Frequently Asked Questions

We strongly recommend that you do not book your flights until after you have visited the US Embassy, had your Visa approved, and had your Passport returned. At that stage, the Yummy Jobs team will guide you on where & when you need to arrive.

This information will be provided dependant on the location of your host employer. Some properties have specific arrival details around their transportation plans so it is very important to follow the instructions provided by the Yummy Jobs team.

Yes, uniform will be provided at the majority of our Program locations. You may be required to purchase some black, white or brown non-slip shoes, but this guidance will be provided after arrival. We also ask that you bring some professional clothes for your first few days of Orientation & Training.

Yes, for most housing locations you will be able to have mail delivered. You will need to have the full address, so may need to wait until after arrival before you can begin ordering for delivery.

You may be able to leave the country and return to the USA during your program. This will depend on whether you have a single-entry or multi-entry visa. If you have a multi-entry visa you will first need to have the time-off approved by your Host Site. Once approved you will be required to confirm your departure and details with your visa sponsor who will ensure that you have the correct documentation to do so. You should notify your visa sponsor of your plans with plenty of notice as they may need to send you additional documentation. Please be aware that there may be a fee for this.

This is at the discretion of the US Department of State. The guide is no more than 10 days prior to your Program Start date. Please note that you will be responsible for any additional travel expenses prior to your Program Start Date (hotels, transportation, medical/travel insurance etc).

Your primary purpose on the program is to complete hands-on training and to experience cultural exchange whilst in the USA. As such, vacation days/time off requests are not an expectation of the program and are not guaranteed. If you are on a 6-or 12-month Program, you may request vacation/time off, however approval of this will be at the discretion of your management team. Any vacation days/time off taken during the program will be unpaid. If you are on a Summer Program, you will not be able to submit vacation requests.

You will be required to set up a US bank account and we advise that you get a US cell phone number. This can be done upon arrival into the USA. Your Host Site will be able to offer you guidance on how to gain these during your orientation at the start of your program.

If on program housing is available, you will be expected to share a room with another program participant. We encourage all participants to ensure they feel comfortable sharing their room and accommodation with other program participants prior to making an application.

If on program housing is available, a request can be made to be housed with your friends. This is not guaranteed and is at the discretion of the Housing Company and/or Host Site. Please also note that full flexibility is required and you may need to move rooms during your Program.

If successful through your application, you will be granted a temporary US visa that allows you to work in the USA for the duration of your program. You are not authorised to work beyond your Program End Date and it is not possible to extend your program. If you successfully complete your program, you will be granted a 30-day “grace period” which will start immediately following your Program End Date. You can use the “grace period” to travel within the USA and engage in cultural exchange activities, however you will not be permitted to work during this time.

Once you depart the USA during the 30-day “grace period” at the end of your program, you will not be allowed to re-enter the USA again on your visa. This includes departing the USA whilst on a cruise ship or by travelling across land borders.

Yes, however we strongly recommend that you attend your pre-screen interview with your preferred properties in mind, with a maximum of 3 options.

Following your program acceptance it is possible to request a payment plan for your Program Fees. An agreement on payment dates can be made based on your Program Start Date. Due to visa processing times, please note that your full Program Fees must be paid at least 3 months prior to your Program Start Date.

You are more than welcome to apply for the same program as your friends, however each application will be handled on an individual basis. Due to program availability, it is not possible to guarantee that you will be placed at the same Host Site as your friends.

Many of our Programs have housing provided, either through the employer or through 100 Abode (a partner of Yummy Jobs). For those select locations which do not offer pre-arranged accommodation the participant will be responsible for sourcing and securing accommodation. The Yummy Jobs team will assist in this process by offering suggestions and links to local providers.

We like to work 6 months in advance to ensure that all the necessary documents are completed with plenty time, but as a minimum you can expect 3-months from application to arrival.

The US Embassy appointment can be booked after the application has been entered into SEVIS and participants have received a DS-2019 form.Whilst Yummy Jobs cannot book this appointment for you, we will provide step-by-step guidance and instructions.

Documents needed for the visa application will vary depending on your Program. Frequently requested documents can include, but are not limited to:

• CV
• Passport
• Proof of Student Status Letter or Degree/Diploma Certificate
• Post-secondary study Transcripts
• Job Reference letters

In the unlikely event of a Visa Denial, you may be permitted to re-apply at the discretion of the US Embassy in your country of residence.

This information is often found on your Offer Letter and can also be found on your DS-7002 Training Plan. In the event you are unable to locate it, please reach out to the Yummy Jobs team.

