtain?

A:The US State department have advised that you cannot work in the following jobs:

• In positions that could bring notoriety or disrepute to the Exchange Visitor Program;
• In sales positions that require participants to purchase inventory that they must sell in order to support themselves;
• In domestic help positions in private homes (e.g., child care, elder care, gardener, chauffeur);
• As pedicab or rolling chair drivers or operators;
• As operators or drivers of vehicles or vessels for which drivers' licenses are required regardless of whether they carry passengers or not;
• In positions related to clinical care that involves patient contact;
• In any position in the adult entertainment industry (including, but not limited to jobs with escort services, adult book/video stores, and strip clubs);
• In positions requiring work hours that fall predominantly between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am;
• In positions declared hazardous to youth by the Secretary of Labor at Subpart E of 29 CFR part 570;
• In positions that require sustained physical contact with other people and/or adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Universal Blood and Body Fluid Precautions guidelines (e.g., body piercing, tattooing, massage, manicure);
• In positions that are substantially commission-based and thus do not guarantee that participants will be paid minimum wage in accordance with federal and state standards;
• In positions involved in gaming and gambling that include direct participation in wagering and/or betting;
• In positions in chemical pest control, warehousing, catalogue/online order distribution centers;
• In positions with traveling fairs or itinerant concessionaires;
• In jobs that do not allow participants to work alongside U.S. citizens and interact regularly with U.S. citizens and to experience U.S. culture during the workday portion of their Summer Work Travel programs;
• With employers that fill non-seasonal or non-temporary job openings with exchange visitors with staggered vacation schedules;
• In positions that require licensing;
• In positions for which there is another specific J visa category (e.g., Camp Counselor, Trainee, Intern);
• In positions with staffing agencies, unless the placements meet the following three criteria:
  • Participants must be employees of and paid by the staffing agencies
  • Staffing agencies must provide full-time, primary, on-site supervision of the participants
  • Staffing agencies must effectively control the work sites, e.g., have hands-on management responsibility for the participants
• After November 1, 2012, in positions in the North American Industry Classification System's (NAICS) Goods-Producing Industries occupational categories industry sectors 11, 21, 23, 31-33 numbers (set forth at http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag_index_naics.htm)

Q: Can I change jobs over the summer?

A: Yes, you can change jobs during your summer in the US. However, before doing so you must contact your J1 sponsor before leaving your job or starting a new job.

Q: Can I work with friends?

A: Yes. A lot of students apply for jobs with their friends. Just make sure you both mention that you want to work with each other on your application forms and to the employers you are contacting. However placement with friends is NOT guaranteed