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**lil_lisa** · 20-01-2011, 23:53

Howdy Y'all,

UPDATE 11/7/2011
US Embassy have recently opened a new official site dedicated to J-1 information. This can be found at j1visa.state.gov

So I have decided to put a FAQ thread together to help you on your J-1 visa path. These are questions which pop up in a lot of threads and from now on this will be the place to ask.

I want to assure you, you are not alone. As scary as all the paperwork and technicalities may seem, it is not impossible. We are here to help. Have a read through these FAQ first to see if anything answers your questions, if not feel free to ask HERE AND ONLY HERE.

Of course, be sure to come back here and let us know how everything went in the US.

As explained in the Forum Charter, illegal recommendations/advice is strictly forbidden and will not be tolerated.

FAQ:

Q. Can I obtain a J-1 visa on my own?

A. No. To apply for the J-1 visa, you must first obtain a DS-2019 form. The US Government has designated specific sponsors to provide this.

Q. Who are these sponsors?

A. The most popular US sponsors work with Irish travel partners.

SAYIT, USIT and GO4LESS (Irish partners) affiliate with Interexchange, CIEE and Intrax (sponsors) respectively.

For the summer J-1 visa, you CANNOT go through these sponsors directly, only their Irish travel partners.

IICenter in Boston is also a popular company to go through. A full list is at the bottom of this thread.

Q. When can I apply for a J-1 visa?

A. For the summer J-1 visa, companies usually open their programmes in late December/early January.
For the IWT, internship and training visa you can apply year round.

Q. How much does the J-1 visa cost?

A. As with a lot of things, the price of J-1 visas fluctuate. Here is a rough guide for the different visas:

Summer J-1 visa

Flights €300-€900 (depending on location)
Programme Fee €0-€300 (depending on when you book)
Insurance €100-€200
Embassy Fee $140/€100
SEVIS Fee €30

There are also optional costs like Exam Failure Cover, sim card, US bank account etc.

IWT/Internship J-1 visa

Flights €300-€900 (depending on location and time of year)
Programme Fee €600-€1200 (depending on how long you go for-12month max)
Insurance €300-€600
Embassy Fee $140/€100
SEVIS Fee €130

Training J-1 visa

Flights €300-€900 (depending on location and time of year)
Programme Fee €600-€1800 (depending on how long you go for 18 month max)
Insurance €300-€900
Embassy Fee $140/€100
SEVIS Fee €130

Q. Am I eligible?

A. You are eligible if you fit the following criteria for each visa:

Summer J-1 visa:

18 years old + on date of travel
Currently enrolled in full time post secondary studies leading to a degree
Either:
- Irish, Northern Irish or International student studying in Ireland or
- Irish or Northern Irish student studying in Great Britain or on Erasmus/Socrates program abroad
Final year students may apply with proof of return to Ireland

IWT J-1 visa:

18 years old + on date of travel
Either:
- Currently enrolled in full time or part time post secondary studies leading to a degree or
- Graduated from a third level college within the last 12 months.
Hold an Irish Passport

Internship J-1 Visa:

18 years old + on date of travel
Either:
- Currently enrolled in full time or part time post secondary studies leading to a degree or
- Graduated from a third level college within the last 12 months.
Hold an Irish Passport or International student graduated from Ireland college
Have an Internship offer from a US Host Company in your field of work

Training J-1 Visa:

20 years old + on date of travel
Either:
- Hold a post secondary degree with 1 year experience or
- 5 years of professional experience
Hold an Irish Passport or International student graduated from Ireland college
Have a Training offer from a US Host Company in your field of work

All visas can be taken as many times as you like as long as you are eligible each time and are not subject to the two-year home rule. The Training Visa requires a 2 year gap between visas.

Q. How long does the process take?

A. For summer J-1 visas, it can take 1-5 months, depending on when you originally book your place.

For IWT/Internship/Training J-1 visas, it can take 4-8 weeks depending on how busy the embassy is and how quickly your sponsor company can get the DS-2019.

