Host and Hire Seasonal Staff
Overview
Bring the world to your workplace
Work with enthusiastic international university students to help fill your seasonal hiring needs. Designated by the U.S. Department of State, Greenheart Exchange’s Work and Travel program allows for participants from over 30 countries to work and travel throughout the U.S. for up to four months. We connect host organizations (U.S. seasonal businesses) with participants (international university students) to diversify your workplace and fulfill a commitment to cultural understanding and public diplomacy.
Program at a glance
- Host organization requirements: Must have seasonal hiring needs & an interest in cultural exchange
- Job requirements: Full-time positions (minimum of 32 hours per week)
- Program length: Up to 4 months followed by a 30-day travel period (varies by country)
- Cultural opportunities: Host organization facilitates cultural experiences for participants
- Language skills: Participants are screened for English proficiency
Types of seasonal businesses
- Restaurants
- Amusement Parks
- Waterparks
- Retail Stores
- Hotels
- Campgrounds
Hiring Options
Greenheart Exchange is organizing virtual and in-person hiring events for the upcoming season.
HIRING METHOD PARAMETERS & BENEFITS International Job Fairs - Travel internationally (multiple countries offered by season)
- Meet participants in face-to-face interviews
- Hire 25 or more participants
- Experience the participants’ culture first hand
- Volunteer with Participants, alumni, staff and Greenheart partners in the local community
- Lifelong travel memories!
Greenheart World's Fair - Travel to Chicago
- Conduct virtual interviews at Greenheart's home office
- Hire 25 or more participants
- Greenheart recruits candidates, organizes the event, and hosts interviewers for the day(s)
- Spend time with Greenheart staff and other employers to share experiences and best practices
- No passport required!
Virtual Hiring Events - Attend a virtual hiring event from your home or office
- Greenheart recruits the candidates, just join the event online to begin your interviews!
- Minimal time commitment!
Job Board / Hiring Center Online (available for Summer Programs only) - Hire from your office at your own pace
- Post your jobs to candidates from multiple countries
- Search for candidates who meet the dates/qualifications required
- Receive direct applications from candidates
- Use the online hiring center to view candidate profiles
- Interact directly with candidates, including scheduling virtual interviews
- Helpful to fill in needs, or for smaller organizations just getting started with the Work and Travel program
International Job Fairs
Greenheart offers two types of Job Fairs:
- International Job Fairs in multiple countries – see below*!
- Greenheart World’s Fair in Chicago – February 7-8, 2024
International Job Fairs offer employers an exciting opportunity to interview pre-screened J-1 Summer Work and Travel applicants face-to-face! For this hiring method, employers travel outside the U.S. to complete their seasonal hiring in just four days!
Greenheart International Job Fairs (2023-24)
Please note dates are subject to change.Dominican Republic Santo Domingo December 1 - 4, 2023
Thailand Bangkok January 10 – 14, 2024, and January 12 – 16, 2024 Kazakhstan Astana January 24 – 28, 2024
The employer booking form is due one month prior to the first day of the Job Fair.Contact your Greenheart representative for more details or email us at workandtravel@greenheart.org
*Please note dates are subject to change
Greenheart World's Fair
Visit the museums and Magnificent Mile in the “Second City”
Greenheart offers two types of Job Fairs:
- Greenheart World’s Fair in Chicago – February 7-8, 2024
- International Job Fairs in multiple countries
Greenheart World’s Fair: Organizations travel to Greenheart Exchange’s headquarters in Chicago and conduct virtual interviews of pre-screened J-1 participants from around the world. It’s an efficient way to hire staff in a short time! Read more about Greenheart’s World Fair.
Contact your Greenheart representative for more details or email us at workandtravel@greenheart.org
Virtual Hiring
There are two easy ways to hire virtually with Greenheart.
Virtual Hiring Events:
Attend from your home or office, where you can complete your seasonal hiring through virtual interviews managed by Greenheart. Greenheart recruits the candidates, so all you need to do is join the event online to begin your interviews! Events occurring weekly November through March.
