Summer Work Travel Program Types of Jobs

- Details
- Rules & Conditions
- Useful Information
- Types of Jobs

Your responsibilities:

-Follow through with your work commitment.
-Be punctual
-Dress appropriately
-Pass drug testing if required
-Show a "can do" attitude
-Be a "team player"

SSN:

Please apply for a social security number as soon as you arrive and make your arrival check-in with the USUF site, otherwise you will not be able to start working. The number on the card is the taxpayer identification and will be used for the host company’s paychecks. This number is also needed to open a bank account or to obtain a state driver’s license.

Important:

Because of new changes in the Social Security Process, you may have to wait longer than 2 weeks to get your Social Security card. Your host company may not issue a paycheck until this documentation is received, so you need to secure yourself an appropriate amount of money until you get your first paycheck

Minimum Wage:

You should be aware about the minimum wage in the U.S. You cannot be paid less then this hourly rate. The federal minimum wage in the U.S. is $5.15 per hour for most jobs and $2.13 per hour + tips for jobs that include gratuity (state minimum wages may be higher).

W-2 Form:

Be sure to leave your home country address with your employer before departing for your home country so they can mail you the W-2 form. The U.S. tax year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31. You should be receiving your W-2 form in March. If you do not receive your W-2 form by March 1, you should contact your employer directly and request replacements. The federal tax form to be completed by the Summer Work Travel participants is: FORM 1040 EZ

Working in the United States

Types of Jobs

The jobs that will be available are almost always unskilled or entry-level positions. Positions include, but are not limited to: Housekeeping, Ride Operators, Retail Staff, Food Servers, Wait Staff, Maintenance, Kitchen Help, Dishwashing, Cashiers, Fast Food Workers, Laundry Attendants, Hotel Desk Clerks, Lifeguards, Parking Attendants, Game Attendants, Security Guards, etc.

IMPORTANT: You may not work as a camp counselor, nanny, au pair, housekeeper or helper in a private home, in a hospital, in the medical field, work with airlines, or in the adult entertainment industry through the Summer Work Travel Program. You may not work at a place that requires you to invest your own money for the purpose of door-to-door sales.

Employment Information

USUF providesyou a unique chance to get acquainted with a new culture, to experience a different work environment and to enjoy your summer vacation with American and international friends. You can support yourself with a decent wage and learn a lot while working for an American employer.

Let us remind you once more that you are eligible to work in the United States during the period stated on your DS-2019 form. But this period should never exceed 4 months. Once you enter the U.S. you are required to go to your pre-assigned job. You MUST go to the job that you originally accepted. You cannot change your employer without USUF permission.

Your host company is the employer you are working for during your program duration. It is always prearranged and that means you have a signed job agreement with your employer, approved by USUF. Note that in most cases you have an unskilled job but it does not mean that you do not carry responsibilities.

Remember that according to the terms and conditions of your application:

You agree that it is your responsibility to request and agree to the conditions of employment stated in the Employment Agreement, relevant to your particular placement and that USUF cannot held responsible for any disagreement regarding these conditions.
You must contact your host company prior to arrival; notify them in advance about your arrival and departure dates.
You must begin work at your approved host company no more than 7 days after your arrival.
By accepting a position found for you by USUF, you are making a commitment to that company. If you leave before your commitment has ended without permission from the host company and from USUF, your program will be terminated.
You must respect the property of your host company and housing facilities and agree to pay for any damage you may cause.
You will not be allowed to continue your program if you break the contract between you, USUF, and your host company.
If you are fired from your job for any specific reason concerning your attitude or actions, you will not be allowed to continue your program and must return home immediately at your own expense.
It is your responsibility to contact USUF immediately if you are having problems at your job that may lead to you being fired or breaking your agreement.
You may not change your host company without permission from USUF.
If your original job ends before the legal working dates listed on the DS-2019 (program end date) for any reason, it is your responsibility to inform USUF and get approval for any new job.

Social Security Number (SSN)

You MUST secure a Social Security number (SSN) in order to work legally in the U.S. A special U.S. agency - the Social Security Administration (www.ssa.gov) is responsible for issuing SSN. There are many offices of SSA throughout the United States. To locate the nearest office, you can call: 1-800-772-1213 or visit www.ssa.gov/locator.

It will take approximately 15 business days to receive a Social Security number and 40-60 days for the card.

Once you arrive at your host company, you will be required by your employer to complete a W-4 form - Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate. Please find instructions how to complete these forms in your Summer Work Travel Brochure.

Find out more about SSN from your Summer Work Travel Brochure and during the orientation session.

Paychecks

You will most likely be paid weekly or twice per month.In addition, your company may offer you free room and board. Therefore sometimes it is more reasonable to be paid less and have free housing and three meals a day than to receive a higher wage and care about your living expenses by yourself. The working day in the United States is 8 hours. Totally, the week plan makes 40 hours with two days off. Days off may be scheduled for weekends or weekdays. You may be provided with a time card, which you need to insert into the clock-in machine every time you come and leave your work place. This device helps an employer count your working hours. If you want to earn extra money and are fine about working extra hours you'll be paid overtime (if you work more than 40 hours per week). Usually you are paid one-and-a-half times more than the normal wage rate for extra hours. If this is not offered, you sometimes will have time off in compensation for overtime. Ask your employer about company overtime policies.

Taxes

All the participants of the Summer Work Travel Program are required to pay taxes. However, you do not need to pay all of the taxes as an exchange visitor and holder of a J-1 visa.

Taxes you pay are:

- Federal Income Tax
- State Income Tax
- City Income Tax

Taxes you do not pay are:

- Social Security and Medicare Tax (FICA)
- Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

When you receive your first paycheck make sure that FICA and FUTA are not taken from it. If you find out that they were deducted, you should notify your employer immediately and ask him to contact USUF.

Tax refunds

At the end of the tax year, your employer will mail you the W-2 form (this is why you gave your employer an empty envelope with your home address). The W-2 details your total wages and the amount of each tax that was withheld.

To file a tax return, you must complete separate forms for federal taxes and state/local taxes and you are required and responsible for filing U.S. tax returns by April 15th. All forms are available at banks, libraries and post offices in the U.S. If you are in your home country, federal forms are available at the U.S. Embassy. You may also download tax forms on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website: www.irs.gov.