Pre-Arrival and Travel to the U.S.

1. Attend Your Pre-Arrival Orientation

In this orientation you will meet with your Home Country Agent, either in person or via live video seminar, and they will provide you with:

• All the contact info for ERDT, including a 24 hour emergency phone line and the U.S. government’s toll-free help line;

• What to do and what to expect as you apply for a visa;

• What to do and what to expect as you travel to the United States, and pass through U.S. Customs & Immigration.

• All the information on your job, including employer name and address, expected job dates, job duties, number of work hours, wages, and deductions from wages (this can be found on your ERDT Job Offer in your online application)

• The purpose and cultural goals of the Work/Travel Program, and advice for how to experience U.S. culture;

• The home-country physical presence requirement;

• A list of all fees that your Home Country Agent collects;

• Description and amount of typical costs (living expenses, transportation expenses) while in the United States

• Health care and insurance description, costs, and requirements for exchange visitors, and the medical facilities in your U.S. community;

• Other information you may need as a worker in the U.S., such as:

  • How to apply for Social Security

  • How to open a bank account

  • Employee rights and laws

  • Worker's compensation

  • How to remain in good status with your visa

• Life and customs in the United States;

• Local community resources

  • Public transportation

  • Libraries

  • Recreation centers

• Information about housing and transportation to and from work (this can be found on your ERDT Housing Plan in your online application)

• How to avoid termination:

  • Within 24 hours after arrival: Complete the “Arrival Information” in your online application (also known as SEVIS Step 1)

  • Within 1 week after arrival: Complete your Post-Arrival Orientation on this website (also known as SEVIS Step 2)

  • As early as possible, but no later than 1 week after moving, complete a Request To Change Housing.

  • Before starting work or training at a new or 2nd job, get permission from ERDT;

  • Respond to all emails from ERDT within one week. You are responsible for ensuring emails from ERDT do not go to spam. Set your spam filters to deliver all messages from noreply@erdt.hanovercrm.com and emily@erdtworkandtravel.org to your inbox.

• The Office of Designation's address, telephone number, facsimile number, Web site and email address;

• A copy of the Department of State's (1) Summer Work Travel Participant Letter, (2) Work Travel Program Brochure and (3) Wilberforce Pamphlet on the Rights and Protections for Temporary Workers;

At or before your Pre-Arrival Orientation, you will receive a Participant Handbook from your Home Country Agent.  Bring it to your Pre-Arrival Orientation.  Your handbook has several worksheets that ERDT expects you to fill out, to ensure that you are prepared for your trip to the U.S.  You will use your documentation and the information that you receive in your Pre-Arrival Orientation to fill out the worksheet.

2. One month before arrival

We hope that you do not use illegal drugs, but if you do, you should definitely stop using them at this time, including marijuana.  Many U.S. employers do drug tests upon arrival, which will show whether you have used drugs in the past month.  If you are fired due to a failed drug test, ERDT may have to end your program early if we are unable to find you a new job that does not test for drug use.

Remember that if you are arrested for possessing or using drugs while in the U.S., you will need to return home immediately.

3. Within the month before arrival

• Contact your employer to confirm your arrival date. If you do not receive an email reply, you should phone your employer. Make sure they know exactly when you will arrive.

• Have an exact plan for how you will get from your arrival airport to your job. You may need to arrange your own airport transportation and temporary housing, or your employer may help you.

• If you have not received a Pre-Arrival Orientation in person or via live video conference, ask your agent or contact ERDT.

• Review your job offer and housing plan.  Is anything unclear?  If so, ask your home country agent.

• Research your U.S. town on Google so that you are familiar with your surroundings.

• Ensure that the email address you listed on your program application is the same that you will use in the U.S. If it is not, inform ERDT.

• Get your mind and body ready to live and work in the U.S.:

  • Practice speaking English as much as you can. When you arrive in the U.S., you will suddenly need your English 100% of the time. If you are in practice using English, you will experience far fewer problems upon arrival.

  • Do activities that have you on your feet for several hours at a time.

  • Check that your personal hygiene matches what is normal in the U.S. - wash your hair every 1-2 days, floss and brush your teeth every morning, and use deodorant daily.

  • Practice being extra-friendly - smile at strangers on the street, say "please" and "thank you," speak clearly and do not mumble. People in your home country may think you are crazy, but this is normal in the U.S.

• If you have had any changes in your health, inform your agent or ERDT immediately.

• Determine how you will access the $1000 you may need upon arrival in the U.S.

• Research what your best options are for a phone, with data if possible. These conveniences may cost some money, but they could save you a lot of money and trouble in the long run (for example, finding public transportation on Google, rather than hiring a taxi).

4. One week before arrival

• Try to adjust your sleeping schedule to your new time zone in the U.S.

• Pack your bags. Think about what items you will need for your job and housing and whether it is better to bring them from home, or buy them in the U.S.A.

• Contact your employer once more to remind them of your exact arrival time;

• Make sure you have all tickets and reservations made for your trip from your airport arrival gate to your employer’s front door, including safe accommodation. DO NOT plan to sleep in the airport or bus station. Your belongings, money and documents could be easily stolen.

• Review the most common mistakes students make in their first week:

• Arriving in the U.S. without all tickets & reservations to get you from the airport to your workplace;

• Losing documents;

• Forgetting to complete the Arrival Information (SEVIS Step 1) in your online application within 24 hours of arrival;

• Not reporting directly to the employer and working there for at least 3 weeks;

• Forgetting to complete the Post-Arrival Orientation (SEVIS Step 2) within 1 week of arrival;

5. Don't forget these 10 things!

1. Enough money - at least $1000 USD. During the first 2 weeks on the program, you will spend the most money, and you will earn the least money. The more money you have, the less stressed you will be during this time.

2. All information you need to get from the airport to your job site - phone numbers, addresses, reservations, tickets, etc;

3. Easy access to your insurance information (print it, or download it to your smartphone photos in case you don’t have internet when you need it);

4. Easy access to your job offer and housing plan in your online application (again, print these or download them to your smartphone photos);

5. Any clothing, shoes or equipment that your employer requires, and any housewares you don’t want to purchase (bedsheets, towels)

6. Clothing appropriate to the weather (Remember that May and June can still be quite cold!)

7. Medications, marked clearly;

8. Strong sunscreen, if you will be working outside;

9. A map of the area where you are going, with your job, your housing and a library where you can use internet marked. Need help getting this? Contact ERDT.

10. Your ERDT Participant Handbook.