Q. Where can I find a job?

A. One of the most popular places to find jobs is craigslist.org. Remember that times are not the easiest and finding a job may be more difficult than you might expect. Look at your proposed location for summer work, theme parks, summer camps, hotels, temp agencies etc. Monster.com can also be resourceful.Look for an Irish center in your city and see if they can help. They are usually able to find temporary or short term work.
If you arrive in the US with no jobs (on IWT or summer J-1 visa) don't be afraid to hand in resumes (yes, resumes, not CVs) to businesses. For this reason, bringing a professional suit might come in handy.

Q. Where can I find accommodation?

A. Again, craigslist.org is also very popular for accommodation. Irish centers can also help with accommodation. Have a search for short term rentals in your city (month-to-month leases).

Be very careful when looking online. If you find accommodation, do a background check on the person/company renting to you. Never pay more than 50% deposit (even this is a lot) and never wire money through Western Union etc.

Also, know that most rental accommodation in the US comes unfurnished. You will have to either rent furniture or buy some cheap furniture. Second hand furniture is great and can be sold again when you are leaving (except mattresses).

Q. How long will it take before I can actually start working in the US?

A. Once you arrive in the US, you will have to apply for a Social Security Number. This can be done at any local Social Security Office. Your SSN can be received anywhere from 1 week to 6 weeks from date of application (some have reported longer) depending on how busy the Social Security Office is.

Links:

US Government List of Designated Sponsors

SAYIT

USIT

GO4LESS

IICenter, Boston

Official Summer J-1 Visa

Official Internship J-1 Visa

Official IWT J-1 Visa

Official Training J-1 Visa

Two Year Home Rule

Craigslist

Monster

Summer Computer Camp Jobs

Locate your nearest Social Security Office

Boardsies Destination Opinions

Remember, you can always contact your sponsor/travel company for more details and questions. They can be quite helpful too.

This is just the beginning of the FAQ and useful links. I hope to update this frequently and think of more over time. If there is something you would like added, feel free to ask.

If you think there is information I have missed, please bring it to my attention.

Lisa

pikiflan · 21-01-2011, 18:00

Hi there,

I'm looking for a little advice from those who are also or have been on the 1 year working visa for the US. I left the country recently on a trip and am yet to return. I completely overlooked the fact that we're supposed to send off the little DS-2019 card from our passports to whoever's in Portland so i'll be travelling back in in a week or two with no form. The ones i've been in touch with tell me i'll be issued an I-515 which means I've to send that off to the Department of Homeland Security in DC (maybe taking up to three months to get back) if i'm to get a new DS form back in my passport and make any more trips outside.

Anybody forgotten to send it off in time, traveled back in without one and done another trip outside the US after (with only that I-515)?

(I'm hoping it's cock and bull like most of the other procedures attached to this visa scheme.)

lonestargirl · 21-01-2011, 20:15

The card in your passport is the I-94, you surrender that upon leaving the US.

The DS-2019 is an A4 page with details of you visa, sponsor etc. on it. It has a section that should be signed in order for you to re-enter the US. I left without havibng mine signed the first time I entered on my visa as I only came for a week. I just then FedExed it to the US and the signed copy back to me before I re-entered the US. As far as I'm aware it doesn't have to be signed if you are only travelling to MExico or Canada.

lolliemc · 23-01-2011, 23:55

Myself and two others are going on a j1 to New York but we don't have a clue where to go? lots of places have been mentioned to us but we want to be a little bit outside the city near a beach if possible. we are considering ocean city.. are there any jobs in ocean city? is rent affordable? any other suggestions on where to go? help!!

sleepyescapade · 25-01-2011, 16:32

Is there anyway to do this? If I decide to go on the 12 month visa, I think I will likely go with the IIC. Can I just pick a return flight for such a date and then change the dates for the flights later or will that be costly? Ideally I would like proof of return dates, if possible, for my Embassy interview.

