An official website of the United States government

Travel Advisory Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution Travel Advisory Level 2: The advisory level was increased to Level 2. An area of increased risk was added. The advisory summary was updated. Read More...

Emergency Information for American Citizens

Summer Work Travel Program
Nonimmigrant Visas
By
32 MINUTE READ
General Information
Instructions
Travel USA!
Information for Everyday Life in the U.S.
Contact Us

General Information

The United States’ Summer Work Travel program provides post-secondary school students the opportunity to work and travel in the United States. Every year, the program draws thousands of students from around the world, and Thailand is no exception.

Many students work at hotels, beach resorts and amusement parks across the U.S. Others are employed at restaurants or national parks. In addition to professional and English experience, students can make new friends and travel in the U.S. The Summer Work Travel program is a great opportunity to explore the U.S., improve English language skills, earn money and understand American culture.

Requirements

To participate in this program, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Participants must be post-secondary school students who are actively pursuing a degree or a full-time course of study at an accredited classroom-based educational institution in their country of residence. Students may not participate in this program during time periods other than their summer vacations.
  • Students must also possess sufficient proficiency in the English language to participate in their programs.

How to Apply for the Summer Work Travel Program

  1. Students can (1) contact a local recruitment agency directly to take part in the program o with a designated U.S. sponsor directly. The sponsor will provide the students with specific program and application requirements.

Search designated sponsors: https://j1visa.state.gov/sponsor-search

Find sponsors that operate in your home country: https://j1visa.state.gov/sponsor-by-country

  1. Students must interview with prospective employers. If students are accepted into the Summer Work Travel program, the designated sponsor will issue a Form DS-2019.
  2. Students must have an interview with a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok or the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai. The purpose of the interview is to ensure that participants meet the requirements of the program and are eligible to receive visas.

In the United States

Once entering the United States, students can stay for up to four months, during which time they may spend up to one month traveling. When the program ends, students are expected to return home and continue their studies.

Income earned by Summer Work Travel program participants in the U.S. will be taxed, but applicants can apply for a refund upon return to Thailand.

Instructions

Overview

This page provides guidance to students, local recruiting agencies, and U.S. sponsors for the 2025 Summer Work Travel (SWT) Program. Due to the popularity of this program, we expect many Thai students to apply again this year. The program is only open to bona fide students. We regularly consult with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and Thai universities to determine who is a bona fide student. Other partners include U.S. sponsors, the Government of Thailand, and local recruiting agencies.

Dates and Deadlines 

The U.S. Embassy Thailand is pleased to announce that we will have two timeframes for SWT in 2025, from March 7th – July 7th (Spring break) and May 7th – September 7th (Summer break), depending on the student’s academic break. All students, including fourth year graduating students, must participate in the SWT timeframe that corresponds with their university’s designated breaks.  Fourth year students who have finished their degree requirements but not yet graduated can choose to participate in either a spring or summer SWT program but must comply with program dates.

SWT participants must be back in class before the start of the next semester or graduation. The U.S. Embassy will only accept Certificates for Exchange Visitor Status (DS-2019 forms, which applicants require to obtain a visa) with dates that begin on or after:

  1. March 7th and end on or before July 7th, 2025 (Spring break) OR
  2. May 7th and end on or before September 7th, 2025 (Summer Break).

We expect recruiting agencies to make travel arrangements that have their students back in class on time.

We will begin interviewing for the Summer Work Travel Program in January 2025. All appointments must be scheduled in advance. Agencies should request appointments via http://www.ustraveldocs.com/th/en/ as soon as they:

  1. Have gathered all required documents, including DS-2019 forms.
  2. Have verified students’ English skills, grades, and jobs; and
  3. Have ensured that their clients’ online visa applications are complete and correct.

Students should come to the interview on time, as scheduled in the appointment system, with their documents ready as presented in the check list document (See “SWT Agency Requirements” below).

Applicant Qualification Requirements

To participate in this program, exchange visitors must meet the following requirements:

  • Participants must be students enrolled in a full-time course of post-secondary study and actively pursuing a degree from an accredited classroom-based educational institution.
  • Prospective exchange visitors must also possess sufficient proficiency in the English language to participate in their programs.
  • Participants must come to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok or U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai for a visa interview.
  • The U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai serves SWT participants in the following 15 provinces of northern Thailand: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kamphaengphet, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phetchabun, Phayao, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, and Uttaradit.
  • Students from other countries who study in Thailand may participate in the program.
  • Thai students studying abroad should apply for visas at the U.S. Embassy in the country where they study. For example, students in Japan should apply for visas at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

Timely Return

Students must return to Thailand before the start of the next semester. Recruiters and/or sponsors who book travel for their participants should make flight reservations that return their students home to Thailand in time for the start of classes.