Job Board / Hiring Center Online:
You post your jobs, interact directly with candidates who meet your dates/qualifications to arrange virtual interviews. This is helpful to fill in needs, or for smaller organizations just getting started with the Work and Travel program.
Contact your Greenheart representative for more information or email workandtravel@greenheart.org to sign up!
Timelines
Participant Availability
Our participants come from around the world to participate in the Work and Travel program. Find countries that work best for your business by checking out program dates by country below.
Country Typical Start Date Typical End Date SUMMER Thailand March 7 – May 7 July 7 – September 7 Philippines March-26 September-1 Colombia May-1 August-30 Bulgaria May-1 September-30 Czech Republic May-1 October-1 Dominican Republic May-4 September-10 Jamaica
May-5 September-7 Turkey
May-15 October-1 Kazakhstan May-8 September-1 Ghana
May-13 September-5 Russia
May-15 September-15 Slovakia
May-15 September-15 Mexico
May-19 September-5 Serbia
May-21 October-10 Malaysia
May-25 September-15 Poland
May-25 September-30 Mongolia
June-7 September-6 Jordan
June-1 October-1 Taiwan June-1 September-30 Nigeria June-1 October-1 Spain May-24 October-7 Romania June-15 September-30 Albania July-15 October-15 WINTER Brazil November-15 March-15 Peru December-1 March-31 Argentina December-1 April-1 Paraguay December-1 March-31 Chile December-1 April-1 Malaysia November-25 March-15 Ecuador January-20 October-1 To view the official start and end dates established by the U.S. Department of State, click here.
Regulations
Department of State links
- Department of State Regulation: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)
- Welcome Letter and Brochure: The Department of State provides Brochure for Summer Work Travel participants.
- Guidance Directives:
Seasonal and Temporary Employment
Seasonal: Employment is of a seasonal nature when the required service is tied to a certain time of year by an event or pattern and requires labor levels above and beyond existing worker levels. Summer Work Travel host organizations should generally not hire for all three (summer, winter and spring) seasons, as the intention is that placements are only with businesses that have a seasonal need, so as not to displace U.S. workers.
Summer Work Travel host organizations are not to rely on program participants to fill year-round positions, as these positions should be filled by the U.S. workforce.
Temporary: Employment is of a temporary nature when a host organization’s need for the duties to be performed is a one-time occurrence, a peak-load need, or an intermittent need.
Temporary positions requested by host organizations are considered on a case-by-case basis. The host organization must be able to demonstrate why a temporary position cannot be filled by the U.S. workforce.
Host Organization Check-Ins
Host organizations are required to notify Greenheart Exchange when their participants arrive, do not arrive, or leave before their DS-2019 end date; when there are changes in the job conditions and about any emergency situations.
A host organization can report to the Greenheart Exchange by logging in to your Greenheart Exchange Online (GEO) account.
Department of State Confirmation Calls
The Department of State sometimes contacts host organizations to confirm names of participants hosted and job details. Greenheart Exchange asks that the host organization follow these steps if you receive a call from the Department of State:
-
- Identify the caller. Only release information to the Department of State. Participant information is private, so this information may not be released without participant’s consent.
- Ask the caller to send you an email describing the information they are requesting. This email should come from a state.gov email address.
- Reply to the Department of State email. Usually they are verifying the number of participants hired and their names and job information. In the past, host organizations who did not respond to Department of State calls experienced participant visa denials.
- Let your Greenheart Exchange contact know if you have any questions regarding a job placement confirmation. If you don’t know who your Greenheart Exchange contact is, call our toll-free U.S. number: 1-866-684-9675.
Prohibited Placements
*NOTE: All placements are subject to Greenheart Exchange approval. Some jobs that are not listed here may still be found to be inappropriate for the Summer Work Travel program. As the visa sponser, Greenheart Exchange reserves the right to prohibit any placement.
In addition to jobs prohibited by the Department of State, Greenheart Exchange prohibits participants from working:
- In positions in kiosks.
