How it works
As a host camp, enrich your camp community with unique skills, languages, and shared culture by hosting international counselors.
Requirements
All Camp Host Employers must be either:
- Accredited
- A member in good standing of the American Camping Association
- Officially affiliated with a nationally recognized non-profit organization; or
- Have been inspected, evaluated, and approved by InterExchange
The easiest way to find out if you are eligible is to sign up with us. We’ll review your application and get in touch with you right away.
All positions must:
- Be responsible for taking care of campers
- Involve interacting with and working with Americans
- Provide opportunities to communicate in English and experience U.S. culture
The intention of this program is to give the participants an opportunity to increase their knowledge and understanding of the United States firsthand through a combined cultural and work experience.
Process
Whether you are looking for counselors to work at your camp this summer or you already know the international counselors you’d like to hire, we are here to help.
1. Sign Up
Sign up with us for free. Join us for free and provide basic information about your camp. We’ll review your application, and once you’re in our system, you can log in and manage applications.
2. Match
Log in to your account and review applications. Access our online matching system to connect with enthusiastic, qualified applicants worldwide. Browse profiles, refine your search, and connect with applicants. Your dedicated InterExchange representative can also handpick applicants based on your needs.
3. Hire
Extend offers. After this step, we keep the process simple for you. We’ll assist each applicant with J-1 Visa sponsorship, travel arrangements, orientation, insurance, and other logistics. For the staff you’ve hired, you can track their visa status, flight information, and completed application with all required documents.
Costs
First Year Counselors
All first year staff members apply through our Camp Placement program. These participants are pre-screened international applicants and it will be their first year working at your camp. This includes all counselors you hire, whether within our matching system or otherwise, who are coming to work at your camp for the first time.
You can hire these candidates by logging in to your Camp USA account and looking through our available applications. Your dedicated Program Coordinator will connect you with any first year hires you make outside of our matching system as well as help you find applicants with the specific criteria you are looking to hire for.
First Year Counselors | Placement Fee | Minimum Stipend (Pre-tax) | Minimum Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
All Ages | $1,450 | $2,250 | $3,700 |
- Minimum stipends are based on 63 days of work.
- If a first year staff member is fired or quits and leaves early they must be paid at least $35.75 per day of work, or at the rate shown on their InterExchange offer (whichever is greater).
- Counselors must receive pay and benefits commensurate with those offered to their American counterparts.
- Camp agrees to follow applicable federal, state, and local minimum wage and overtime laws.
Returning Counselors
We know the importance of staff retention so we make it easy for participants who have worked at your camp as a counselor in a previous year to return for another summer.
There is no fee to the camp for a returning staff member, and as a non-profit we ensure that the fees paid by your returning staff are affordable.
Please note, InterExchange is only permitted to sponsor a limited number of 3+ year returners. Sponsorship for these participants is subject to availability.
Returning Counselors | Placement Fee | Minimum Stipend (Pre-tax) | Minimum Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
All Ages | $0 | $2,750 | $2,750 |
- Minimum stipends are based on 63 days of work.
- If a returning participant is fired, quits or has a contract length less than 9 weeks, they must be paid at least $43.75 per day of work or at the rate shown on their InterExchange offer (whichever is greater).
- Counselors must receive pay and benefits commensurate with those offered to their American counterparts.
- Camp agrees to follow applicable federal, state and local minimum wage and overtime laws.
What We Provide
- Documents to obtain a J-1 Visa (DS-2019 Form)
- Visa Sponsorship and Embassy Support
- Accident and sickness insurance for the entire duration of their contract
- An InterExchange Participant Handbook and information about living in the USA
- A pre-departure online orientation
- 24-hour emergency support throughout the summer
- Access to events, training and educational opportunities
What costs will the international camp counselors pay?
Find world-class counselors at your fingertips
Starting an application is completely free. Start searching for the best international counselors for your camp.