Frequently Asked Questions

Once you are placed at a camp, we will reach out to let you know the steps you should take to be ready to apply for a Visa - this will include paying all of your fees and completing your Australian Federal Police (AFP) background check! 

Once you are Visa Ready we will issue your DS-2019 form, the document that confirms your eligibility for a J-1 Visa, and send you detailed step-by-step instructions of how to apply for your visa! This will involve an online application on the US government website and an interview at your closest US embassy. 

Please note, you should not attempt to apply for a Visa before we send you instructions as it is possible you could apply for the wrong Visa type. 

All applicants must attend an in person interview at the US embassy in order to obtain a J-1 Visa! Do not worry, as this is a very straightforward process. There will most likely be many other applicants applying for the same Visa as you on the same date who you can chat to! 

We have connections with the US embassies in the AU, located in Sydney and Melbourne, and can provide additional information if needed.

The time frame for your Visa will depend on you and how quickly you are able to complete your application! Once you have applied and your embassy appointment is booked the process will be quite straightforward - the turnaround time is usually between 5-10 working days. The embassy will take your passport at your interview and post it back to you within this time frame.

It is extremely rare for a J-1 visa to be denied, however in such a case all fees paid to AmeriCamp or the embassy are non-refundable. If your Visa is denied you should contact AmeriCamp as soon as possible to discuss your options. You will be given a chance to appeal/re-apply for a visa but you are not guaranteed that it will be granted.

Your J-1 Visa gives you the right to work in the US for up to 3 months at Camp! Included in your Visa you will also have a 30 day grace period after camp that you can use to travel anywhere in the US! 

When you receive your Visa, the dates listed will be the dates you are permitted to work - all you have to do is add 30 days to the end date listed on your Visa and this is how long you can travel for!

We’re only able to accept an AFP Check that has been applied for through our system and officially verified by our team. To meet the specific requirements of the J-1 Visa program and ensure consistency, all applicants must complete the same process through us.

When processed via our system, we receive a digital copy of the AFP Check along with the physical certificate sent to you. This ensures every applicant has been vetted to the same standard, helping us maintain the safety and well-being of the children attending camp.

To apply for the required Australian Federal Police (AFP) Check, just pay the $75 AUD fee through your application portal. Once payment is received, you’ll receive a link to complete a quick online application through our AFP service provider.

After it's processed, you'll receive a physical certificate in the mail—this usually takes about 2 to 4 weeks, but we recommend applying early, as processing times can sometimes take up to 10 weeks.

The program fee covers your application fee, i.e. the cost of us working with you to make sure your application is submitted to and processed by the US office; and gives you full access to our pool of amazing camps so you can get placed at the perfect camp for you!

It also includes your: your visa sponsorship, which allows you to work and earn money legally in the USA; covers the cost of us producing your DS2019 (certificate of eligibility for your J1 Visa) and SEVIS receipt; as well as medical insurance for the entire duration of your time in the USA.

For more details about program fees, please refer to our Costs & Benefits page!

The only fee you need to pay for your Visa application is for the US embassy appointment itself, as your Visa documentation is covered by us within your program fees. 

You will pay a fee of $185 USD directly to the US embassy when you book your appointment!

Yes, all camp staff will be required to pay federal and sometimes state tax for the time they are working in the US. 

This can be claimed back the January after your summer at camp, at the end of the American tax year. Your camp will send you a W2 form which is essential for this process, and the AmeriCamp team will send instructions via email when the time comes.

Salaries will vary based on your specific camp and role, however we guarantee all of our applicants a minimum salary of $2,250 USD (before tax).

How you are paid will also vary depending on your camp, so please ensure that you verify this procedure with your camp prior to departure. To give you an idea of what to expect, some camps will set staff up with an American bank account and others will pay in cheques or cash. The frequency of these payments also depends on your camp and could be weekly, fortnightly, monthly or as a lump sum at the end of the summer.

