How Long Does It Take to Hire Seasonal Staff Through CIEE? What to Expect from Recruitment to Start

Summer staffing doesn’t have to be a scramble. 

The BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel program delivers a ready-to-go workforce of committed, driven, and enthusiastic international college students – just in time for your peak season. More than 100,000 of these young participants arrive in the United States each year, bringing fresh energy and a new perspective to roles in hospitality, retail, recreation, and more.  

And when you partner with CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange as your sponsor, you can rest assured that your Summer Work Travel hiring process will be seamless. 

The BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel Hiring Timeline 

The U.S. Department of State named CIEE its first BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel sponsor back in 1969.  

With all that longevity under CIEE’s belt, it's no wonder it has the Summer Work Travel process down to a science.  

Note: The participants are available during their summer university vacation, hence the name Summer Work Travel. While the program is named Summer Work Travel, businesses that have peak seasons in the winter and spring may also take advantage of this initiative. Also, international students start thinking about their summer plans many months before the season begins. To maximize your hiring potential, review the CIEE BridgeUSA hiring timeline: 

Working within this timeline – or contacting a sponsor as early as you can – keeps everyone on track. 

“The earlier an employer gets us their job needs, the better,” said Brian Compagna, CIEE hiring events team director for seasonal exchange programs. “Planning ahead also opens the doors to more top talent.” 

“It also allows participants to apply for their visa appointment as soon as possible,” leaving less room for delays in the interview or for processing, he said. 

How the CIEE BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel Hiring Process Works 

So, how long does BridgeUSA take from the first call to your participants’ arrival? Learn more about our hosting timeline. 

Step 1: Set up a planning call with CIEE. 

After you reach out to the Summer Work Travel team, you’ll receive an email from a member of our host relations team within 1-2 business days.  

You’ll set up your initial call, in which you’ll talk about: 

• Your business 
• Your peak season 
• Positions you want to hire for 
• The types of team members you’d like to host 
• The hiring timeline 
• The documentation you need to provide 
• Any other questions you may have about CIEE, BridgeUSA, and/or Summer Work Travel 

“Every employer’s needs are unique,” said Rebecca Wagner, CIEE host sales manager. “We can cater to a lot of different host employer requests, from restaurants to resorts, and many industries in between. But if they're not ready to take those steps yet, we’ll schedule a check-in a week down the road.”  

Once you’ve discussed everything, you’ll walk away with next steps. 

Step 2: Finalize hiring strategy. 

How long this part takes is up to you. CIEE can help you finish this up within a few days or weeks.  

Employers start by logging in to Beacon, the CIEE BridgeUSA hiring platform. There, you’ll create your host profile and the placement profiles, which are used to market your positions. 

"We’re also happy to work through the process with a Microsoft Teams meeting and literally walk through step by step or provide guides, whichever the employer prefers,” Wagner said. 

(Plus, should you choose to partner with CIEE BridgeUSA again after your first season, this step becomes a snap, Wagner said. That’s because after setting up a Beacon profile for the first time, it doesn't need to be recreated. Only small updates – such as updated compliance documents, new housing information, or wage changes – would need to be made.) 

Step 3: Start hiring applicants. 

Employers can use one of CIEE’s hiring services, like:  

• Roadshows: Attend multi-stop international events that allow you to meet, interview, and hire candidates in person. You'll have the benefit of face-to-face interviews but also get to experience the culture of your future staff.  
• Virtual roadshows: Interview and hire students from around the world without leaving your office. 
• On-site virtual roadshow: Travel to a CIEE-sponsored location, where the team then helps you with hiring events over a 1- or 2-day period. You can also interact with other host employers. 
• CIEE Recruit: Allow the CIEE team to interview candidates and hire on your behalf. 
• CIEE Connect: Access the host portal to see candidate resumes and digital cover letters, and interview candidates on your schedule. 

"We tailor the hiring service based on hiring preference,” Wagner said. “Whether they want to meet the participant in person or want CIEE to hire on their behalf, these options put the ball in their court.” 

