Important Information: Summer Work/Travel and Seasonal Worker Programs and Students

The Embassy supports and encourages students and others to take advantage of summer programs and study opportunities in the United States. Most of these programs are very rewarding and provide valuable experience.

It’s important to know the difference between J-1 Summer Work/Travel programs and H-2B seasonal worker programs. The Summer Work/Travel program is ONLY for full-time college students. H-2B jobs are for any person who might have the skills to do a seasonal job. Both are privately operated programs. The Embassy cannot help you find a job or recommend a program. The Embassy’s role is to determine if applicants are legally qualified for a visa. Students and others must do their own research about the options available before deciding what employer or program is right for them.

Only approved U.S. agencies can issue the paperwork required to apply for a J-1 visa. There is a list at http://eca.state.gov/jexchanges/index.cfm?fuseaction=record.list&cat=12. Various Serbian and Montenegrin companies represent these U.S. agencies.

The Embassy would like to advise students to be aware of the difference between the pre-arranged (premium) programs and the self-arranged (independent) programs. In the premium programs, the U.S. sponsoring agency guarantees that the student will have a pre-arranged job and accommodation upon arrival in the United States. The self-arranged (independent) program offers no such guarantees; rather, the students must find their own jobs and permanent accommodation (with some assistance available) after they arrive in the U.S. In some cases, finding an appropriate job can be difficult, especially in locations that are very popular with large numbers of J-1 student job seekers. We advise students who choose the self-arranged option to be wary of any third party who tells them they can guarantee them a job in the United States in exchange for an extra monetary payment (over and above the fees charged by the J-1 Summer Work and Travel agency).

To apply for an H-2B visa, someone must be part of an approved petition. Employers in the U.S. who need help just part of the year may file a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The number of seasonal workers that can go to the U.S. every year is limited by law. Sometimes, more employers file petitions than there are spaces available. In that case, some petitions can’t be approved once the limit is reached. Agencies in Serbia may represent these employers to recruit workers here.

Before paying any money or making any arrangements, ask to see the petition approval notice from USCIS. Find out what the job is, where exactly in the U.S. the work is, how much it pays, and how much housing and transportation cost, to see if it makes economic sense to you. H-2B applicants must prove they will come back home after the season is over, by showing ties to Serbia (or Montenegro), just like applicants for almost all non-immigrant visas. The difference is that an H-2B visa, if approved, allows someone to work. No one can work legally on a tourist visa.

Many web sites and agencies offer “assistance” to get visas. They often claim to have “special relationships” with the Embassy. No web site has such relationships. Many legitimate agencies offer good information and programs like those listed above. For students who want to study in the U.S. and are looking for assistance and guidance, the International Academic Center in Belgrade is a student advising organization partially sponsored by the State Department. To learn more about internet fraud, click here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1749.html.

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