Once you are ready to go live on our online placement system, our amazing US team will take a look at your application and place you ‘on review’ with a Camp that matches your preferences. The Camp Director will then have the opportunity to take a look through your application and, if you match a role they are hiring for, they will reach out via email and offer you a video interview!

If all goes well, you will be offered a spot and your placement will be confirmed! But do not worry if they are not the right match, not all applicants get hired with their first camp and it may take a couple of tries to find the perfect camp for you!

There is no exact time frame for how long it takes to get placed - for some applicants it’s immediate and for others it takes a little longer, but it’s all worth it to find the best camp for you! Generally speaking, however, the earlier you apply, the earlier you will be placed!

It is also important to note that many placement opportunities are lost every year due to applicants not responding to emails from camps - so please make sure you are checking your inbox! 

Please be aware that placements can occur anytime up to the end of May, so hold tight and keep faith! Remember: AmeriCamp has industry-leading placement rates, so you're in good hands!

We work with hundreds of camps across the USA in almost every state so you could get hired just about anywhere! Every Camp we work with offers its own amazing and unique experience and will be hiring for a completely different set of roles - so your placement depends on you, your skillset and what camps are specifically looking for!

In summary, you could be placed anywhere in the USA – but this is what makes the AmeriCamp experience so worthwhile! Think of it as an adventure - you might get placed somewhere you never would have expected, which is so exciting! And if there is somewhere particular you want to visit, you can travel just about anywhere in the US during your 30 day after camp travel grace period!

We cannot guarantee placement with a friend, however it is definitely possible! Everyone who applies through AmeriCamp has their own profile so it is rare for two friends to be hired together through the online system - you will be presented to camps here as individuals after all!

However, if you are really keen to get placed with a friend, your only option will be to get hired together at one of our in-person Camp Fairs, which happen in November and February. At these events you can meet with camps face to face and enquire about being hired as a pair/group!

Please be aware that this is not guaranteed, as it is the Camp Director’s decision to hire more than one person at a time and they are often reluctant to do so! 

Don’t let this put you off, though! We encourage our applicants to embrace the adventure of going to camp solo! After all, you will meet SO many new friends as soon as you get to camp and can always meet your friends after camp to go traveling!

You do not have to accept your first offer, but most of our applicants do - we have a really thorough vetting process that ensures the camps we match you with are a really good fit!

If you really feel that the camp isn’t the best fit for you, we will do our best to place you elsewhere! However, keep in mind that you will have a fantastic experience wherever you end up - don’t get too hung up on small details and reach out to camp if you have any questions at all to help you feel excited to say YES!

It is the responsibility of your camp to organise your transport from the airport to camp, and they should communicate this to you ahead of your flight!

The majority of camps will organise a bus/taxi service to collect you at the airport! You will most likely be travelling with a group of staff from your camp, often from around the world, who have arrived at the airport on the same date as yourself! If you are asked to travel to camp by public transport, they will provide detailed instructions on how to do this.

There are a variety of roles on camp that you might be hired for through AmeriCamp! We categorise these under 2 umbrellas - General Counsellor and Activity Leader!

As a general counsellor you will usually be living in cabins with the children, looking after them at meals and downtime and taking them from activity to activity! You might also get to take part in the activities yourself, plan camp events or try your hand at teaching/coaching a skill! Think of this role as being an older sibling for the children on camp!

As an activity leader, you will be responsible for running activities on camp in a skill you enjoy such as a sport, performing art, or watersport! You will plan activities and run sessions with the children to teach them your skill! You may also be in cabins with children and will probably get the chance to get stuck in with new activities you’ve not tried before!

You could also be hired as a Lifeguard or within a camps leadership team which will bring with it its own roles and responsibilities!

These are not the only option though, as every camp runs completely differently and your role may involve an overlap of these roles! What’s guaranteed is you will be having fun with the children on camp and creating the camp magic that makes their summer so special!

The best thing to do is to be open minded - camps know who suits which roles best and you might be surprised by the offers that come your way! Whichever role you are hired for, you will be able to take part in all the camp fun and have the summer of a lifetime!

