BridgeUSA J-1 Summer Work Travel Program – Starting at €549
This is more than a holiday, it’s a different life
The world’s a big place. It’s time you saw it.
The BridgeUSA J-1 Summer Work Travel Program is your ticket to living and working in the USA during your college summer break. Designed for current students, it’s all about diving into American life, landing a casual seasonal job, meeting new people, and exploring your surroundings. When your work wraps up, you’ve got a bonus 30 days to hit the road, check out iconic sights, and create your own U.S. adventure. Work, travel, make memories, this is the summer you’ve been waiting for.
Don't miss out on Early Bird pricing!
⏰Ends November 1. Apply today.
50 years’ experience helping young people experience the United States.
The BridgeUSA J-1 Summer Work Travel program brings all the various parts of spending a summer abroad into one place. All guided and overseen by our expertise. Finding a seasonal job, interviewing, obtaining a J-1 visa, getting ready for the trip, dealing with taxes and pay checks, complying with regulations – it's a lot.
Why choose CIEE?
At CIEE, we’ve been making epic summers happen for over 50 years. We’re experts in all things BridgeUSA J-1 Summer Work Travel. Whether it’s helping you land the perfect seasonal job, guiding you through your embassy interview, or making the application process a breeze. For us, you’re always the number one priority. That’s why our programs are affordable, accessible, and designed with you in mind because we believe everyone deserves the chance to live, work, and explore the U.S. without breaking the bank. With CIEE, it’s not just a program, it’s your adventure, your way.
Key Benefits
Cultural Exchange
Engage with diverse communities, make lifelong friends, and develop a global perspective.
Career Development
Boost your CV with hands-on experience in seasonal industries, from hospitality to tourism and beyond. Stand out with international experience that shows you can thrive anywhere.
Personal Growth
Level up your confidence, independence, and adaptability as you navigate life in a new environment. It’s not just about where you go. It’s about who you become.
Competitive & Affordable
Our program is designed to minimise costs and provide helpful, human support throughout the application process, making it easier for you to pursue your U.S. adventure and career goals.
Summer Work Travel Eligibility
Your gateway to the States is here
Am I eligible for a J-1 visa?
Here’s the deal, if you can tick these off, you’re set:
✅ You’re a full-time student in an academic day course at a recognized Irish university or college.
✅ You’re any nationality studying in Ireland, an Irish or Northern Irish national studying in Great Britain, or an Irish national on Erasmus.
✅ In your final year? No problem, just be ready to show you’ll return to Ireland after your program.
✅ You’re between 18 and 30 when you enter the U.S.
✅ You can work a full summer season with a J-1 employer—8 to 12 weeks between June and August.
✅ You have about $800 USD (or the equivalent) in support funds.
If that’s all yes, then you’re ready for the summer of a lifetime.
Summer Work Travel Cost
We’ve got your back: two ways to get to the U.S.
What’s Included
Option 1: J-1 All-In Package
Sit back and relax and let us handle the hard stuff for you. With this package, you get:
J-1 visa application processing
Your DS-2019 and legal work authorization documents
Access to our J-1 job listings so you can pick your job and location
Connections to our trusted hiring partners
Five months of emergency medical insurance**
SEVIS fee coverage
Pre-departure J-1 orientation
Dedicated support from our experienced team
⏰Early bird for €749 if you sign up before Saturday, November 1
**The insurance covers your emergency medical expenses while in the U.S. We recommend you also take out a separate ‘Travel Insurance’ policy to cover you for things like cancellation and curtailment, personal belongings, legal costs, flight delays and more.
Option 2: DIY Package
Prefer to take the reins? This package is perfect if you’ve got the connections to get your own job. It includes:
J-1 visa application processing
Your DS-2019
Vetting and approval of your secured job
Five months of emergency medical insurance**
SEVIS fee coverage
Pre-departure J-1 orientation
Dedicated support from our experienced team
⏰Early bird for €549 if you sign up before Saturday, November 1
**The insurance covers your emergency medical expenses while in the U.S. We recommend you also take out a separate ‘Travel Insurance’ policy to cover you for things like cancellation and curtailment, personal belongings, legal costs, flight delays and more.
No matter which path you choose, CIEE is with you every step of the way—making your summer adventure in the U.S.A. smooth, fun, and stress-free.
What’s not included
(but easy to handle!)
There are a few things you’ll need to take care of yourself, but don’t worry. we’ll guide you through all of it:
Flights to the U.S. We recommend waiting until your visa is approved before booking your trip.
U.S. Embassy Interview Fee $185, paid directly when you book your appointment.
Visa Integrity Fee $250, also paid at your embassy appointment and reimbursed when you return home.
