Q: I would like to participate in the Summer Work Travel (SWT) Programme in the United States in a few months, but I’m nervous that my visa application will be denied. How do I prepare for my visa appointment at the US Embassy?

A: The SWTl Programme offers post-secondary students an opportunity to earn money and experience US culture during their summer vacations. To participate in the programme, you must be a bona fide post-secondary student who is actively pursuing a degree or full-time studies at an accredited academic institution in Jamaica.

You must find a sponsor before applying for a J-1 exchange visitor visa. Your sponsor will either directly arrange your summer job or assist you in finding employment if you are unable to locate a job on your own. Please be aware that certain types of employment are not permitted by the SWT programme. For example, you may not perform manual labour, work as a domestic employee, or sell items door-to-door.

If you have found a sponsor and believe that you meet the SWT programme’s academic requirements, you should schedule an appointment to apply for a J-1 exchange visitor visa. On the day of your appointment, you must provide the following documentation:

* Passport

* One passport photo

* Confirmation page of the DS-160 application form

* DS-2019 form with original signatures

* All previous passports with any US nonimmigrant visa

* A copy of your most recent school transcripts

* An original school identification card

* Documentary proof of medical coverage (provided by your SWT sponsor)

* “Fee paid” receipt for your US$140 visa application fee

Even if you have previously participated in the Summer Work Travel Programme, you must obtain a new J-1 visa this year. In rare cases, students may have been issued five-year J-1 Summer Work Travel visas in error in previous years. You should not attempt to travel to the United States using such a visa.

In addition to the visa application fee, applicants must pay a $35 USD registration fee for the Student and Exchange Vistor Information System (SEVIS) at least three days before the interview appointment. SEVIS is a programme operated by Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security. For additional information on how to pay the SEVIS fee, please visit the following website: www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/.

During your visa interview, you must demonstrate to the consular officer that you have no intent to immigrate to the US. The best way to do this is to discuss your application openly and honestly. Come prepared to discuss your reasons for participating in the program, your studies in Jamaica, and your plans for the future.

For more information about visas, please visit our website, kingston.usembassy.gov/. For more information about exchange visas, please visit j1visa.state.gov/.

Reminder for US citizens

The 2012 election season is underway in the United States. To register to vote from abroad or to sign up to receive state-specific election alerts, visit fvap.gov. You may drop off your voting materials with postage affixed at the US Embassy in Kingston or at the US Consular Agencies in Montego Bay and the Cayman Islands for delivery to the United States.

Robeson Information Resource Centre

To access the definitive collection of Americana in the island, including books, online journals and periodicals, become a member of the US Embassy’s Robeson Information Resource Center. Application forms available online at www.kingston.usembassy.gov (click on Resources and then Paul Robeson Information Resource Centre). For further details e-mail kingstonIRC@state.gov. Membership is free.

The US Embassy staff in Kingston will answer questions you may have regarding the US Mission, including consular law, regulations and/or practice. In order to respect privacy, staff will not answer questions about specific visa applications. The embassy employs a visa appointment system, so it is only necessary for visa applicants to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment.

Send your questions to: editorial@jamaicaobserver.com and we will send them to the embassy.