- In positions with moving companies.
- In positions with staffing agencies.
- With third-party organizations. The participant must be hired, paid, and directly supervised by the same company.
- With lifeguard companies that have not first completed a Greenheart Exchange questionnaire.
- In positions that involve door-to-door or traveling sales.
- In positions where manual labor is the primary focus, that require a high-level of skill, that present safety concerns, or that lack cultural exchange.
- In positions with tent companies.
- In laundry-only positions, or other positions with extensive periods of time in rotation.
- In positions that require sustained physical contact with other people (e.g. applying henna tattoos).
Prohibited Placements by Location:
Greenheart Exchange no longer allows self-placed placements in:
- The state of North Dakota
- The Florida panhandle (e.g. Destin, Panama City Beach)
- Harrisburg-Hershey, Pennsylvania
Greenheart Exchange does not allow positions for any program option in the areas of:
- Williston, Dickinson, and Watford City New Town, North Dakota
- Hawaii
- Baltimore, Maryland
Although exceptions have been made in the past, self-placed and full program option placements in Detroit, Michigan are generally prohibited.
Conditional Placements by Location:
Placements for full program options will be considered on a case-by-case basis in the Gulf Coast areas of Louisiana and Alabama, and in the Florida panhandle from Gulf Shores, Alabama to Mexico Beach, Florida, including Panama City and Destin. To be considered by Greenheart Exchange, host organizations in these areas must provide excellent housing and extensive cultural activities for the SWT participants.
The Department of State prohibits Summer Work Travel participants from working:
- In positions with host organizations that fill non-seasonal or non-temporary job openings with participants with staggered vacation schedules.
- In positions that could bring notoriety or disrepute to the Exchange Visitor Program.
- In sales positions that require participants to purchase inventory that they must sell in order to support themselves.
- In domestic help positions in private homes (e.g., child care, elder care, gardener, chauffeur).
- As pedicab or rolling chair drivers or operators.
- As operators or drivers of vehicles or vessels for which a driver’s license is required regardless of whether they carry passengers or not.
- In positions related to clinical care that involves patient contact.
- In any position in the adult entertainment industry including, but not limited to jobs with escort services, jobs in adult book/video stores, and jobs in strip clubs).
- In positions requiring any shift where hours will fall predominantly between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
- In positions declared hazardous to youth by the Secretary of Labor as outlined at Subpart E of 29 CFR part 570.
- In positions that require sustained physical contact with other people and/or adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Universal Blood and Body Fluid Precautions guidelines (e.g., body piercing, tattooing, massage, manicure).
- In positions that are substantially commission-based and thus do not guarantee that participants will be paid minimum wage in accordance with federal and state standards.
- In positions involved in gaming and gambling that include direct participation in wagering and/or betting.
- In positions in chemical pest control, in warehousing, and at catalog/online order distribution centers.
- In positions with traveling fairs or itinerant concessionaires.
- In jobs that do not allow participants to work alongside U.S. citizens to interact regularly with U.S. citizens and to experience U.S. culture during the workday portion of their Summer Work Travel programs.
- In positions that require licensing.
- In positions for which there is another specific J category (e.g., camp counselor, intern, trainee).
- After November 1, 2012, in positions in the North American Industry Classification System’s (NAICS) Goods-Producing Industries occupational categories industry sectors 11, 21, 23, 31–33 numbers.
Participant Check-Ins
- Participants must contact Greenheart Exchange immediately upon their arrival to the U.S.
- The arrival check-in must be done no later than 3 days after the arrival date.
- Participants are required to validate their programs upon arrival to their Greenheart Exchange approved host organization, and no later than 7 days after the program start date.
- Participants must also check-in with Greenheart Exchange every 30 days or by the deadlines listed in their Greenheart Online accounts.
- Failure to complete any of these communications may result in a negative SEVIS status, requiring the participant to return home immediately.
Housing Policies
Policy
The Department of State places an emphasis on the safety, security, and quality of housing for Summer Work Travel participants. The following policies are provided to ensure participants are provided with appropriate housing.