Knowing what to pack can be tough but we have resources that can help you with this! If you want a run down of some of the items we recommend taking with you to camp check out our packing list document AT THIS LINK!

As a rule of thumb we always suggest taking enough clothes to last a couple weeks - remember, you will have access to laundry facilities on camp and can use these on your time off! You will also usually have access to places you can purchase toiletries or other cabin essentials, such as Walmart so do not overpack! You’ll probably be heading home with lots of camp merch so leave some room for your new wardrobe!

The majority of camps will have designated areas with access to phone and internet service. If you are unable to access this on your own device and need to contact home, camp will have phone and computer access, usually in the main office, that can be accessed on your time off.

It is important to note that some camps will have rules and regulations on phone use, for the safety of the children on camp! But don’t worry too much, you will be having too much fun on camp to have time to scroll - use camp as a time to get away from screens and live in the moment!

Every camp will have a slightly different daily schedule but what you can expect is for everyday to be completely jam packed with fun!

We have several resources where you can learn a little more about what to expect from the daily routine at camp!

Check out our Program page to see a Day in the Life at camp! You can also watch our podcast episode to learn more about what our Day in the Life at camp looked like!

Your first point of contact when experiencing an emergency on camp should be your Camp Director; they have years of experience in dealing with any sort of problem and will be able to provide in person support.

In the event of an emergency, classified as hospitalisation, accidents, arrest, job termination or legal issues, you can call the 24/7 US emergency number at 1-888-224-0450.

In the event that you are terminated or must leave camp early you should contact the US office on their emergency phone line at 1-888-224-0450. They will be able to provide you support in organising travel home.

If this occurs, you will forfeit the remaining amount of your pay, and the US Government will be notified that your J-1 visa should be cancelled. You must then return home with immediate urgency.

We allow all our applicants to book their flights independently so they can find the best time, price and airline that works for them! We recommend waiting until you have obtained your visa before booking your flights. Your camp will provide travel information, including which airport to fly into and the date to arrive.

We recommend using flight comparison sites such as Skyscanner to find the best deal or booking directly with your preferred airline to allow for flexible booking options.

After your AmeriCamp placement finishes, you will have a 30 day grace period that you can use to travel anywhere in the US! This is your opportunity to see all the sights you have always wanted to - whether that be the New York skyline, the natural beauty of Yosemite, or the famous beaches of California!

It is important to note that you don’t have to use all 30 days of your grace period and can return home whenever you’re ready!

You do not need to book a return flight before you leave - many of our applicants book this while at camp, so they can finalize their after camp travel plans with the friends they make at camp! Just make sure you are booking it within your 30 day grace period - you must not stay in the US beyond these 30 days.

Current rules and restrictions outline that travellers from the AU do not need to be fully vaccinated to enter the US. However, many of the camps we work with will still state this as a requirement to work on their premises.

In addition, travel regulations are changeable and have been updated by the US government multiple times, so the requirement for vaccinations could be reinstated at any time. In this event, we would not be able to provide refunds for those who are unvaccinated and unable to travel.

AmeriCamp provides medical insurance as part of your program fees that will cover you for your entire period in the US including at camp, on days off and when travelling after camp!

Please note that this insurance policy does not cover any pre-existing condition!

The medical insurance we provide as part of our program fees does not cover pre-existing conditions! This means that, if you were to need medical attention at any point during your time in the US, the insurance we provide may not be accepted to cover these costs, even if the claim isn't related to your pre-existing condition.

For this reason, you will need to seek out additional insurance for your time in the US to ensure you will be covered in any eventuality if you do have a pre-existing condition!

Although AmeriCamp provides comprehensive medical insurance to cover you throughout the summer, we do not provide travel insurance!

For this reason, we would recommend seeking travel insurance prior to your departure to cover any flight cancellations or baggage loss/theft/damage!

Yes, the medical insurance covers you from the day you enter the US to the day you leave!

You will need to complete the AmeriCamp Health History Form in order for us to process your medical insurance, however this does not require a medical examination. The form can be completed based on medical records that your GP should have access too!