Step by Step to your Camp Counselor Program in the USA
We welcome you to choose Intrax as the sponsor organization for your Camp Counselor Program. You would like us to provide you with a job as Counselor in an American summer camp? Or have you found a job on your own and need a J1 visa? We are ready to issue the DS-2019 form for you. Just follow the 8 simple steps below to enable us to confirm your compliance with J1 visa requirements. If you are looking for more details, please check the full description of each step below.
Register for your Camp Counselor Program
Your registration for your Camp Counselor Program begins with creating your secure profile on the MyIntraxPortal. The registration is non-binding and free of charge.
Documents
You can proceed sending us your documents.
Webcam Interview and Program Fees
We will conduct an interview to answer any last questions and confirm that you meet the English requirement. We will then invoice the application fee (placement) or the full program fee (J-1 visa service).
Application Screening
Your application will be further screened in an detailed interview, ideally in an in-person interview with a designated interviewer in your area.
Pre-Departure Orientation and J1 Visa Interview
The Intrax Pre-Departure Orientation is conducted online. We will provide you with all necessary documents concerning the interview at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy.
J1 Visa and Flight
After approx. 5 - 7 business days, you will receive your passport including your visa and your DS-2019. Your flight should only be booked at this point. Your J1 visa will get activated upon entry.
Start Your Program
The Intrax program manual is available for you in your MyIntrax Profile. Enjoy your stay, learn a lot, and keep in touch! We appreciate feedback, impressions and notes from the road.
Step 1: Register for the Camp Counselor Program (Placement and J1 Visa Service)
Your MyIntrax profile contains your personal data as in the passport. Since the DS-2019 form is issued on this basis, the registration must be correct and complete. In addition, your profile includes information about your experience with children, potentially prior work experience, hobbies, skills, and your U.S. summer camp (only for Independent and Repeat), so that Intrax can contact your supervisor and confirm your position or that Intrax can place you in a suitable camp.
You can stop the registration at any time and continue later or change information. Your MyIntrax profile serves as a communication base throughout your program.
Step 2: Send us Your Documents
These are the documents we need from you:
Copy of your passport: Page with personal data only. If you are a citizen of a member of the “six-month club“, your passport only needs to be valid as long as you stay in the USA. For all others, it needs to be valid for six months beyond the program end date.
Participant Eligibility Form: Please do not fill in the field "Intrax ID". Please download here, print, sign with a pen, scan and send back via email.
References: 2 Personal references, filled in by a non-relative person, a teacher or a trainer who can verify your ability to take care of minors. Download the reference form here.
Enhanced Criminal Background Check: The enhanced record check is specifically meant for work with minors. You can hand in this document at a later stage of your application, but before we send you the DS-2019.
Medical Form: You can hand in this form at a later stage of your application, but before we send you the DS-2019.
Certificates and translations: In case you have a i.e. a lifeguard certificate, a first-aid certificate etc., please hand it in along with a translation
CampCareUSA General Terms and Conditions: Please download, sign and send back via email
Contract Intrax Europe - CampCounselor Program: Please download, sign the applicable contract and send it back via email:
Step 3: Interview and program fees
Once we have received your complete application, we will conduct a brief webcam interview with you to answer any last program questions you might have. We will then invoice you the application fee (for Placement) or the program fee (self-placement/repeat).
Next step will be the obligatory in-person interview to verify that you are qualified to take care of children in a U.S. summer camp. Due to the worldwide pandemic for the time being interviews may take place via video.
Step 4: Placement/Validation Call DS-2019 Document
Intrax will conduct the final evaluation of all documents and will then contact your summer camp to confirm the eligibility of your position. After the Validation call, your DS-2019 will be issued.
Step 5: Pre-Departure Orientation and J1 Visa Interview
Intrax headquarters will now notify you to login into your MyIntrax profile…
… to conduct the Intrax Online Pre-Departure Orientation.
… enter the visa interview date at the U.S. Consulate.
… indicate the date when you received the J1 visa.
… specify your flight details.
We send you…
… your SEVIS ID number (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) so that you can arrange an appointment with the US Consulate.
... guidelines on how to fill in the visa application form (DS-160) for the U.S. Consulate.
... information concerning the embassy interviews and the payment of the consulate fee.
... Information on how to print the SEVIS payment receipt (Intrax paid the $35 for you at this time).
... Information about the program on site: check-in, contact person, social security card, travel, change of address etc.
On the website of the US Embassy you can also read which documents you should bring to the meeting at the U.S. Consulate. Please check the wait times for the J1 visa interview at the U.S. Consulates close to you.
Step 6: J1 Visa and Flight
The interview at the US Consulate takes place in English and usually only takes a few minutes. Please bring the following documents for the visa application:
Signed DS-2019
Confirmation form of the online application form DS-160
Copy of J1 visa interview appointment containing the proof of payment of the consular fee
Proof of payment of the SEVIS fee
passport photo
passport
Your home ties and your future career plans in your home country might be addressed during the interview. The J1 visa program is not an immigration visa and you will be expected to return to your home country once your program ends.
After approx. 5 - 7 business days, you will receive your passport including your visa, DS-2019 and training plan DS-7002.
Flight ticket
Please note that the U.S. Embassy advises to book the flight only at this point. No one is liable for delaying the issuance of the visa and for fees related to a flight change.
Housing
The majority of camp counselors live on site, in fairly basic accommodation and share meals with the kids. A few camp counselors will be in day camps. In such cases the summer camps arrange for off-site housing for counselors and provide for meal vouchers or pay additional pocket money.
Step 7: Start Your CampCareUSA Program
The Intrax program manual is available for you in your MyIntrax Profile. Please use it as a resource for important information about your time during your Camp Counselor position.
When entering the USA, you need your passport with the visa and the attached DS-2019. You must also provide your first address in the USA. Your J1 visa will get activated upon entry.
It is very important that you do the check-in in the MyIntrax portal within three days since Intrax needs to update your whereabouts in the SEVIS database of the U.S. government. Please also react to the feedback notifications every month so that Intrax can fulfill the monitoring tasks as a J1 sponsor.
Social Security Card
You need a Social Security Card. You can apply for this card approximately 4-5 days after your check-in in the USA. For further information on the Social Security Card (SSC), please refer to the Intrax program manual. For the Social Security Card application, you need the DS-2019, the I-94 number, and your passport. If you have already applied for a Social Security Card in the US you do not have to apply for a new one, just make sure you know your SSC number. The Social Security number is valid for a lifetime!
Another general note: The Social Security Card and the Social Security number noted on it is often used in the USA as a form of identification. You might need to provide this number, for example, if you want to open a bank account or purchase a mobile phone contract.
Enjoy your stay, learn a lot, keep in touch and perhaps add a link to us when writing a blog. We appreciate feedback, impressions and notes from the road.