How can we help?

We email all of our applicants on a regular basis and you should expect to hear from us at least every 2 weeks. If you have not heard from us, it is likely that you have unsubscribed from emails or your email address is bouncing (most common with iCloud addresses). You can contact us to get this fixed by providing an alternate email address or confirming you want to be resubscribed to email.

Yes, your emergency contacts can contact us on your behalf but we cannot provide personal information about your application due to GDPR.

If you are experiencing an emergency or issue while at Camp, you should contact our US team as your first port of call as we will not be able to provide the same support.

Our US team is available to contact while you are on placement at Camp and need emergency assistance or have a concern or query while at Camp. You can:

Call them at +1-888-433-5594 - this number is only operational during the program dates from May - September. 

24/7 for emergencies (which are only classified as death, hospitalisation, accidents, arrest, job termination, and legal issues)  

Or 9AM - 5PM EST Monday - Friday for non-emergencies.

Our UK Team is your first point of contact for any and all questions and concerns. You can:

Email Us at info@ameriCamp.co.uk

Call Us at 0161 312 3640 (Our office hours are: 10AM - 6PM UK Monday - Friday)

Please refer to our Refund Policy to see if you are due a refund.

It is possible your application could get cancelled for inactivity if you have:

• Ignored multiple communications from AmeriCamp
• Missed multiple deadlines set by AmeriCamp
• Made no progress on your application in a significant period of time
• Ignored several interview requests from Camps

Please note, we will always contact you on multiple occasions through multiple means (phone, email and Whatsapp) ahead of cancelling your application, and will never cancel your application without reasonable belief that you are no longer interested in the program.  

If you think your application has been cancelled in error, you should contact us to reinstate your application within a reasonable time frame in order to still be placed. 

No, we do not offer deferral from one season to the next. 

In order to cancel your application, you will need to contact AmeriCamp directly to confirm the reason for cancellation.

Yes, you can cancel your application at any time for any reason, by contacting AmeriCamp directly.

You should contact our US team. They are available from 9AM - 5PM Eastern Time, Monday - Friday during the summer, to support with emergencies such as this.

If you are having issues with your leadership at Camp, you should contact our US team and they will be happy to help you over the phone. They are available from 9AM - 5PM Eastern Time during the summer, Monday - Friday, to field any questions or concerns. 

They have direct contact with the Camps and can speak with them directly about any concerns you have and act as your advocate if you are mistreated in any way.

Please check our Leaving Camp Early page for procedures. 

If you are have problems at Camp of any kind, you should: 

• Talk to someone at Camp, like a returning counselor, unit leader, or Camp director, who understands what you’re going through. They will be able to provide you support.
• Contact our US team and they will be happy to help you over the phone. They are available from 9AM - 5PM Eastern Time, Monday - Friday over the summer, to field any questions or concerns. 
• You can also contact our UK team via email to express any concerns you have and we will try to help. Please keep in mind that our US team is the best to contact in these situations, as they have direct contact with the Camps and can speak with them directly about any concerns you have. 

Please contact your Camp directly. They should have your social security number on record and be able to provide you with this. AmeriCamp will never have this information.

Sprintax is a specialist tax filing service that we work with, who can assist you with the whole process of preparing and filing your return. They specialise in tax returns for non-resident aliens, and will help you prepare all of the necessary paperwork.

A W2 is a summary of earnings document, similar to a P60 in the UK. It details what tax has already been withheld, and how much you earned within that tax year. This document is essential to file your tax return, and your Camp must provide this by the 31st of January of the year after you have worked in the US. If your Camp hasn’t sent you this document by this date, please reach out to them directly.

These are the 2 types of tax that you will owe on your pocket money at Camp. Federal tax is a blanket rate across the US, and State tax varies depending on where your Camp is based.

Not always. Once you complete your tax return, you will be informed whether you are due a refund, or if you owe any money to the IRS. This is linked to how much your Camp withhold from your paycheck, so check with them if you have questions about your payslip.

AmeriCamp are not tax experts, which means we are unable to directly assist with the filing of taxes. For filing your tax return we will direct you to our partners at Sprintax who are able to support you with this.

You must file this by the 15th of April of the year after your Camp program. Failure to do so may lead to penalties.

Yes, everyone who works in the US on a J-1 Visa must file and send a tax return to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service).

No, all fees paid to the US embassy are non-refundable.

DBS Background Check fee becomes non-refundable at the point of submission of your application to our designated DBS partner. DBS Background Check fee is only refundable if:

• Your information has not yet been submitted to our DBS partner
• You mistakenly pay for the DBS as a non-UK resident who cannot apply for a Background check through our designated partner

If you are not placed, by no fault of your own, by June 1st of the intended year of travel, you will receive a full refund of program fees paid to AmeriCamp.

In accordance with our placement guarantee, this refund does not apply if:

• You have failed to respond to Camp offers in a timely manner or otherwise contributed to the lack of placement.
• You reject a placement from a Camp (for any reason other than the Camp not aligning with the dates and preferences stated on your application). 
• You are not fully Visa Ready by April 1st.

If you or a member of your immediate family suffers a life threatening illness or death prior to you leaving for Camp, we will process a refund of your program fees bar your initial deposit, following the submission of an ‘Exceptional Circumstances’ application and written evidence in the form of Doctor's note or death certificate. 

As a First Timer Participant - if you are a First Timer and you choose to withdraw your application, the following charges will apply:

• If cancelling within 10 working days of initial payment and prior to AmeriCamp interview, you are due back all program fees paid to AmeriCamp.
• If cancelling after the AmeriCamp interview but prior to being ‘Live to Camps’ we will retain your deposit and provide a refund of any other program fees paid.
• If cancelling after application is ‘Live to Camps’ but not placed we will retain your deposit and Stage 2 fee and provide a refund of any Stage 3 program fees paid.
• If cancelling after placement is confirmed, no refund is provided. 

