This book draws a distinction between people who are interested in spending a substantial part of their careers or lives in the United States and those whose aims are short-term. Young people, for instance, want to experience the country at first hand and are prepared to undertake a variety of vacation jobs in order to finance their trip. Others, both young and old, are keen to go to America in order to develop skills in their particular fields.

While anyone wishing to undertake employment needs to obtain a visa, if you are participating in a recognised exchange programme this process is usually little more than a formality. There are a number of agencies based in Britain and Ireland which are authorised by the US Government to issue the necessary documentation (the IAP-66 form) for obtaining the J-l Exchange Visitor Visa, though for some programmes different arrangements may be necessary. The most significant of these are listed towards the end of the chapter.

You must bear in mind that you may only work under the terms of the exchange programme and are not eligible to seek other employment while you are in the United States.Nor will you normally be allowed to take up employment there within two years of the exchange. On the brighter side you are automatically exempt from paying US social security and income tax, and the visa is issued free.

Unfortunately for most of these exchange programmes a limit is placed on numbers of participants and eligibility criteria are often restrictive. If you find that you do not qualify for any of the programmes mentioned in this chapter, you will have to look into the possibility of obtaining a different kind of visa, and this can take time.

For an H-2 Temporary Worker Visa or an H-3 Industrial Trainee Worker the prospective employer has to obtain the necessary labor certification first, and you will be subject to social security tax.

The Opportunities Available

Working In Children’s Camps

A great many American youngsters – some seven million – spend their summer holidays in camps run by organisations such as the YMCA, the scouting organisations, religious or philanthropic agencies as well as by private individuals. There are over 12,000 camps in all; some are fully residential and in areas of natural beauty, while others are in effect day centres providing recreational facilities during the hours of daylight.

There are broadly two types of post available.

Camp Counsellors

These are camp leaders or organisers who put together a programme of activities and encourage their protegees to participate. This can be challenging work, since American youngsters can be lively and precocious, and you may well be expected to demonstrate that you have experience of dealing with children.

As the ICCP brochure points out:

‘spending a summer as a camp counsellor in an American camp may not be for everyone; it can mean long days, hard work and little privacy and spare time. Working as a camp counsellor can also mean a lot of adjustments while living in a simple and often isolated setting. Participation in ICCP is not a low-cost ticket to “see the USA” or a money-making summer job.’

Ancillary Staff

These are the backroom boys and girls – the cooks, the cleaners, the people who maintain the campsite. This can turn out to be tiring work involving long hours, especially at the beginning of the camp season when there can be much to prepare. Flexibility and a capacity for hard work arc essential.

The Parents’ Guide to Accredited Camps published by the American Camping Association lists around 2,500 summer camps and includes a section on the camp job market. See also BUNAC. Camp America, CCUSA and YMCA entries in this chapter.