The number of students who want to find job in the United States via Work and Travel program (WAT) and thus earn some money during summer, has been continuously increasing. Majority of them decide to apply to the program even several times during their studies.
The US Embassy to Montenegro says that since 2009, a massive increase of granted visas has been registered, including those intended for the WAT program. J-1 student visa enables students to work three or four months in the US and spend extra 30 days there as tourists. After their temporary US visa expires, they have to return to their home country.
“Last year, 1,216 J-1 student visas were issued,” the US Embassy in ME reported.
According to the website of the US Embassy, this institution issued 764 J-1 visas in 2016, compared to 2015 when it issued only 457 such visas. The data show steady increase in the number of issued J-1 visas in comparison with 2009, when only 171 students were granted visas.
The WAT program doesn’t affect students’ studies, one of the main requirements is fluency in English, and they should pass as many exams as they can.
David Knežević, a program manager in an agency mediating between students and a US company, explained this in detail: “In order to get a J-1 student visa, you need have a company offering you a job. There’s a whole range of jobs in hotel industry, hospitality, amusement parks, swimming pools, supermarkets, shops, etc. Students can do so many jobs regardless of their studies. A student can decide to break the law and stay longer than defined, but we strongly disagree about that, as they might face some serious difficulties being the illegal immigrants in the US.”