While U.S. immigration law permits J-1 visa holders up to 30 days to depart the United States after the conclusion of the program, it does not excuse Thai students from their obligation to return to their studies. SWT participants who return late will have difficulty qualifying for U.S. visas in the future.

SWT Agency Requirements

SWT recruiting agencies must comply with Thai legal requirements and must have a contractual affiliation with a U.S. sponsor.

Visa Interview Appointment

Students or the recruiter should schedule an appointment using the online appointment system at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/th/en/.

Students must provide the listed documents in the following order on the day of their appointment:

  1. A passport valid for at least six months after the date on which the applicant plans to depart the United States and which has at least two empty visa pages.
  2. A photo uploaded with their DS-160 online application. The photo must be taken within the last six months and glasses must be removed for the picture. Students must also bring one color photo (5×5 cm, against a white background, no color contact lens) to their interview.
  3. Form DS-2019 signed by U.S. sponsor (wet signatures or digital signatures are acceptable.) and the applicant with program eligibility dates (found in block 3 of the form) between March 7th – July 7th (Spring break) or May 7th – September 7th (Summer break). We cannot accept DS-2019 forms with errors.
  4. Student and Exchange Visitor International System (SEVIS) fee receipt. All J-1 visa applicants with initial DS-2019 forms are required to pay the $35.00 SEVIS fee. Applicants are required to pay the SEVIS fee before visa interview. Instructions for paying the SEVIS fee can be found online at https://www.fmjfee.com.
  5. The applicant’s original academic transcript that was recently issued.

Applicant Requirements

  • Each student must check-in with his/her sponsor upon arrival in the U.S. Please use your full name as it appears on your passport in the communication.
  • The student must inform the sponsor about any change in job or address. If students change jobs or housing without informing their sponsors, their program may be terminated for the J-1 Summer Work Travel program and students will have to leave the U.S. immediately.

Reminders

  • The Form DS-2019 for students in Thai universities must indicate a start date no earlier than March 7th and an end date on or before July 7th, 2025, for Spring applicants, and a start date no earlier than May 7th and an end date on or before September 7th, 2025, for summer applicants. All students can choose to participate in either a spring or summer SWT program but must stay within the program dates.
  • Students are NOT allowed to work outside the dates on the DS-2019 form, even if they are in the U.S.
  • If the program start date specified in an applicant’s Form DS-2019 has passed or you believe that a student will be unable to travel in time for that date, the sponsor must have the responsible officer amend the SEVIS record to change the program start date before the students come for his/her interview.
  • SWT recruiting agencies will need to schedule appointments online for each of their students using the following website: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/th/en/. All agencies will have access to large blocks of time where many visa interview appointment slots will be available. Once all the documents are ready for your students, agencies should schedule appointments without delay. If you wait until the very end to book slots, you will likely miss out on the earlier appointment dates.
  • Although we will verify student enrollment directly with universities, recruiting agencies are still responsible for verifying the student enrollment status of their applicants.
  • Make sure your students speak English! Regardless of the job, they must be able to have a conversation with employers, landlords, bus drivers, store clerks, or anyone else they meet in the U.S.

***Please remind your students that the Embassy security procedures require that all visitors receive a security inspection. Each student will be allowed to deposit only one cell phone at the Embassy gate. The U.S. Embassy will not accept the storage of any other battery-operated or electronic devices.

Travel USA!

Preparing for Your Trip to the United States

Before you leave for the United States, familiarize yourself with the different kinds of documents you might need. It is always a good idea to carry your original documents with you at all times. Do not put them in your checked baggage.

It is also a good idea to make at least two sets of copies of these documents: one copy to leave with your family before you depart and one extra copy for yourself. Here is a list of the important immigration documents:

  • Passport;
  • Visa; and
  • Form DS-2019, “Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Program Status.”

Arriving in the United States should be a smooth experience if you have everything ready.

Reporting to your Sponsor

You may enter the United States within the 30 days preceding your official program start date, which is recorded in SEVIS. You must report to your sponsor by the program start date listed on your DS-2019.

