Although the program, Work and Travel, is quite popular and you have heard about it so many times, it might not take your interest until today. But when you met someone who has a WAT experience or decided to apply for WAT, the idea of going to USA and having a working experience there while you are traveling may exist and charm you to know more about it. To get all the details about the project, we write this blog post for you!
What is Work and Travel Project?
Work and Travel, Work and travel is one of the best known and preferred exchange programs that is conducted by the USA government for university students from all around the world. This program gives them the opportunity of working in the United States during their summer holidays and work around the country for a month. Surely, it should be known that the purpose of the program is not just working and traveling. Work and Travel is a cultural exchange program. It is one of the greatest ways to bring the cultures of America and other countries together. Work and Travel consists of 2 sections as you can guess from the name of the project; Work & Travel. At the “Work” section, you can save your own money with 3 or 4 months working time and compensate all your expenses. There is also a “Travel” section which is the 1-month process that allows you to travel throughout the United States with your savings.
Conditions
There are some conditions to apply for the WAT project, and the most important one is being a student at one of the universities outside from US, providing an undergraduate degree, at the age of between 18-30. Also, you have to speak enough to communicate with the people around your workplace. In addition to these, you have to prove that you are accepted from any workplace. It is not a written rule but WAT Agencies and US Embassy give importance to GPA, so not to have trouble about this issue, you should have at least 2.00 on your transcript. For senior students, there is one more condition. The senior students who want to apply for Work and Travel have to take classes for the following term when they come back to their country. The students who have just the requirement of the thesis, internship, project for graduation cannot participate in the program.
Application Procedure
First of all, you have to find a sponsor from the US or an agency from your country. If you work with an agency, they will help you to gather the documents you need, arrange you an appropriate job depending on the level of your English skills and accommodation. And if you wish to do everything on your own(that is difficult to do if it is your first WAT), you have to find a job and accommodation before applying for the visa. Then, you have to fill the online application form DS-160. Also, applicants have to pay SEVIS Fee1 (it should be paid max 72 hours before the visa interview), and the MRV Visa fee. When you come to the visa interview, you have to bring both the DS-160 and DS-2019 2 form. (This form is sent by sponsors in the US so, it is more healthy to find an agency to ask that document. If you wish, you can find the list of the contracted agencies of Turkey and sponsors here) After the visa interview, you will be ready for the flight to US!
Job Offers
There are many choices for the works that you can prefer depending on the level of your English, your previous working experiences and expectations from the project. For example, one of the most preferred and joyful jobs is working at an amusement & theme park as a photographer, security, waitress or such kind of positions. Also, you can work as a cashier or store helper at malls or restaurants. If you are a good swimmer, you can work as a lifeguard at a hotel or a seashore. In addition to this, you can work as a housekeeper at a hotel. As you see, there are many job offers with different qualities. You can earn approximately 7-10 $ per hour and your accommodation may cost 240-450 $ according as the state or the city you are working.
Advantages
Work and Travel program offers the participants the opportunity to experience memorable experiences. With this project, university students work in the US and earn money by improving their English during their summer vacation. Work and Travel participants have the chance to get to know different cultures by making friends from many other countries so they return to their country with the ability to see the situations from different perspectives as well as positive changes in their value judgments. Surely they become more self-confident people as they work and stay alone in a different country. They earn money during their stay, they compensate all their expenses on their own and even they may return their countries with some savings! And they live the dreams of so many people by living and traveling around America!
1) For Work and Travel, Sevis Fee costs 35$, and you can pay it on this online system.
2) This document proves that you have the right to work in US. It identifies your credentials, your passport number, your program number and your sevis number. The workplace address you will work in the United States must be written with the information and address of your sponsor.
You can reach all the required forms here.
Sources
https://tr.usembassy.gov/tr/education-culture-tr/summer-work-and-travel-exchange-program-tr/
Hilal Gelgi
Project Management School Editor
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