As a Returner or Direct Placement - if you are a returner or direct placement and you choose to withdraw, the following charges will apply:

• If cancelling within 10 working days of initial payment and prior to official placement with Camp through our online system, you are due back program fees minus the £99 deposit paid to AmeriCamp.
• If cancelling after placement is confirmed, no refund is provided. 

For a full breakdown of the AmeriCamp refund policy please see our program agreement.

No, you will never be charged automatically as AmeriCamp fees do not work on a subscription basis. Payments can only be made and authorised by you when you pay directly on the payment portal.

Yes, you can pay in installments! You can pay in any increments you would like, meaning you can chip away at your Stage 2 (£242), and Stage 3 (£128 or less with a discount code) over a longer period of time. When you go into your payment portal, select ‘Change Amount’, and enter the amount you would like to pay.

You will receive an email with a unique link to your payment portal upon signing up. If you need us to resend this, just contact AmeriCamp.

This is dependent on the reason you were dismissed from your Camp and if you left in good standing with AmeriCamp. To assess your eligibility, you can contact AmeriCamp but we do reserve the right to reject your application.

Please contact your Camp directly. They should have your social security number on record and be able to provide you with this. AmeriCamp will never have this information.

Yes, if you have been through AmeriCamp before and you are going back to Camp as a returner, you can use your Camps medical form instead of our Medical Evaluation Form if this is more cost effective for you.

If you have been through AmeriCamp previously, all sections of your application will transfer to your new profile through Matchio. You will however, need to complete a new Background Check and Medical Evaluation Form. 

Your references and interview from your first year of participation will carry over for 3 summers, but must be updated on the fourth summer. This means if you are attending for a fourth time through AmeriCamp, you will be required to re-interview to confirm your Visa sponsorship. 

If you have not been through AmeriCamp before, you will need to complete a full application (except the Application Video) and an AmeriCamp interview in order for us to confirm we are able to sponsor your Visa.

It is possible for you to be paid more as a returner as you can negotiate your salary with Camp, however we still only guarantee a minimum salary of $2250 (before tax) for returners.

• Your application fee, i.e. the cost to ensure your documentation is submitted to and processed by our US office
• Your Visa sponsorship, which allows you to work and earn money legally in the USA
• Your DS-2019, which is the certificate of eligibility for your J-1 Visa
• Your SEVIS fee
• Medical insurance for the entire duration of your time in the USA
• The full Camp experience including all accommodation and food whilst at Camp

The AmeriCamp program costs for returners are: 

• Paid in full: £395
• Paid in stages: £410 with only a £99 deposit to secure your spot!

No, if you want to go to a different Camp and you need our help finding a position, you will apply again as a First Timer on our Apply page.

If you have found your own placement at a new Camp, you can apply as a Direct Placement on our Returner page. 

Yes, you will apply on our Returners Page under one of the following categories:

• Returner: You are going back to Camp for the second time
• Returner 3 Year +: You are going back to Camp for the third year or more

Returner applications open slightly later than First Timer applications, usually in the early autumn, but it changes year to year. You can check the Returners Page of our website to see if we are currently accepting applications.

You can travel to US territories but your Visa will end as soon as you exit mainland USA. If you take a cruise that ends by docking back in the US, you need an ESTA to reenter the US.

You can travel to other countries if you have the appropriate tourist visas but cannot use your J-1 Visa for entry to any other country. If you travel outside of the US and need to reenter the country you will need an ESTA for this period in the US.

No, as soon as you leave the US your Visa will end and you will not be able to reenter on the same Visa. This means that if you travel outside of the US and decide to reenter the country you will need an ESTA for this.

Yes, your AmeriCamp medical insurance will still cover you for your 30 day grace period, but you will not be covered if you overstay this 30 days or if you exit the US and reenter on an ESTA.

We do not directly plan travel for participants, but our partners over at Contiki do have a range of thrilling US road trip packages you could book on to.

While you are travelling around the US, there are several accommodation types you can book including: hotels and motels, hostels, Airbnb’s and holiday rentals, and campgrounds. We recommend using comparison sites such as Hotels.com, Kayak, Hostelworld, and HipCamp to find the best price.

Tourists can hire cars across the US if:

• They have a valid drivers license
• Are over the age of 21
• Have a credit card

If you are driving between the ages of 21 to 25, you will be charged a young drivers surcharge. This means that there will be additional costs if you hire a car under the age of 25.

While you are travelling there are several ways you can get around to all the cities and attractions you want to visit:

• Internal Flights: The US is a vast country and sometimes the best option for getting from city to city is to fly. Internal flights with airlines such as Delta, United and JetBlue are usually a quick and cost-effective way to get around. 
• Coaches and Buses: For shorter journeys, the most cost-effective option is a bus such as a Greyhound or Megabus.
• Car hire: If you are a confident driver and meet the requirements to hire cars in the US, you can pick up a car and head out on a road trip.
• Trains: Trains are not as common as they are in the UK and can be more expensive, but can be booked through Amtrak if you want a smooth and scenic journey.

You can use your Camp Salary to pay for your Post-Camp Travel, but if you want to plan ahead and make sure you definitely have enough, the budget will depend on the type of travel you will be doing. For example, if you are travelling on a budget, taking buses and staying in hostels and Campgrounds, you won’t need quite as much as if you are taking long internal flights, staying in hotels or going to theme parks and resorts.

Most participants will plan their Post-Camp Travel during Camp with the friends they make during the summer. You can use your time off and days off to plan your travels with friends and book any travel and accommodation. 

If you want someone to take the wheel and plan out an amazing trip for you, you can use our partners Contiki to book one of their fantastic US road trips packages.