Direct Placement/Specialist Soccer Coaches

If you have not held a J-1 camp counsellor visa previously but have already have a written contract from a camp or specialist soccer company and want to use BUNAC to obtain the J-1 visa to allow you to work legally in the US during the summer, you should apply through the Summer Camp USA direct placement scheme. The standard application procedure as explained on the Summer Camp USA pages of this website applies but also note the following information which is specific to direct placement counsellors and soccer coaches. If you're returning to a summer camp or have held a J-1 camp counsellor visa before, you should apply as a returner instead: please see the returners section.

Fees and salaries

The reduced registration fee for a direct placement counsellor or soccer coach is £295 including insurance and SEVIS (J-1 visa tracking fee). You pay a £50 deposit when you book your Summer Camp USA interview and the balance once your application is accepted. Please note the registration fee increases by £50 for interviews scheduled after 1 March, 2012.

You negotiate your salary directly with your camp. BUNAC will invoice your camp $150 as a contribution towards our administration costs. It is your responsibility to check whether your camp will deduct this amount from your agreed salary. Note this invoice amount does not apply if you are working through a specialist soccer company.

Flights

If you hold a contract with a specialist soccer company, you can only apply to Summer Camp USA as an “Own Arranger” – i.e. BUNAC does not organise your flights to America. If you hold a contract with a camp you can either arrange your own flights or choose to buy a flight from BUNAC (London-New York-London only). Please refer to the programme Terms and Conditions for further details (available once you have created an online account).

Insurance

BUNAC’s insurance policy is a mandatory part of the programme and the cost is included in your registration fee. The only exception is for soccer companies that provide their own insurance for their coaches and indemnify BUNAC accordingly. In these cases you will be credited with the cost of the BUNAC insurance premium.

Visa

You will be required to travel (at your expense) to the US Embassy in London (or the Belfast Consulate or Dublin Embassy as applicable) in order to apply for your visa. BUNAC will provide you with full details on how to apply and help you with the paperwork and the procedures. Costs are the same as described on the Summer Camp USA pages.

Police Background Check

All participants must provide a police background check as part of their Summer Camp USA application.

If you have ever been arrested, cautioned or convicted of any offence, please contact BUNAC before booking your interview. Any such record may affect your US visa application and so it is important that BUNAC is informed before you apply. We can also advise you of any different processes which may affect you.

Other Information

The application fee you pay and the $150 charged to your camp contributes towards the expenses BUNAC incurs in operating this programme. These include the cost of your interview, visa documentation, US support services and other administrative costs.

To qualify for the reduced direct placement fee you must provide BUNAC with a copy of your contract, signed by you and your camp/soccer company before your application can be completed.

Please note that if you withdraw your application after interview you will be entitled to only a partial refund of your application fee. See the Terms and Conditions page for full information.

You should be aware that the application process takes time. You should allow at least 6 weeks, but preferably longer, from the date of your interview to your proposed travel date. We strongly recommend that you do not book any non-refundable or non-transferable flight tickets until you have been issued with your J-1 visa.

Your BUNAC application is not a formality. We are sponsoring your visa application and must be satisfied that you are suitable to undertake work with children in the US. You are required to fully complete our application forms and submit the references we request for all applicants. You must also submit a current police background check. Details of these requirements will be provided with your interview confirmation.

We recommend that you apply for the earliest interview available and follow the instructions provided at each stage closely.

We look forward to helping you spend your next summer in the USA. If you have any questions, we’ll be happy to help.