- Housing must follow, at minimum, all local, state, and federal housing, building, and fire safety codes.
- Every participant must have their own bed. A bed is defined as a mattress on a bed frame or box spring. Air mattresses or mattresses directly on the floor are not acceptable.
- Participants must have a designated bedroom. Sleeping in a common space such as the living room is not acceptable.
- Employment must not be contingent on the participant living in host organization-provided housing.
- There must be affordable and safe transportation to and from work.
- Participants must submit their housing information to Greenheart Exchange no later than 30 days before their DS-2019 start date.
Guidelines
The following guidelines are provided to help avoid some common issues.
- Provide a lease or rental agreement that clearly defines rules and regulations.
- Inform participants about how security deposits are managed.
- Conduct an initial housing inspection with the participant, documenting issues with participants when they arrive.
- Basic amenities, such as a grocery store and bank should be easily accessible from participant housing.
- Housing providers should offer short-term leases for 3 to 4 months.
- Monthly rent should be no more than 33% of a participant’s monthly gross income.
The above is subject to change based on regulatory updates from the Department of State and internal Greenheart Exchange policies.
If you have any questions concerning the information provided, please contact your host organization toll-free at 1-866-684-9675.
FAQs
How much does it cost to hire international participants?
Nothing! Our Work and Travel Program is a free service to employers.
When are international participants available?
We have international participants that can meet all of your seasonal needs. Our summer participants arrive between May and July and can often work until October 1.
Winter participants typically arrive Mid-November through January, and can work until March or April.
What countries do your Work and Travel participants come from?
Our participants come from more than 30 countries. Summer participants come from countries in the Northern Hemisphere; winter participants come from countries in the Southern Hemisphere.
Do all Work and Travel participants speak English?
Yes. The level of English ability ranges from basic to fluent. You will receive an assessment of each participant’s English abilities before hiring them. This assessment will include a test score as well as interviewer’s comments on the participant.
Can a participant get more than one job?
The J-1 visa allows participants to work at more than one job. However, we explain to participants that their primary commitment is to their initial, approved employer. If they are interested in working another job, we ask that they discuss this with you. Participants can’t start an additional job until Greenheart approves it or they will put their program at risk.
Can my participants quit their Job?
All Summer Work Travel participants are employees-at-will and can leave their employment at any time. The Department of State regulations state that neither employers nor sponsors can create barriers if participants want to leave. If one of your participants is asking to leave early, please reach out to your Greenheart contact so that we can personally speak to the participant and highly encourage them to stay through the remainder of the program.
What should I pay my international participants?
International participants must be paid the same as an American employee doing the same job, while adhering to state minimum wage laws.
Am I required to provide housing?
Host organizations working with Greenheart Exchange are now required to arrange or provide affordable housing in close proximity to the work site. For questions about this, please reach out to your Greenheart Exchange contact.
Are Work and Travel participants exempt from paying taxes?
No. All participants are required to pay federal, state and local taxes (if applicable). While participants are all university students in their home countries, the IRS does not consider them students while they are in the U.S. For tax purposes, Work and Travel participants are considered non-resident aliens and must file a tax return. Participants are often eligible for a refund at the end of the fiscal year.
Do I have to provide participants with a W-2 Form?
Yes. W-2 forms should be mailed to participants in their home countries as early as possible. Ask your participants to give you a self-addressed envelope when they are filling out their W-4. This will help ensure you have their correct international address when it is time to send their W-2.
Do my international participants have health insurance?
Yes, all Greenheart Exchange participants have health insurance during their entire program (the dates listed on their DS 2019 form). Please note that if your participants are interested in traveling after they finish working, they will need to purchase additional insurance either from us or from another insurance company.
What if I need help or have questions during the season?
Please call our office at 1-866-684-9675. Our office hours are 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday. There is also a 24-hour emergency assistance line for employers and program participants. The emergency number is 1-855-767-5642.
Host organizations can also always call or email their Greenheart contact.
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