It is best to contact your U.S. sponsor immediately after entering the country to confirm your arrival.

If you cannot enter the United States for the term listed on your DS-2019 or if you will be late by a few days, immediately contacts your U.S. sponsor so that they can accurately enter this information in your SEVIS record.

————————————-

In addition, we encourage students to take advantage of the “travel” portion of the Summer Work and Travel Program.

When visiting the U.S., be sure to get a taste both of the vibrant cities and of the magnificent natural beauty. From the skyscrapers of New York City to the snowy mountains of Colorado, from the deserts of Arizona to the national monuments of Washington D.C., the U.S. has a wide variety of sites that impress millions of visitors each year.

Ten ways to get a taste of the best of the U.S.:

  1. Take a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) in California, which runs along the breath-taking coastline. Be sure to stop and see the bustle of Los Angeles, the tranquility of secluded Big Sur, and the beautiful beaches of Carmel, all before crossing San Francisco’s world-famous Golden Gate Bridge.
  2. Shop! Eat! Shop! Eat! Cities large and small, from Seattle to Los Angeles to Chicago to Dallas to Miami to New York, have fantastic stores and restaurants that you can visit, try, and take home some of their items with you.
  3. Sample the classic American architecture of Chicago, visit Navy Pier, the Art Institute, or go see a Chicago Cubs baseball game in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. The “City That Works,” Chicago is a major manufacturing and transportation hub and home to vibrant immigrant communities from throughout the world.
  4. Explore the unique landscape of Arizona, from the desert of Tucson to the red rocks of Sedona. Then visit the state capitol, Phoenix, one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.
  5. Take in the history to be found in Philadelphia. Visit Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the U.S. Constitution was written, and make a stop to see the Liberty Bell, which rang before the first public reading of the Declaration.
  6. See the wonders of Glacier National Park in Montana. A great place to hike, camp, bike, and fish, the park possesses some of the most striking natural beauty to be found in the U.S., right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Be sure to drive down Going-to-the-Sun Road for the magnificent views.
  7. Wander through the streets of New York City, from the Financial District, Chinatown, Soho, and Greenwich Village up through Midtown, the theater district, and Museum Mile. Also take an entire day and walk the entire length of Manhattan on Broadway. Don’t forget to take in some professional sports games by seeing the New York Knicks or the New York Yankees in action.
  8. Sample the flavors of the American South. Try Tennessee, where you can visit the home of Elvis Presley, check out some country music in Nashville, or just drink in the serenity of the tree-lined streets and beautiful old mansions. For some Cajun vibes, explore New Orleans, filled with great jazz, amazing seafood, and a party scene that never stops. Or explore cosmopolitan Atlanta, the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics, renowned for its beauty and its cultural prominence.
  9. Visit Yellowstone Park, which contains close to sixty percent of the world’s geysers, including the famed Old Faithful. View the park’s incredible diversity of wildlife, including moose, elk, bison, coyotes, bobcats, and bighorn sheep.
  10. And of course, no visit to the United States would be complete without seeing the monuments and museums of the nation’s capital, Washington DC. Take a tour the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials and the Washington Monument, and visit the fantastic museums run by the Smithsonian Institution, where admission is free.

Information for Everyday Life in the U.S.

Money Matters

The basic unit of exchange in the United States is the dollar ($), which is divided into 100 cents (¢). One dollar is commonly written as $1 or $1.00. There are four denominations of commonly used coins: 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, and 25 cents. Americans usually refer to coins, not by their value in cents, but by their names. A one-cent coin is a penny, a five-cent coin is a nickel, a ten-cent coin is a dime, and a 25-cent coin is a quarter. U.S. paper money (often called bills: for example, a “one dollar bill”) comes in single-bill denominations of one dollar ($1.00), five dollars ($5.00), ten dollars ($10.00), twenty dollars ($20.00), fifty dollars ($50.00), and one hundred dollars ($100.00). You will immediately notice that, unlike in most other countries, U.S. bills are all mostly the same size and all the same color. They are differentiated from each other by the number value and with the portrait of a different U.S. historical figure on each denomination. At first, you may find this confusing and you will need to watch which bills you use carefully. However, you will become accustomed to the currency and will soon be able to differentiate easily between the denominations. U.S. coins also are marked with the coin’s value and each denomination is a different size.