Support Funds Around $800, to show you’re ready to cover your own expenses while in the U.S.
Accommodation Up to you to arrange, giving you the chance to pick the perfect spot for your summer adventure.
Apply
Experience the ultimate summer of personal and professional growth with our BridgeUSA J-1 Summer Work Travel Program!
The BridgeUSA J-1 Summer Work Travel 2026 program application is now open. Apply today!
Summer Work Travel Opportunities
The chance to live and work in America for a season
Before your visa is issued, it’s a requirement to have a summer job lined up. Whether you find your job through CIEE or secure one yourself, it needs to be a seasonal role meaning it can’t take work away from American citizens.
Typical jobs include bars, restaurants, hotels, theme parks, ice cream shops, and other businesses that get busy during the summer months. These roles are perfect for gaining hands-on experience, meeting new people, and earning while you explore the U.S.
For those on our All-In Package, our J-1 Job Listings page has a wide range of options in locations across the U.S., including hotspot cities like San Diego, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, and New York. Whatever your style, there’s a summer job waiting for you.
A quick heads-up: some jobs aren’t allowed. Common examples include office admin work, roles related to your degree or internships, and construction jobs. For the full list of categories and specific jobs that cannot be approved by CIEE, check out the list below:
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Jobs that are filled by a different type of J-1 visa (camp counselors, interns, etc.)
Jobs obtained through staffing or employment agencies
Jobs designated by the U.S. Department of Labor as “hazardous to youth”
Jobs where students are hired independent contractors (using 1099 forms)
Jobs where students works the majority of their hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Sales jobs that require students to invest their own money to pre-purchase inventory
Jobs that are mostly commission-based and thus do not guarantee minimum wage
Jobs with exposure to dangerous chemicals (such as pesticides)
Jobs that require a professional license
Jobs that displace U.S. workers
Jobs with employers who have experienced layoffs within the last 120 days
Jobs with employers who have workers on strike or lockout
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Domestic help positions in private U.S. households, such as au pair, servant, gardener, or chauffeur
Modeling or jobs in the adult entertainment industry
Jobs on casino gaming floors
Jobs in warehouses, factories/manufacturing, moving companies, or catalog/online distribution centers
Jobs in the fisheries industry
Jobs at mall kiosks or carts
Jobs as operators or drivers of vehicles or vessels for which drivers’ licenses are required
Operators of pedicabs, rolling chairs, other passenger carrying vehicles for hire, and/or vehicles requiring a commercial driver’s license
Farm or ranch jobs
Jobs with traveling carnivals / concessions
Jobs providing clinical care, medical services or involving patient contact, hands-on therapy, counseling, administering treatment or making diagnoses of medical, psychiatric or psychological patients, or veterinary work involving hands-on care
Jobs as ship or aircraft crew members or as pilots, except as crew members on ships that travel only within domestic U.S. waters
Jobs as teachers, teaching assistants, or coaches
Jobs entailing sustained physical contact with customers, such as, body piercing, tattoo parlor work, or massage)
Jobs with domestic cleaning companies
Your BridgeUSA J-1 Summer Adventure: Step by Step
Step 1: Sign Up & Secure Your Spot
Get started by signing up on our website and paying your first deposit €99. Your summer adventure officially begins!
Step 2: Complete Your Beacon Profile
Time for the admin fun! Fill out your application, answer some questions, complete your 5- minute phone interview. Upload your docs (passport, student status form, and fee disclosure form).
Step 3: Review & Second Deposit
We’ll check everything over, and once it looks good, you pay your second deposit of €200 and we’ll move your application along getting you closer to your U.S. summer!
Step 4: The Job Part
Submit your job to us if using the DIY Package.
Need a job? Dive into our J-1 job listings and sign up for interviews as part of the All-In Package.
Step 5: DS-2019 Submission
Once your job is set, we send your application to the U.S. team so they can issue your DS-2019, the golden ticket for your J-1 adventure.
Step 6: Pay Final Balance
After your DS-2019 is ready, pay your final balance and get ready for the final prep!
Step 7: Embassy Interview
Once you have your DS-2019 and all your papers ready, it’s time to book and attend your U.S. embassy interview. After the interview, the embassy will hold your documents for up to 10 days – after that, it’s time for take-off!
❝My experiences in the United States so far have been magnificent, and I’m craving more. Would I recommend the J1 Work & Travel USA or the J1 Graduate Visa USA program? Absolutely. In fact, because they’re so different, I recommend doing both. You won’t regret it.❞
-Ryan O. | J1 Work & Travel Participant and J1 Graduate Visa Participant