**lil_lisa** · 25-01-2011, 17:05

Proof of return flights aren't required for the 12 month visa. Most airlines won't allow you to book past 9 months in the future. If you can bring some other proof tying you to Ireland you should be fine. I had a friend write a business letter stating that he would be employing me when I return from the visa.

fionn14 · 26-01-2011, 16:17

haven't been myself but have been told it's basically a bigger version of tramore. (No offence intended to anyone from tramore). Basically, it's tacky. My friends who went did have a great time, got work OK but not easily. They had a bit of hassle with the cops and some even had to do community service The place won't add anything to your experience in summary is the feedback I got anyway.

**dory** · 26-01-2011, 16:30

I'm moving this thread over to the United States forum. It has been decided that anything to do with getting a visa to work abroad should not be dealt with here. There'll be a sticky once I get a free moment.

cherrybomb! · 28-01-2011, 15:30

ye i have a couple of friends who arent in college and want to join us on the j1 is this possible??

fionn14 · 28-01-2011, 20:22

Hi all, basically I'm looking to do something different to standard J1. I'm a sailing instructor but also a beach lifeguard and would love to go somewhere different (not USA) and work for 2/3 months this summer. So far I haven't had a very structured approach to finding work and was wondering does anyone have any tips? In terms of european places I've sent applications away to sun sail and nelison which seem to be 2 of the big ones for sailing in europe. Last year I applied to Club Med for work as a sailing instructor and got as far as a Skype interview but no luck. Last time I checked they didn't have any positions listed as available for this year.

Basically I'm open to any suggestions or advice. I've been looking into the caribbean but I don't really know if I'm wasting my time. The only place in the USA i've much interest in going to is Hawaii and I've sent emails to a few places there but no replies as of yet.

All I want is sun and sea and a bit of work and anywhere that fills that criteria is OK for me!

WeightierDisc · 29-01-2011, 20:57

Ok,
Hi I didn't know where to post this so i'm just gonna leave it here.
My friend asked me today if i had any interest in doing a J1 summer abroad this year and he presented me with the following scenario, that we could get jobs on a cruise ship!
I just thought this sounded absolutely amazing!!
Does anyone know if anyone has done this or something simmilar in the last few years, I'm just slightly sceptical as to the availability of such positions etc.
Or
If this isnt possible could anyone make suggestions based on their own experiences in the states or down under.

Any suggestions or help will be appreciated

**dr.bollocko** · 29-01-2011, 21:25

Thread moved rom After Hours. I think you're looking for some serious responses OP so I think here is the best place for your query.
FWIW I did J1 to California and had a great time.

WeightierDisc · 30-01-2011, 17:52

Bondi Beach in Autralia is the place to go if its lifeguarding your into! You should check it out

goawaylisa · 31-01-2011, 12:58

Hello everyone, long-time reader first-time poster...

Im going to NYC in March on the graduate 12 month work visa with the hopes of getting a nice job.

Will be going on my own initially so I thought I'd post here to see if there was anyone in a similar situation. It'd be nice to know people over there as Ive never even been to New York and if I could get any leads on sharing accomodation as I know it can be expensive and furniture is often sold separately..

**dory** · 31-01-2011, 15:29

I'm going to move this to the United States forum as I really think you'll get more replies there.

