What is Summer Work Travel?

Summer Work Travel is an official US State Department cultural exchange program (BridgeUSA), running since 1961 under federal regulations 22 CFR Part 62. Full-time tertiary students work seasonal jobs in the USA for the summer, then get a 30-day grace period to travel. About 105,000 students from ~200 countries take part every year — and Jamaica leads the world with over 8,700 participants. Participation always goes through a State Department–designated sponsor that issues your DS-2019 and supports you in the USA. In Jamaica there's an extra layer: since January 2025, the US Embassy only accepts applications that come through recruiters registered with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) — so who you sign with matters more here than anywhere else.