We aim to have your visa documentation – including DS-2019 form, SEVIS information, and DS-7002 Training Plan (if applicable) – sent 4-6 weeks prior to the Program Start Date. Please note that this may vary depending on a number of factors.

The Budget Sheet is required so you are aware of how much disposable income you have on the program each month once you have paid expenses.

• For example, your gross income calculation would be your hourly rate (ex. $12.50) X 32 (hours per week) X 4 (weeks in a month). You should be able to work the calculations out from here. 
• Regarding your monthly outgoings: if company housing is provided you will find the cost of this listed on your Program Offer letter. If your housing is self-sourced, please research rental prices in the area of your Host Site and estimate the cost of your monthly accommodation costs. 
• For all other monthly outgoings, food and eating out, entertainment, transportation etc, it would be a good idea to look online at the costings of these items in the area of your Host Site. 
• Whilst the Budget Sheet does not need to be 100% accurate, please use your best judgement when completing each section. 

This very much depends on where you are in the process. If you have questions, please contact a member of the Yummy Jobs Team to find out your next steps.

Ensure to arrive on time to your appointment and dress professionally. Don’t be nervous and answer your questions truthfully. Be prepared with all the correct documents. They are:

• Your printed DS-2019 visa petition
• Your DS-7002 training plan with all signatures (J1 Intern/Trainee programs only) 
• Your passport
• Your Host Company Documentation – Details of your internship/offer letter
• Your DS-160 Confirmation Page
• Your Embassy Appointment Confirmation Page
• Your SEVIS Fee Receipt
• We strongly recommend that you bring one or two of the documents outlined below to help evidence your ties to a country outside of the USA:
  If you will be returning to studies at the end of your program, request an enrolment letter from your school that details your anticipated graduation date and/or the classes you still need to complete prior to graduation.
  An apartment lease (if it is still valid whilst you are in the USA) or proof of home ownership.
  Records of open bank accounts or any other financial records established in your country of residence.
  Proof of a valid job offer when you return home at the end of your program.
  Proof of a family business you will be returning to at the end of your program.
  Documentation showing you are married or engaged to a spouse/fiancé in your country of residence.
  If you have any documentation that shows you have previously traveled out of the country and returned without problems and without breaking the terms of a previous visa.

It is preferable to have some work experience in a guest-facing and/or hospitality role, but it is not essential. All positions on the Work and Travel program are entry-level, and full training is provided.

This is due to the US Department of State eligibility criteria for the Summer Work and Travel visa. You can find more information regarding the eligibility criteria for the J1 Work and Travel visa on this link.

If you elect to self-source your accommodation on a Summer Program, Yummy Jobs is not able to provide assistance. Your self-sourced housing will need to be approved by both Yummy Jobs and your Visa Sponsor, and you will be asked to submit documents confirming the details of your accommodation and housing lease, and will need to participate in a self-sourced housing vetting call.

This varies between employer, but examples can include Theme Park access, discounted hotel stays, meal vouchers, and local discounts.

This program is an opportunity for participants to grow as an independent adult, taking charge of their own experience. To protect our participant’s privacy and comply with regulations, we handle all program matters directly with participants, not with parents, family, or friends.

We know it’s an exciting new adventure, and it’s natural for you to worry – and we ask that participants come to us directly if any issues arise. On program, participants have a 24/7 support line available while on program and our team are on hand to assist with any problems.

Any trips outside of the USA during your program must be approved by your visa sponsor, Yummy Jobs, and your host employer. Due to the nature of the program and the requirement to remain available for the full duration, travel requests are only approved in exceptional circumstances.

We recommend checking your university’s options for attending a future ceremony, if possible.

With the short duration of these programs, full weeks off are not approved. Participants typically work 4–5 days per week and receive two days off on average. You may be able to request up to two specific days off per week; however, these requests must be made directly with your manager once you have arrived on the program and cannot be pre-approved before starting.

All participants are expected to be fully available (including weekends, evenings and holidays).

*Please note that specific time-off requests are not guaranteed.

While you can choose which of our programs you participate in, you cannot choose your exact working location within your Host Employer. These are assigned based on business need and are subject to change.

No. With the J1 Summer Work and Travel program, you must return to your home country upon program competition. It is not possible to extend this program or remain in the USA after your 30 day grace period at the end of your visa.

Your friends or siblings are welcome to apply too, but please note that all applications are reviewed individually. Each applicant must meet the program requirements on their own merit. While you can apply alongside your friends, it’s important to understand that work locations and schedules may vary, and these cannot be matched or requested.