20-01-2011, 23:53	#1
lil_lisa Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Kildare/SD Posts: 1,563 Adverts \| Friends Mod: United States	J-1 FAQ & Links Superthread (Read first before posting) UPDATED 11/7/2011 Howdy Y'all, UPDATE 11/7/2011 US Embassy have recently opened a new official site dedicated to J-1 information. This can be found at j1visa.state.gov So I have decided to put a FAQ thread together to help you on your J-1 visa path. These are questions which pop up in a lot of threads and from now on this will be the place to ask. I want to assure you, you are not alone. As scary as all the paperwork and technicalities may seem, it is not impossible. We are here to help. Have a read through these FAQ first to see if anything answers your questions, if not feel free to ask HERE AND ONLY HERE. Of course, be sure to come back here and let us know how everything went in the US. As explained in the Forum Charter, illegal recommendations/advice is strictly forbidden and will not be tolerated. FAQ: Q. Can I obtain a J-1 visa on my own? A. No. To apply for the J-1 visa, you must first obtain a DS-2019 form. The US Government has designated specific sponsors to provide this. Q. Who are these sponsors? A. The most popular US sponsors work with Irish travel partners. SAYIT, USIT and GO4LESS (Irish partners) affiliate with Interexchange, CIEE and Intrax (sponsors) respectively. For the summer J-1 visa, you CANNOT go through these sponsors directly, only their Irish travel partners. IICenter in Boston is also a popular company to go through. A full list is at the bottom of this thread. Q. When can I apply for a J-1 visa? A. For the summer J-1 visa, companies usually open their programmes in late December/early January. For the IWT, internship and training visa you can apply year round. Q. How much does the J-1 visa cost? A. As with a lot of things, the price of J-1 visas fluctuate. Here is a rough guide for the different visas: Summer J-1 visa Flights €300-€900 (depending on location) Programme Fee €0-€300 (depending on when you book) Insurance €100-€200 Embassy Fee $140/€100 SEVIS Fee €30 There are also optional costs like Exam Failure Cover, sim card, US bank account etc. IWT/Internship J-1 visa Flights €300-€900 (depending on location and time of year) Programme Fee €600-€1200 (depending on how long you go for-12month max) Insurance €300-€600 Embassy Fee $140/€100 SEVIS Fee €130 Training J-1 visa Flights €300-€900 (depending on location and time of year) Programme Fee €600-€1800 (depending on how long you go for 18 month max) Insurance €300-€900 Embassy Fee $140/€100 SEVIS Fee €130 Q. Am I eligible? A. You are eligible if you fit the following criteria for each visa: Summer J-1 visa: 18 years old + on date of travel Currently enrolled in full time post secondary studies leading to a degree Either: Irish, Northern Irish or International student studying in Ireland or Irish or Northern Irish student studying in Great Britain or on Erasmus/Socrates program abroad Final year students may apply with proof of return to Ireland IWT J-1 visa: 18 years old + on date of travel Either: Currently enrolled in full time or part time post secondary studies leading to a degree or Graduated from a third level college within the last 12 months. Hold an Irish Passport Internship J-1 Visa: 18 years old + on date of travel Either: Currently enrolled in full time or part time post secondary studies leading to a degree or Graduated from a third level college within the last 12 months. Hold an Irish Passport or International student graduated from Ireland college Have an Internship offer from a US Host Company in your field of work Training J-1 Visa: 20 years old + on date of travel Either: Hold a post secondary degree with 1 year experience or 5 years of professional experience Hold an Irish Passport or International student graduated from Ireland college Have a Training offer from a US Host Company in your field of work All visas can be taken as many times as you like as long as you are eligible each time and are not subject to the two-year home rule. The Training Visa requires a 2 year gap between visas. Q. How long does the process take? A. For summer J-1 visas, it can take 1-5 months, depending on when you originally book your place. For IWT/Internship/Training J-1 visas, it can take 4-8 weeks depending on how busy the embassy is and how quickly your sponsor company can get the DS-2019. Q. Where can I find a job? A. One of the most popular places to find jobs is craigslist.org. Remember that times are not the easiest and finding a job may be more difficult than you might expect. Look at your proposed location for summer work, theme parks, summer camps, hotels, temp agencies etc. Monster.com can also be resourceful.Look for an Irish center in your city and see if they can help. They are usually able to find temporary or short term work. If you arrive in the US with no jobs (on IWT or summer J-1 visa) don't be afraid to hand in resumes (yes, resumes, not CVs) to businesses. For this reason, bringing a professional suit might come in handy. Q. Where can I find accommodation? A. Again, craigslist.org is also very popular for accommodation. Irish centers can also help with accommodation. Have a search for short term rentals in your city (month-to-month leases). Be very careful when looking online. If you find accommodation, do a background check on the person/company renting to you. Never pay more than 50% deposit (even this is a lot) and never wire money through Western Union etc. Also, know that most rental accommodation in the US comes unfurnished. You will have to either rent furniture or buy some cheap furniture. Second hand furniture is great and can be sold again when you are leaving (except mattresses). Q. How long will it take before I can actually start working in the US? A. Once you arrive in the US, you will have to apply for a Social Security Number. This can be done at any local Social Security Office. Your SSN can be received anywhere from 1 week to 6 weeks from date of application (some have reported longer) depending on how busy the Social Security Office is. Links: US Government List of Designated Sponsors SAYIT USIT GO4LESS IICenter, Boston Official Summer J-1 Visa Official Internship J-1 Visa Official IWT J-1 Visa Official Training J-1 Visa Two Year Home Rule Craigslist Monster Summer Computer Camp Jobs Locate your nearest Social Security Office Boardsies Destination Opinions Remember, you can always contact your sponsor/travel company for more details and questions. They can be quite helpful too. This is just the beginning of the FAQ and useful links. I hope to update this frequently and think of more over time. If there is something you would like added, feel free to ask. If you think there is information I have missed, please bring it to my attention. Lisa Last edited by lil_lisa; 11-07-2011 at 21:26.

