To travel
abroad you will need a passport that is not going to expre
whilst you are away. Prior to leaving your home country you
will need to get the right paperwork, but if you are going
with a company such as BUNAC,
Camp
America or CCUSA
they will arrange all your visa information. Some
companies do not offer this, or if you are going independently
you will need to arrange your own visa with a company such
as ICCP.
Once you
have completed the application process you will need to attend
an interview at the United States embassy, if you have any
questions about this please visit the message forum or see
past counselor feedback below.
For US
Immigration support visit: www.usimmigrationsupport.org
For information
about the restrictions on flights to the U.S.A visit the US
Transport Security Administration website at www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm
For information
on the American Embassy in London visit: www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/acs/passports/index.html
Visas
for The USA
A U.S.
visa grants you permission to travel to the United States
to apply for admission. As a British resident, you’ll be required
to have one of these or you’ll be forbidden entry to the country
once you reach your destination.
The American
Embassy in London goes to great lengths to explain if you
meet the requirements, you will be able to enter and travel
around the U.S.A. on a 90 day tourist visa if you live in
the UK.
If you
are planning on working at a summer camp you will need a visa
and because of the fear of terrorism American border security
is very strict at the present time. If you’re flying to the
United States, you must have a return ticket or proof of an
onwards itinerary, as Immigration can do spot checks and refuse
entry.
There
are also plenty of restrictions on visas, if you have a criminal
record, or have been refused admission into or deported from
the States, you’ll also be unable to enter visa-free, and
will be required to apply for a ‘restricted visa’.
Whilst
working at a summer camp you will need to apply for a J1 Workers
Visa. The J category of international students covers all
visitors that fall under the U.S. Exchange Visitor Program
guidelines.
This includes
au pairs, summer camp counsellors or other summer workers,
exchange students at colleges or universities, and teacher
trainees. With all visas, you’ll be required to attend an
interview at the U.S. Embassy in your home country.
Past
Counselor Feedback
I was
wondering how long it was taking them to return passports
at the moment? Do I have to pay for delivery?
Tashaj, Cambridge
"7-8
working days but is sometimes shorter. I suggest going to
Belfast if you're in a rush, their turnaround is about 4 days"
Richard Small, Reading
"You
can always pay for the faster delivery although it is expensive
to have that service."
Matthew, Coventry
"I
still haven't applied for my visa, has anyone had any problems
getting one in time? Does anyone know how long it takes? Do
u always have to go to london for an interview? Getting a
bit worried that i wont get it all sorted in time?
Flo, England
"I'm
from Aus and I had to fill it out. But since I don't have
the luxury of driving over a boarder and being in a different
country I didn't have a problem." Emma, Melbourne
"I
went 10 days before i flew out the last two years, mainly
because i'm lazy and leave everything until the last minute.
The best thing to do is phone up the embassy and book an interview
early as the time slots go pretty quickly (even if you book
it for a month from now it's best to have it booked). You
do need to make sure you have all of your forms by the interview
date though. Once you have your interview it takes around
5 days to get your passport back to you so you can travel
but i'd leave at least 2-3 weeks just to be sure. Back in
the day you could do visas by post, which was much easier.
Now you either have to go to Dublin or London and it takes
around 2-6 hours depending on how busy it is or how lucky
you are. The main problem i've always found is people waiting
until the last minute and then not being able to book an interview
slot in time for their flights so if you prioritise one thing,
this is it!" Rich, Reading
If you
have any questions or queries goto our Message
Forum
