US reforms student work visa program

The changes follow several allegations of misuse of this US student work visa program in the recent times.

New rules for US J-1 SWT (Summer Work and Travel) Program—A series of new rules were announced by the US State Department to its student work visa program.

As per the information, the US State Department had received reports of widespread misuse of the program in the year 2010 following a probe conducted into the matter.

Probe brought forward the fact that many of the foreign students coming to the US on US J-1 visas under the US SWT Program were found to be employed in strip clubs and majority admitted to working under compulsion.

And several other international students coming to the US on US J-1 visas were found to be living and working in highly deplorable conditions. That’s not all.

Main aim of this US student-exchange program is to foster understanding of American culture. However, the program seems to have become nothing but a multimillion dollar foreign business thus swaying away from the intention of the act under which it was created. So, the new tougher rules will make sure to stop such misuse of this very popular student-exchange program.

New rules will ensure that foreign students coming to the US under the student-exchange program get fair treatment and jobs promising exposure to American culture and interaction with its people. Safety, health and welfare rules for the participants will be adhered to strictly.

US SWT Program—The fact that it attracts a large number of foreign students to come and work here for a period of four months proves its immense popularity.

Each year, nearly 100,000 international college students come to the US under the US J-1 Summer Work and Travel Program.

The US SWT Program was created under 1961 Fullbright Hays Act. It provides an opportunity to post-secondary international students to come to the US and earn quick bucks along with getting an experience of the American culture and way of life during their summer holidays.

Eligibility for participating in the US SWT Program is simple.

The applicant needs to be a bona-fide student of post-secondary education and should be either pursuing full-time studies or a degree at any of the accredited educational institute.