21-01-2011, 18:00	#2
pikiflan Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1 Adverts \| Friends	Anybody travelling in and out of US on 1 yr-working visa? Hi there, I'm looking for a little advice from those who are also or have been on the 1 year working visa for the US. I left the country recently on a trip and am yet to return. I completely overlooked the fact that we're supposed to send off the little DS-2019 card from our passports to whoever's in Portland so i'll be travelling back in in a week or two with no form. The ones i've been in touch with tell me i'll be issued an I-515 which means I've to send that off to the Department of Homeland Security in DC (maybe taking up to three months to get back) if i'm to get a new DS form back in my passport and make any more trips outside. Anybody forgotten to send it off in time, traveled back in without one and done another trip outside the US after (with only that I-515)? (I'm hoping it's cock and bull like most of the other procedures attached to this visa scheme.)

23-01-2011, 23:55	#4
lolliemc Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 18 Adverts \| Friends	J1 ocean city?? Myself and two others are going on a j1 to New York but we don't have a clue where to go? lots of places have been mentioned to us but we want to be a little bit outside the city near a beach if possible. we are considering ocean city.. are there any jobs in ocean city? is rent affordable? any other suggestions on where to go? help!!

25-01-2011, 16:32	#5
sleepyescapade Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 849 Adverts \| Friends	Booking return flight 12 months in advance Is there anyway to do this? If I decide to go on the 12 month visa, I think I will likely go with the IIC. Can I just pick a return flight for such a date and then change the dates for the flights later or will that be costly? Ideally I would like proof of return dates, if possible, for my Embassy interview.

28-01-2011, 20:22	#10
fionn14 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 14 Adverts \| Friends	J1 Alternatives: Teaching Sailing/Lifeguarding abroad Hi all, basically I'm looking to do something different to standard J1. I'm a sailing instructor but also a beach lifeguard and would love to go somewhere different (not USA) and work for 2/3 months this summer. So far I haven't had a very structured approach to finding work and was wondering does anyone have any tips? In terms of european places I've sent applications away to sun sail and nelison which seem to be 2 of the big ones for sailing in europe. Last year I applied to Club Med for work as a sailing instructor and got as far as a Skype interview but no luck. Last time I checked they didn't have any positions listed as available for this year. Basically I'm open to any suggestions or advice. I've been looking into the caribbean but I don't really know if I'm wasting my time. The only place in the USA i've much interest in going to is Hawaii and I've sent emails to a few places there but no replies as of yet. All I want is sun and sea and a bit of work and anywhere that fills that criteria is OK for me!

