How can we help?

How you are paid will 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.

Don’t overpack items you can pick up upon arrival in the US. Most Camps will organise a trip to Walmart (or equivalent) to pick up toiletries and other cabin essentials that take up a lot of room in your luggage. 

We would also recommend avoiding taking any clothes or tech that are more expensive or valuable as there is a possibility they could be damaged at Camp. 

You should also check what is provided by your Camp - if they are going to provide a uniform, towels or bedding, this could change what you do and don’t need to pack. 

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 here. 

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. You’ll also want to leave some room as you will probably be heading home with lots of Camp merch or items you pick up on your travels.

It’s totally up to you, everyone has a different preference. We would say, it depends on the type of travel you plan to do after Camp! If you are going to be hopping from place to place and camping out at national parks, a backpack might be better. But if you’re staying in big cities and going to hotels and motels, a suitcase may be more practical.

We will go through all essential information that you need to know for your AmeriCamp program, including but not limited to:

• Visa regulations and requirements
• Advice regarding flights and travel
• US arrivals and border control
• Social security
• Taxes 
• Insurance
• Emergency procedures
• Safeguarding and Camp rules and regulations
• Expert advice for your program 
• An opportunity to ask any and all questions you may have 

This will vary year to year, but they usually take place in April or May in cities across the UK. You should look out for emails sent out in the spring to sign up.

If you are a First Timer, it is mandatory that you attend an orientation.

The Orientations are mandatory events for all First Timer applicants. These are presentation sessions at lecture theatres across the UK, where we will go through all essential information you need to know prior to your program. It is a Visa sponsorship requirement that we ensure all of our applicants are fully informed with everything covered in these orientations.

All fees paid to AmeriCamp and the US embassy are non-refundable following a Visa denial.

You are able to reapply, but will need to pay the embassy fee again. The chances of approval will also be reduced on a second attempt.

A Visa denial can affect future US Visa Applications and entry to the US. In most cases you will be authorised to travel to the US as a tourist on an ESTA, depending on the reason for denial.

A Visa can be denied for a number of reasons. These include:

• An error on your DS-160
• Not bringing the correct documents to the US embassy
• Insufficient proof of return 
• Your criminal/medical history 
• Social Media Posts/Profile not made public or found to contain inappropriate content
• Nationality or Passport regulations in the US

It is rare for a J-1 Visa to be denied, however in such a case you should contact AmeriCamp as soon as possible to discuss your options. You may be given a chance to appeal the decision or re-apply for your Visa, but you are not guaranteed that it will be granted.

If your Visa has been in Administrative Processing for more than 2 weeks, please contact AmeriCamp. There’s likely nothing to worry about, but you should be continually checking your Visa Status as it could change at any time. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that we can do to speed up this process with the embassy but keep us posted about any changes in your Visa status. 

You can also contact the US Embassy but they are usually slow to reply.

You need to include any social media that you have an active account on (including TikTok which is not currently on the drop down list of social media options).

You should make your social media public the week before your appointment, up until your Visa has been officially approved.

Yes, the US embassy conducts social media checks on all J-1 applicants to ensure you are not a political threat to the country. They will be reviewing your active social media accounts to check you have not posted anything offensive, hateful or threatening.

You can check your Visa Status and see when your Visa has been approved and dispatched at THIS LINK.

At the London and Belfast US embassies, the turnaround time is usually between 5-10 working days. However, there can be delays in the case of administrative processing or social media checks. 

The embassy will post your passport back to you, in one of the following ways:

• OUR RECOMMENDATION: It is best to pay the additional fee when booking your embassy appointment to have your passport posted to your home address. This will avoid delays to delivery and means your passport will arrive safely and directly to you at home.
• Free option: You can also have your passport delivered to a Depot in a selected city. For this option you will be required to travel to the depot collection center with ID to collect your passport, which can cause delays. 

No, you will not be able to enter the embassy with any accompaniment. There will be plenty of places nearby that they can wait for you, but they will not be allowed into the embassy building.  

Proof of return can be anything that shows significant ties to your home country. This should not be a return flight as a plane ticket does not show strong enough evidence that you will return. Appropriate proof could be something like: 

• A bank statement or utility bill in your name - showing you have financial ties to your home country
• Student loan letter or enrollment letter for a university term upon arrival
• Letter from your employer confirming your return to work and continued employment

You will need to bring your: 

• DS-160 confirmation page
• Embassy booking confirmation
• SEVIS Receipt
• DS-2019
• Passport
• Visa Photo
• Proof of return 

This full list, as well as the links you need to access the documents, will be sent to you as part of your AmeriCamp Visa instructions. 

The embassy officer may ask you a number of questions, but stay calm, answer honestly, and you will be fine! Here are a few examples:

• Where is your Camp?
• What job will you be doing?
• Who is your Visa Sponsor? (AmeriCamp)
• Have you been to Camp before?
• Are you planning to return to your home country?

