Embassy of the United States

Summer Work and Travel

Instructional Information on 2009 Summer Work & Travel Program

February 6, 2009
Overview

This memorandum provides guidance to local recruiting agencies and U.S. sponsors for the 2009 Summer Work & Travel program (SWT).  The U.S. Embassy expects a large number of Moldovans to apply again this year to participate in the program.  Because the program is only open to bona fide students, we take into close consideration the views of the Ministry of Education and Youth and the universities, who determine who is a bona fide student.  We also are working with U.S. sponsors, the Government of Moldova, and local recruiting agencies administer the program on a sustainable basis.

Dates and Deadlines

According to the Ministry of Education and Youth, SWT program participants must be back in Moldova, attending class in their universities, no later than Monday, September 14.  The U.S. Embassy will only accept Certificates for Exchange Visitor Status (DS-2019 forms, which applicants require to obtain a visa) with dates that begin on or after Saturday, May 16 and end, taking travel time into consideration, on or before September 12.

We will begin accepting applications for the Summer Work and Travel Program on February 17, 2009. The final day to apply for visa interview appointments will be April 17, 2009  Depending on demand, we will conduct visa interviews until all scheduled applicants have been interviewed, or by the end of May.  All appointments must be scheduled in advance with the Consular Section.  Local recruiting agencies should request appointments as soon as they have completed applications for their clients, but not earlier than the day they receive the DS-2019 forms for the group of people to be scheduled, to ensure their applicants receive an appointment for a visa interview.  Recruiting company agents will have to submit completed application packets at least 3 business days prior to their clients' visa interview appointment dates.  It will take two business days after interviews to process visas, which recruiting company agents will be required to pick up at the U.S. Embassy.

Applicants Qualification Requirements

• Applicants must be students enrolled in full-time courses of post-secondary study and pursuing a degree from accredited educational institutions.  Imposters run the risk of receiving permanent ineligibilities for U.S. visas
• First and final-year students are eligible to participate in the program.  Because final year students have had a particularly high overstay rate in the past, final year students in particular will find it much more challenging to demonstrate that they overcome the presumption of being intending immigrants;
• Students from other countries who study in Moldova may participate in the program.  They do not have to present Moldovan passports;
• Moldovan students studying abroad should apply for visas at the U.S. Embassy in the country of their temporary residence or the country where they study.  For example, student in Romania should apply for visas at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania. 
  
  Timely Return

The SWT Program is an exchange program open specifically to bona fide students actively pursuing a degree.  Unfortunately, 23% of last year's applicants overstayed their visas and remained in the United States after their exchange programs ended. The U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section is charged with upholding U.S. immigration law, and will make changes this year to encourage better compliance with SWT program regulations. Those who have abused their visas by remaining in the United States illegally, adjusting immigration status in the United States, and/or remaining in the United States well after the program has ended and classes have begun call into question those individuals' eligibility for the SWT Program as "bona fide students."  Because of such non-compliance with SWT Program regulations and U.S. immigration law, the U.S. Embassy emphasizes that applicants must return to Moldova by September 14.  Recruiters and/or sponsors who book travel for their participants should make flight reservations that allow their participants sufficient time to return to Moldova in time for the start of classes.

While U.S. immigration law permits J-1 visa holders up to 30 days to depart the United States after the conclusion of the program, it does not excuse SWT Program participants from their obligation to return to their studies by September 14 as stipulated by the Ministry of Education.

After the completion of the 2009 SWT programs, participating agencies will be required to provide the Consular Section accurate information on the return of their participants.  Data provided will be verified with U.S. Department of Homeland Security records. 

SWT Agency Requirements 

While we have heard mention of official registration requirements, we have not been informed by local authorities of a requirement for SWT recruiting agencies to obtain official registration.  The U.S. Embassy will adjust its policies, to the degree possible, to conform to local law.  We urge SWT recruiting agencies to also comply with Moldovan legal requirements to protect the SWT program's good standing.

There are a number of recruiting agencies that have attempted to bring the SWT program into disrepute, and we refused to do business with those companies, their associates and their representatives.  The U.S. embassy has posted on its website a list of companies that we will do business with.  Recruiting companies not listed on our website will not be served.

SWT recruiting agencies must provide the following documents on behalf of students 3 business days prior to their scheduled appointment:

• Coversheet (hard copy).  The cover page lists the applicants who have appointments to be interviewed on the specified date.  The cover page should include the name of SWT agency, and each student’s last and given name.  
• Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF): DS-156
• Form DS-157 (for all males)
• Form DS-158
• Form DS-2019 ("Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status," signed by the applicant) with program eligibility dates (found in block 3 of the form) between May 16 and September 12, 2009. 
• One color photo, 5x5 cm, against a light background, taken within the last 6 months
• A passport of any nationality valid for at least six months after the date on which the applicant plans to depart the United States (in most cases March 14, 2010).
• All applicants must provide a confirmed job offer that can be verified.
• The applicant's original student grade book.
• Student and Exchange Visitor International System (SEVIS) fee receipt.  All J-1 visa applicants, with the initial DS-2019 forms, are required to pay the $35.00 SEVIS fee. Applicants are required to pay the SEVIS fee before visa approval.  Instructions for paying the SEVIS fee can be found online at www.FMJfee.com. 
• Please provide the documents in the order they are listed.

Applicant Requirements

1.  Every applicant must be a bona fide student enrolled in a full-time course of post-secondary study and pursuing a degree from an accredited educational institution.

2.  Every applicant must come to the U.S. Embassy for a personal interview. 

3.  Applicants must pay a non-refundable $131 visa processing fee at a branch of Moldova Agroindbank, and bring proof of payment to their visa interviews.  Applicants must also pay a $35 SEVIS fee by credit card, online.

4.  Applicants must apply for visa interview appointments through their local recruiting companies. In the rare cases in which applicants do not have a local recruiter, they should request appointments via email at Chisinau-CA-SWT@state.gov.

5.  Due to the volume of SWT applications, we will not take telephone calls from applicants.  Requests for information should be made through local recruiters or via email to Chisinau-CA-SWT@state.gov. 

 Reminders
 
1.  The Form DS-2019 for students in Moldovan universities should indicate the start date no earlier than the date when summer vacation begins and no later than the commencement of fall classes (May 16-September 12).  We will not issue visas for applicants whose DS-2019 forms contain dates outside that range, with exceptions granted for some students at universities in other countries.   

2.  Once your agency receives the DS-2019s from the U.S. sponsor and completes applications, please contact the Consular Section to schedule your appointments. Appointments will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.

3.  Based on the successful implementation of the remote data entry system (RDS) this year, we will expand its use to recruiting companies that process at least 400 applicants.  This system is meant to simplify the application process for companies with large numbers of applicants.

4.  We require those agencies not employing RDS to send via e-mail information containing applicants’ personal data on the Excel spreadsheet format the Consular Section will provide to recruiting agencies. The format will include: applicant last name, given name, year of birth, passport number, place of residence, university, name of local SWT agency, and U.S. sponsor as well as the DS-2019 form number.  
   
5.  Please remind your applicants that such electronic items as cell phones, PDAs and iPods may not be brought into the Consular Section premises.

6.  We will deal with isolated instances of fraud by applicants individually.  If we detect larger trends, we will work with sponsors and recruiters agents to identify the source of the problem and eliminate it.