Yes! Many of our programs do allow you to request to share accommodation with specific roommates – though this is a request, not a guarantee. It is also important to know that mixed gender requests are not always possible, depending on location.

The J1 Summer Work and Travel program requires you to be enrolled as a full-time University student at an accredited University. We will provide you with a proof of student status form during the visa application process that is required to be filled in by a member of your University.
For any eligibility questions, please click here or reach out to a member of our team who will be happy to help check.

There is a Summer Program for University students (Cultural Exchange Program), 12-month Program in Food and Beverage or Merchandise roles for those who are not at University (Cultural Representative Program), and an Academic/Training Program for students of specific universities (Academic Exchange Program).

This is because the US visa types for the programs are different and have different eligibility criteria. You can find more information on each visa type on the following links: J1 – Summer Work Travel / Q1 Visa – Cultural Exchange.

• • United Kingdom:
    • • Cultural Exchange Program
      • Cultural Representative Program
      • Academic Exchange Program<
  • The Netherlands:
    • Academic Exchange Program
  • Canada:
    • Academic Exchange Program

You are eligible to participate in the Summer directly following the final term of the final year of your degree and you must be actively attending classes. There must be no gap between the study and participation, beyond a few weeks.

This varies from season to season. We post all recruitment dates on social media, so please follow our account to be up to date.

You need to already be 18 at the time of application.

Ideally you will have already worked in a guest facing role and have experience in providing a great experience for your customers.

You cannot begin work without submitting a background check. Ideally, this will be sent to us a couple of weeks after we send you the instructions.

Your background check must have been issued less than 6 months prior to your Program Start Date.

You are responsible for your own medical insurance. Walt Disney World will provide details about this.

This is at your discretion.

Go to support.disneyprogram.com and select ‘Submit a Request’.

If you are participating on a J-1 Program then medical insurance is provided and included in your Program Fee. It is standard in nature and designed to assist you in emergencies. The insurance will not cover anything cosmetic or routine check ups.

The insurance does not cover any pre-existing conditions. If you are currently taking medication or going through any treatment then we would recommend you speak to your doctor before applying. You will need to source additional insurance to cover anything pre-existing and it will need to meet the requirements of the Visa Sponsor. Please note that you will be required to show evidence of this during the Visa Application process.

You should contact the medical insurance provider assigned to your Program. If you are unsure how to do this, please reach out to your visa sponsor.

This will vary depending on your medical insurance provider. You should contact the medical insurance provider assigned to your Program for further information.

If you have existing travel insurance, you can use this for your program, however, this covers you for the travel element of the program and is different to medical insurance. You will still be required to have medical insurance (meeting or exceeding the US Department of State regulations) prior to arrival in the USA.

Yes, you do.

The exact amount of tax you will pay whilst on program will vary depending on your location and how you elect to pay tax. For an estimate on how much you will pay in taxes, you can search on the internet for the current Federal, State and Income tax rates, as well as any other relevant taxes that may be applicable in the state of your Host Site.

This will be issued towards the end of the tax year, which is December/January. The deadline for employers to provide this is January 31st.

You can contact your HR department at your Host Site.

Yummy Jobs partners with Sprintax to assist with this process. Sprintax are experts on the very specific tax process for individuals working in the USA as non-resident aliens (J1 and Q1 visas). J1 participants are mostly not classified as resident for tax purposes and the regulations are different to individuals who are classed as resident for tax purposes. This is why the services offered by other tax specialists do not offer the correct process for J1 Program participants.

This depends on many factors which may include, but are not limited to; how much you earned, how long you were working and how much you elected to pay in tax while on the Program. If you underpaid taxes during your program, you will owe money when you complete your tax return.

This could be for one of several factors, which could include that you elected to pay a lower tax option during your program and once the calculations were made on how much you earned, it was too low.

Yes, it is a legal requirement to complete a tax return when you have worked in the USA.

Sprintax can offer guidance to match the specific needs of International Program Participants.

Please ensure you have the following items with you, packed into your hand luggage:

• Passport
• DS-2019 Visa Petition Form
• Medical insurance card
• Drivers license

We recommend that you take photos of the following documents and keep them organised on your smartphone in a specific folder for the duration of your program. If you do not have access to a smartphone, we recommend carrying photocopies of the following at all times:

• Your passport
• Your visa stamp (inside your passport)  
• Your I-94
• Your DS-2019 Visa Petition Form
• Your Social security number