This summer, have a working vacation in US

NEW DELHI: If you are a college student, here is something that could make your summer vacation memorable. There is a US government programme under which you can travel to USA and fund your trip by working there. The 'work & travel' programme is a US government initiative under which regular college students across the world can visit the country on temporary jobs during summer vacations—that is, from May to August. The scheme aims to enable students to "understand and experience American culture and life". Now, the US department of state's Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) has hired two agencies in India—Kareer Krafters and Taurus International—as partners to administer the J1 visa programme meant for this purpose. Any graduate or PG student can apply under the scheme. The applicant will be screened by the designated companies for suitability to visit the US alone. Vipul Mehta, MD of Kareer Krafter, said one of the prerequisites is a working knowledge of English. Mehta said there is huge demand for students for doing summer jobs under the programme. "There are enough opportunities to absorb 40,000-50,000 students," he said. However, as the scheme is virtually unknown in the country, only around 500 students were sent from India in 2007. So far, almost everyone who has applied got the visa, he added.