Travel
If you intend to travel at the end of your CIEE Work & Travel USA program, you are free to explore the U.S. for the period of time indicated on your Confirmation of Insurance document.
During the CIEE Work & Travel USA program, you are expected to work at your CIEE approved employer for the entire length of your employment agreement. However, when you have approved time off from work during your DS-2019 dates, you are able to travel. Be sure to talk with your manager about the possibility of taking time off from work for travel. You should always ask for days off at least a week in advance.
Depending on the agreement you signed with your representative and CIEE, you may also have a Travel Period following your official work dates, during which your program insurance coverage remains in place. Your overall Program Dates are those stated on your Confirmation of Insurance Coverage document that you received with your DS-2019, and include both the work period and Travel Period. If you did not sign up for a Travel Period when applying for the program, it is not possible to add this once you are in the U.S.
The U.S. Department of State has a grace period that allows you to legally remain in the U.S. for an additional 30 days after your DS-2019 expires. Please visit the U.S. Department of State website for a full explanation of what the grace period is: http://exchanges.state.gov/jexchanges/j-1_visas/grace-period.html.
If your program dates indicated on your Confirmation of Insurance are the same as those indicated on your DS-2019 Form, and you decide to take advantage of the grace period to travel in the U.S., you must be aware of these important details:
- You will not be covered by CIEE insurance and you will no longer be the responsibility of CIEE; you are only covered by CIEE insurance if you signed up for the Travel Period when applying for the program.
- You should not miss classes to travel during the grace period.
- You should not travel outside the continental U.S. during the grace period.
CIEE recommends that you return home when your program comes to an end and that you do not stay in the U.S. if you did not sign up for the Travel Period.
If you are traveling within the U.S., keep in mind that the security and screening process may be different than the one you experienced when boarding a plane in your country. At U.S. security checks:
- You are required to remove your shoes before you enter the walk-through metal detector. All types of footwear must be placed on the X-ray machine to be screened.
- All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be three ounces or smaller.
For a complete list of what you can or can't bring, and other travel tips, visit the
TSA Website.