21-01-2011, 20:15	#3
lonestargirl Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dublin Posts: 1,085 Adverts \| Friends	The card in your passport is the I-94, you surrender that upon leaving the US. The DS-2019 is an A4 page with details of you visa, sponsor etc. on it. It has a section that should be signed in order for you to re-enter the US. I left without havibng mine signed the first time I entered on my visa as I only came for a week. I just then FedExed it to the US and the signed copy back to me before I re-entered the US. As far as I'm aware it doesn't have to be signed if you are only travelling to MExico or Canada.

25-01-2011, 17:05	#6
lil_lisa Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Kildare/SD Posts: 1,563 Adverts \| Friends Mod: United States	Proof of return flights aren't required for the 12 month visa. Most airlines won't allow you to book past 9 months in the future. If you can bring some other proof tying you to Ireland you should be fine. I had a friend write a business letter stating that he would be employing me when I return from the visa.

26-01-2011, 16:17	#7
fionn14 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 14 Adverts \| Friends	haven't been myself but have been told it's basically a bigger version of tramore. (No offence intended to anyone from tramore). Basically, it's tacky. My friends who went did have a great time, got work OK but not easily. They had a bit of hassle with the cops and some even had to do community service The place won't add anything to your experience in summary is the feedback I got anyway.

26-01-2011, 16:30	#8
dory Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,221 Adverts \| Friends Mod: Independent & Youth Travel, Travel	I'm moving this thread over to the United States forum. It has been decided that anything to do with getting a visa to work abroad should not be dealt with here. There'll be a sticky once I get a free moment.

28-01-2011, 15:30	#9
cherrybomb! Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 3 Adverts \| Friends	ye i have a couple of friends who arent in college and want to join us on the j1 is this possible??

29-01-2011, 20:57	#11
WeightierDisc Banned Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Donegal Posts: 97 Adverts \| Friends	J1/Other Ok, Hi I didn't know where to post this so i'm just gonna leave it here. My friend asked me today if i had any interest in doing a J1 summer abroad this year and he presented me with the following scenario, that we could get jobs on a cruise ship! I just thought this sounded absolutely amazing!! Does anyone know if anyone has done this or something simmilar in the last few years, I'm just slightly sceptical as to the availability of such positions etc. Or If this isnt possible could anyone make suggestions based on their own experiences in the states or down under. Any suggestions or help will be appreciated

29-01-2011, 21:25	#12
dr.bollocko Category Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 31,283 Adverts \| Friends CMod: After Hours, Cool Vids & Pics & Links, Classic Rock, Ranting & Raving, SaG, The Thunderdome, Rec, Rec Mods	Thread moved rom After Hours. I think you're looking for some serious responses OP so I think here is the best place for your query. FWIW I did J1 to California and had a great time.

30-01-2011, 17:52	#13
WeightierDisc Banned Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Donegal Posts: 97 Adverts \| Friends	Bondi Beach in Autralia is the place to go if its lifeguarding your into! You should check it out

31-01-2011, 12:58	#14
goawaylisa Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 12 Adverts \| Friends	Solo in New York for 5 months starting March Hello everyone, long-time reader first-time poster... Im going to NYC in March on the graduate 12 month work visa with the hopes of getting a nice job. Will be going on my own initially so I thought I'd post here to see if there was anyone in a similar situation. It'd be nice to know people over there as Ive never even been to New York and if I could get any leads on sharing accomodation as I know it can be expensive and furniture is often sold separately..

31-01-2011, 15:29	#15
dory Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,221 Adverts \| Friends Mod: Independent & Youth Travel, Travel	I'm going to move this to the United States forum as I really think you'll get more replies there.

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