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Work and Travel map |
Papa Carlo Mission All exchange program participants are concerned about their welfare and the difficulties they shall face and how they would be able to overcome them when they come to the United States. Only a few students can take practical measures to resolve these issues before they arrive, unless they have already been in U.S. before. Students, who come to U.S. for the first time, face many difficulties and realize that they lack experience and knowledge in resolving them, they face difficulties on a daily basis and most of these issues have an impact on their further participation in programs. Most of the students trying to resolve their problem issues independently waste a lot of time and money still with no results. Taking into consideration these facts Papa Carlo has set its main goal - to help students in all manners to ensure they have a safe, unforgettable and positive experience as exchange program participants! We would like to give you a brief description of numerous problems and issues students encounter during participation in various educational and cultural exchange visitor programs in the United States. Arrival/Departure Record, form I-94 issues Mistakes in filling this form usually result in an improper registration of the arrival/departure of the person to and from the United States. It’s very frequent that students were not properly explained the importance of this form and those mistakes may lead to being not approved for visa issuance next time they apply for a U.S. visa. What you can bring to U.S.? The unawareness of customs rules and regulations often causes delays in passing customs and border check-points in the United States and sometimes may lead to missing the changing flights.
All of the students after arrival to the U.S. airports need to get to their final destination points. Many of them prefer using U.S. public transportation even though this type of transportation is a very complicated system to understand for first-time users. This usually leads to spending long hours at bus stations with heavy luggage on shoulders and heavy weariness after long hours of flight, etc. Some students prefer the services of strange drivers who offer transportation at the airports being unaware that these offers eventually may cost much more than they were offered initially. Still others, prefer to choose independently seek for the better options of getting to the place they need and end up sleeping at the bus terminals, summer parks, and everywhere else which one can often see in summer in Manhattan.
It’s very frequent that students have to spend a night or two at some place before they’re able to get to their employer’s site. In big U.S. cities in close vicinity of international airports the average cost of hotel rooms may range from $200 to $600 a night. After spending a couple of nights students start calling back home begging for money!
Though it is a well known fact that U.S. employers may hire international students and pay them before they get their social security cards, students still may experience difficulties. These difficulties begin with improper completion of social security application forms, misspelling of names, dates of birth and other information which happen quickly but take long time to correct.
Many students belief that the best way to resolve a problem with the employer – is to quit the job and search for another one - which is a direct violation of program rules and may lead to program and visa cancellation.
Almost %75 of students on programs experience various housing issues. Students can’t find an acceptable housing and very often have to stay at hostels and/or cheap hotels overspending their savings. Students can’t rent an apartment because they don’t have the so-required credit history, annual income reports etc.
Medical treatment in the United States is the most expensive treatment in the world. Students who decide to visit a medical office and happen to have accidents have never been explained what do to in these cases and usually end up receiving bunch of mail with bills.
Students don’t always understand the U.S. tax system and are not always aware that the taxes they pay may be applied for to be refunded. Even if they do, students remain unaware what amount of taxes has been refunded by IRS and what amount they have actually received from agencies they applied for this service?
Many students do not take advantage of the travel opportunities they’re entitled to during and after completion of their program. Many students consider traveling in the U.S to be expensive and never enjoy their privileges of international visitors in the United States. In fact, there are many other issues and difficulties participants face when coming to the United States on their programs and it would take hours to describe all of them, however, a little ever would have been told. Our whole Project mission has been designed on the principles of helping students. Everything that our Project offers shall be of a great help to everybody involved in this industry, be you a student, an agency recruiting the students for the program, a school offering language classes of U.S. Program Sponsor offering your j-1 visa program. The Papa Carlo mission is the creation of international students community and providing information support to the students participating in cultural and educational exchange programs in order to make their experience unforgettable and positive and learning. In conclusion we would like to express our interest in establishing friendly and long-term cooperation with all entities involved in the student exchange industry. The purpose of our cooperation is simple – building better conditions for the students coming to the United States of America tomorrow! Wishing you best of luck! Papa Carlo |
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Papa-Carlo© 2009.
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