Processes will vary from embassy to embassy, however you should expect the following:

• Check-in: You will have an assigned check-in time and must arrive on time to show your documentation. 
• Bags and Security: You will be required to go through airport-style security and must follow bag regulations closely. 
• Interview: You will be asked questions about your placement and program and must provide all required documentation.
• Approval: You may find out on the day if your Visa has been approved, or will be told approval is pending a social media check. The embassy will take your passport so they can print the Visa inside and will send it back to you. In the event of Visa denial please contact AmeriCamp as soon as possible. 

Yes, you can reschedule your booking up until 2 business days before the appointment.

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

You will be able to book an embassy appointment once you have completed your DS-160 Visa application. The link to schedule this appointment will be included in your AmeriCamp Visa instructions. 

When you book your appointment you will be required to pay $185 to the US embassy (which is approx. £140 or €160 but varies with changes to exchange rates). 

You must be a permanent or temporary resident of the country in which you attend the embassy. This means you cannot go to the embassy in a country that you are only a tourist in. 

If you’re on a working holiday visa, such as in Australia, you can go to an embassy or consulate in that country, but we can’t provide specified support or advice for this and you could be at a slightly higher risk of Visa denial. 

In the UK, there are US embassies in London and Belfast. In Ireland the US embassy is in Dublin.

It is a requirement of the J-1 Visa application process that all applicants attend an interview at a US embassy or consulate. As a participant of the AmeriCamp program, you will need to attend an interview at your closest US embassy, in support of your Visa application.

You need to include any social media that you have an active account on (including TikTok which is not currently on the drop down list of social media options).

If you are having technical difficulties with the DS-160, AmeriCamp may be able to help, however we are not the hosts of this website and cannot provide detailed technical advice. It is best to try on multiple devices and browsers and continually save your work until it works. 

You can also contact the US Embassy but they may be slow to reply.

The DS-160 site is quite an outdated site which does not always work on every device or browser e.g. smartphones or Macbooks. It is best to complete the DS-160 on a desktop computer or laptop.

You will be required to upload a Visa photo as part of the DS-160 that must meet the US Visa Photo requirements. The best way to do this is use a photobooth with US Visa photos as an option. You can use the Photo-Me website to find photobooths in your area. Another option is taking the photo at home and using an online photo tool to edit it to fit the Visa photo requirements.

Yes, AmeriCamp provides fully detailed Visa Instructions via email to all eligible applicants with a full step-by-step guide of how to complete your DS-160 form. You should follow these instructions closely to ensure all questions are answered correctly, or you will be at risk of Visa denial.

The DS-160 is the online portion of the Non-immigrant Visa Application process for the US government. It is required for people traveling to the US temporarily for an exchange visitor program including the J-1 Camp Counsellor Visa.

Your SEVIS ID will be included on both your Visa Instructions email from AmeriCamp as well as in the top right hand corner of your DS-2019.

The address listed on the SEVIS form is our US head office. Since we pay your SEVIS fee on your behalf, this address listed will be ours rather than yours.

You will be directed to access your SEVIS receipt in your Visa Instructions from AmeriCamp once the SEVIS fee has been paid on your behalf. To access it you will go to THIS LINK and select ‘Check I-901 Status’ and input your details.

A SEVIS receipt (or Form I-901 payment confirmation) is official proof that the required SEVIS fee has been paid to SEVIS for your participation in the J-1 Visa program. You need this printed document for your US embassy interview as well as for entry to the US.

No, you will be issued a new SEVIS ID and DS-2019 each year of participation.

No, your SEVIS fee is paid on your behalf by AmeriCamp from your AmeriCamp program fees.

SEVIS stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It is an online database used by the US government to track international exchange visitors. It monitors participants on J-1 Visas, as well as several other temporary Visa types, from the time they are issued their paperwork until their program finishes.

Contact AmeriCamp so we can advise on next steps and register your DS form as lost. In certain circumstances you might need to go back to the embassy or we may be able to issue you a new form via Matchio.

No, unless you have a travel validation, your DS-2019 is only valid for entry to the US once. As soon as you exit the country your Visa will be cancelled and you will not be able to re-enter on the same J-1 Visa. 

If you travel outside of the US after Camp, and decide to re-enter the country, you would need an ESTA for this period. For more information about the regulations and limitations of your Visa see our Post-Camp Travel page.

The location you will list on your DS-2019 will be the location of the US embassy you are attending.

Yes, you should sign and date your DS-2019 before your US embassy appointment.

The dates listed on your DS-2019 are the dates you are permitted to work at Camp. You are still permitted to arrive up to 30 days before the start date on your Visa and leave up to 30 days after the end date on your Visa. However, you are not permitted to work outside of the dates listed on your Visa. For more information about the regulations and limitations of your Visa see our Post-Camp Travel page.

Your DS-2019 must match your passport and Camp contract exactly. If there is an error on your DS-2019 you should contact AmeriCamp immediately so this can be corrected. In most cases the error will have been pulled directly from your application, meaning you will need to pay an admin fee for the form to be re-generated.