The Opportunities Of Work And Travel Programs
When you take that airline ride, you can literally buckle up your seat and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Your adventure starts from the moment you step on the plane and start meeting people that you would not otherwise meet have you not embarked in this travel. If you ever dream of living in another country, but need a job to sustain you, there are work and travel programs for you. There are opportunities of work and travel programs in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand among others. When you participate in this program, there are people who can help you with visa issues and help you find jobs abroad. You can also receive assistance with housing, insurance and in-country support.
What must you know about these programs?
These days, more and more people, including Americans, want to experience living in foreign shores. One thing that often deters them is the financial aspect. This concern can be addressed if they are aware that there are opportunities of a work and travel program. This is important for these people because finding a job in these places where they may want to live and work is becoming increasingly competitive. Identifying which work and travel programs are designed to specifically help young people land international job opportunities while abroad is crucial.
What are some of the benefits and opportunities of work and travel programs?
• Young people can engage in blue-collar jobs befitting their skills and aptitudes. The typical jobs that young people can engage in are: hospitality jobs, call center positions, clerical work in offices, babysitting /au-pair/nanny, teaching, and other manual labor like fruit-picking in farms and doing odd jobs in hostels.
• The programs offer international university students an interesting opportunity to personally experience life and culture in the country of destination. Students can go to the US during their summer holiday through the J-1 Visa Program.
• These university students get the chance to to work side by side with other foreign students at entry level positions available during the season. This is a great and fun opportunity as they get to mingle as well as share and swap experiences.
• The program also provides for a modest income to ensure that the students will be sustained during their stay in a foreign country. The program helps American businesses thrive during the peak season. They can work for about 4 months while the fifth month is reserved for travel if the student so wishes.
What are some of the most important things to know about the Work & Travel Programs?
• The Program Requirements – If one is traveling to the US, these include the usual J1 Visa requirements. The Work and Travel USA program has unique standards that need to be complied with. Only full time university students, 18-28 years of age, and proficient in English are qualified to apply.
• The Program Duration – This usually lasts for 4 months starting May. They are provided with another 30 days to be spent on travel and learning the culture if they so wish. On this last month, they are no longer allowed to engage in any kind of work.
• Program Sponsors – Those who want to participate to avail of the opportunities of work and travel programs need to find a sponsor among the exchange organizations accredited by the US government. These sponsors ensure that participating students are sufficiently prepared to live in the US in the next 4 months. So, they are provided orientation, assisted in finding employment, housing, etc. They also help the students with their DS-2019 form and medical insurance.
For those who want to take these foreign students under their wing by providing them a job, sponsors make sure that it will be a mutually productive relationship. This is a wonderful opportunity for the students and they have gone through adequate difficulty and preparation to give their job their attention for a positive experience and feedback from their employers.
