May 2013

The camp counselor program gives foreign nationals, who are over 18 and like interacting with children, the chance to work at US summer camps.

The camp counselor program gives foreign nationals an opportunity to work at summer camps in the US as camp counselors for up to 4 months during the summers. It is a great program, especially for international students, as there is job security and the pay is good. Camp jobs come with a contract period and a set salary; this way, one does not have to worry about issues such as layoffs, number of hours or overtime. Since it is necessary for summer camps to maintain minimum staffing levels, you can be sure of a secure job.

A great benefit that comes with a camp counselor job is that you do not have to worry about renting an apartment or a house; since you will work on the camp site itself, your accommodation will be provided by your employers, saving you both time and money. Along with free accommodation, you will also get free food and meals. The only downside is that you will not be left with enough time to take up a second job, as you will have to work longer hours during the contract days.

The camp counselor program is open to any foreign national who is at least 18 years old and a post secondary student and sufficiently fluent in the English language to interact with children. They should also possess a strong desire to work with children and have one or more teachable skills. However, camp counselors will occasionally have to perform some non counseling duties but they cannot serve as staff acting as cooks or janitors. Participants in the camp counselor program should obtain a J1 visa through the US embassy and sponsors are required to interview the participants, secure references and ensure that they have round trip airfare, accessible funds and the required health insurance coverage.

Teaching programs with J1 visa brings an international perspective, a multicultural dimension and improved spoken language skills to the classroom.

Now, teachers from various countries in the world have an opportunity to work in the US through the J1 teacher visa program. Under this program, certified and experienced international teachers can travel to the US to work in accredited primary or secondary school for a period of 3 years. Hiring educators from other countries can be a lengthy process; many of the challenges are related to visa processing that can be expensive and time consuming. As a result, schools in the US are turning to specialized organizations or sponsors for help in screening and recruiting qualified teachers from different countries. These organizations are designated by the US government as official visa sponsors.

school teacher

However, things have changed for the better with the J1 visa exchange program, making it easier to screen and sponsor international teachers for US schools. Many schools are realizing the advantages of hiring international teachers, as it creates great opportunities for cultural exchange; students benefit from learning about the customs and cultures of other nationalities as well as spoken language skills, while teachers get to learn the teaching methods in the US, while bringing an international perspective to the classroom.

To qualify as a teacher under the J1 visa requirements, the applicant must be a qualified teacher with a minimum of three years teaching experience and should also meet the teaching standards of the state in which they will be teaching. Applicants must be sponsored by an approved sponsoring organization, must be sufficiently proficient in English language and must meet some health and character requirements. Spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age may apply for a J2 visa to join their spouses or parent in the US. As J1 visa holders, applicants must maintain health insurance for themselves and for any dependents using the J2 visa status.

Archives for May 2013

Be a camp counselor – summer camp jobs with J1 visa

Teaching programs in the US with J1 visa