Hiring timelines for these services may vary due to factors like when an employer posts their jobs, when participants apply for the jobs, and the country that the participant is from, because different countries have different summer breaks. 

Step 4: Prepare for arrivals. 

Now that you’ve hired your international participants, you’ll need to finalize your summer plans for them. 

This may include: 

• Putting together an onboarding and training plan. 
• Planning a few cultural activities that your participants might be interested in experiencing. 
• Ensuring students have housing when they need it. While some employers have the ability to provide housing, not all do, so it’s great if you can help them make connections for their stay. 
• Researching area events and sites that your new team might be interested in while they’re in the U.S. 

You’ll also need to gather all participants’ arrival information. If you have many arriving, try to help them coordinate dates, especially if your business is in a remote location. 

“That can help the host make some travel arrangements from the airport,” Compagna said. “The employer can make sure they have a van that’s going to pick up the participants from the airport and drive them out.” 

Step 5: Welcome participants. 

Once your participants are in their housing, you’ll need to check in with your J-1 sponsor. 

“All of the participants have to be registered in SEVIS to validate that they’re actually in the U.S.,” Compagna said. (SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It helps track and monitor visitors on a J-1 visa throughout participants’ time in America, and it’s overseen by U.S. Department of Homeland Security.) 

There’s one more piece that a host employer can help with: “One thing the host does that’s very important is helping the participants get Social Security numbers,” Compagna said. “They can also help their participant with setting up a bank account.” 

How Early Should Employers Start? 

Ideally, once your peak season is complete, it's a great time to start thinking about next year.  

"Starting the hiring process early ensures participants have plenty of time to secure visa interview appointments – and it gives their business the lead time needed to plan for the season ahead,” Wagner said. “Early recruitment also allows our international representatives to market the jobs more effectively and attract a stronger, more qualified candidate pool. The early bird really does catch the worm!” 

CIEE’s recommended seasonal hiring timeline has been designed to make the process as seamless as possible for Summer Work Travel employers. However, if it’s your first time partnering with a BridgeUSA sponsor and you’re already outside the schedule, it’s still perfectly fine to get in touch with the CIEE team. (Remember, tens of thousands of international students come to America each year to participate in Summer Work Travel!) 

Why Hiring Through CIEE Keeps Your Hiring Process on Track 

When you work with the oldest and largest nonprofit J-1 visa sponsor in the United States, you get almost 60 years’ worth of BridgeUSA experience.  

That means over half a century of partnering with the State Department to ensure compliance. Decades of aligning with seasonal businesses to connect them with talent through our international student hiring process. And years of vetting participants to ensure you host the cream of the crop. 

It’s why employers across America – large and small – choose CIEE year after year. Employers like: 

• Aramark Destinations 
• Harris Teeter Inc. 
• SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment 
• Six Flags Entertainment 
• Vail Resorts 
• Whitefish Mountain Resort 
• Xanterra Travel Collection 

Whether you need 1, 100, or more than 1,000 team members for your peak season, CIEE is the sponsor that can make it happen. 

What Can Affect the Timeline? 

While much of the international student hiring process can be handled by CIEE, you as the employer need to be an active partner when information is needed. 

Situations that could cause setbacks for Summer Work Travel employers include: 

• Documentation delays: Submit your Employer Identification Number, business license, and workers’ compensation information on time to CIEE so that open positions can be approved.  
• Last-minute job-offer changes: Changing staffing needs, modifying job details, or being unclear about start/end dates can delay the issuance of forms that students need to apply for their J-1 visa. 
• Verification process: Being unresponsive to sponsor inquiries, delays in returning phone calls, or not providing information about the position can significantly slow down candidate vetting. 

Stay on track by responding to your host relations manager quickly. 

Plan for a Successful Summer Season 

The earlier you start the hiring process, the earlier you get to access the largest candidate pool – and the easier you make it on yourself when your peak season arrives. Count on CIEE BridgeUSA to keep your seasonal operations successful. 

Reach out to the CIEE BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel team now to see how your business can partner with our cultural exchange program.