Having a bankcard is very convenient, since it can be used all over the United States and even in other countries connected to the same banking system. Bankcards from other countries can also be used in the United States as long as they function on one of the banking networks used in the United States. Before leaving home, ask your bank if you can use your home country’s bankcard in the United States. This is especially useful if, in case of emergency, you need to rapidly get money from home.

Tipping

In the United States, tips (gratuities) are not automatically added to bills, as is customary in some other countries. Even if tipping remains a personal choice, it is usually expected when certain services are provided. You should be aware that the people who commonly receive tips are paid a wage that is lower than those who do not receive tips. They depend upon tips for a significant part, sometimes the majority, of their income. The average tip is usually 15 percent, but it can vary depending on the extent and the quality of the service provided.

  • Eating Out: The expected tip in a restaurant is 15 or 20 percent in a good restaurant with excellent service. You should leave your tip on the table for the waiter or waitress as you leave. If you pay with a credit card, you can add the tip to the credit card charges before you total the bill. The restaurant then gives that amount in cash to your server. If you sit at a counter in a restaurant, the tip is usually smaller; 10 to 15 percent is sufficient. In a fast-food restaurant, the bill is paid when the food is ordered and no tip is expected. In a cafeteria or a self-service restaurant, you pay the cashier after having chosen your meal and, again, no tip is expected.
  • Taxi Drivers: It is customary to give 10 to 15 percent of the total fare.
  • Airport and Hotel Porters: It is customary to give $1.00 for each bag.
  • Barbers, Hairdressers, and Beauticians: They usually are tipped 10 to 15 percent of the bill.
  • Valet Parking: The attendant should usually receive $1.00 to $2.00.
  • Never offer a tip to public officials, police officers, or government employees. This is against the law in the United States. There is no need to tip hotel desk clerks, bus drivers, theater ushers, salespeople, flight attendants, or gas station attendants.
Using the Telephone

Telephone numbers in the United States have 10 digits, including a seven-digit set of numbers that is the prime telephone number. Preceding the seven-digit number is the three-digit “area code.” The area code serves a wide region, often a large part of a state. Usually you need to dial the area code only if the number is in an area with a code different than your own. However, some more populated areas now have more than one area code and require you to dial both the area code and prime telephone number even if you live in the same city.

In most communities in the United States, when you need police, the fire department, or paramedics in an emergency situation, you simply dial “911.” Once you have dialed 911, the operator will ask you what the emergency is, ask for your address, and then summon the appropriate help. Most of the time, the operator will stay on the line and give you support or advice until help arrives. It is very important to call 911 only in an emergency situation, and it is illegal to use it otherwise.

Mailing Address

Before you leave home, give your correct mailing address in the United States to family and friends who will be writing to you. Be sure to include the “zip code.” A zip code is a five-digit number identifying the postal zone in which the address lies. Some private citizens, businesses, and organizations use more precise, nine-digit zip codes. For example, the zip code for the U.S. immigration service district office in Helena, Montana, is 59626-0036.

Restaurants

Restaurants in the United States range from inexpensive “fast-food” to very expensive restaurants. Some restaurants feature specialties of the region, others specialize in “ethnic” foods from various regions of the world. While some of these ethnic restaurants are very authentic, others have adapted their food to suit American tastes. It is safe to eat in restaurants in the United States since they are regularly inspected for cleanliness and for compliance with health codes. It is also safe to drink water from a tap in the United States. Bottled water is usually available in American restaurants for an extra charge.

Getting a Driver’s License

If you plan to drive in the United States, you must have a valid driver’s license. If you have an international driver’s license, it is important to check whether the state where you are driving recognizes such a license, as not all states do. Check with the local office of the state motor vehicles department to get information on obtaining a state driver’s license. All information is adapted from “Getting Ready to Go: Practical Information for Living and Studying in the United States,” a publication of the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

Contact Us

To contact a customer service representative, please visit the GSS Contact Us page for full information or use contact information below:

  • Address: 95 Wireless Road,
    Bangkok 10330, Thailand
  • E-mail Inquiries:
    Email inquiries for both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas should be directed to: support-thailand@usvisascheduling.com
  • Call Center representatives are available:
    Monday – Friday:  7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (excluding Thai and U.S. holidays)
     Local telephone: 033-007-846; from the United States (703)-783-9410
Security Regulations when Visiting the Embassy or Consulate

Visas