Your application has a few sections that tell Resort Leaders and potential employers about you. Completing each one fully helps the team match you with the right resort. Here's what each part asks for.
What are the application stages?
As you progress through your application, your status updates on your profile so you always know where you are and what to do next:
- New Application means you've created your profile and started your application. Complete the available sections, pay your deposit if your country requires one, and request your interview. The team will be in touch.
- Deposit Paid means you've completed the first step and made your first payment. Not all countries require a deposit, and payment schedules vary by country. More sections of your application now open up. Try to complete a first draft of everything before your interview, as your interviewer will go through each section with you. You can finalize the details afterward.
- Accepted means you've passed your Resort Leaders interview and been officially accepted onto the program. New sections open up, including your background and medical declarations. Finalize your application and start uploading your documents so the team can begin finding you a placement.
- Ready to Hire means your application is complete and your profile is now visible to resort managers. This is when hiring begins. You can explore resorts and request interviews, and resorts can view your profile, contact you, and invite you to interview. For what each hiring status means (Visible, On Review, Confirmed, and Placed), see the Ready to Hire article.
- Get Prepared means you've been matched with a resort. Now it's time to apply for your visa and complete the remaining sections on your checklist, including your travel, insurance, and emergency contact. Aim to finish everything at least a month before you fly.
- Ready to Fly means you've reached 100% and everything is in place. Pack your bags, save your travel and insurance documents to your phone, and keep your passport, visa, DS-2019, and SEVIS receipt in your hand luggage.
- On Program means you're at your resort. Everything you need while you're in the US lives in your profile, including your insurance details and emergency contacts.
- Alumni means you've completed your program. Welcome home. You can apply again as a returner by starting your next application.
The exact sections within each stage can vary depending on your country and your program (Work & Travel, Intern & Trainee, or H-2B). Your profile guides you through everything in the right order. You don't need to complete it all in one sitting. Your progress saves automatically, so you can log out and come back whenever you're ready.
Personal details
This section covers a few personal details that help Resort Leaders match you with the right employer.
Education
Your education details help the team prepare the correct visa paperwork. When you enter your university, start typing the name and select the official option from the list. If you can't find it, let the team know.
What you share depends on your program:
- On the Work & Travel Program, your occupation must be full-time student in higher education at degree level or above. Select the student option that fits, and contact the office as soon as you can if you're not a full-time student
- On the Intern & Trainee Program, select one of the student options if you're a student with a part-time job
- On the H-2B program, an educational background isn't required, though it helps to share a little about your studies
Work experience
List your previous work and volunteer experience. Good detail here helps employers understand the skills you bring, so describe what each role involved, your responsibilities, and the impact you had. Write your answers in English where you can.
Include:
- Your work history for at least the past 5 years
- Details of any previous positions in the USA
If you're returning to a resort, the US Department of State still needs a complete, up-to-date record of your work history for the past 5 years. This covers every paid job and any volunteer experience, along with all of your previous positions in the USA.
Skills
Resorts hire international team members for roles in food and beverage, culinary, front office, housekeeping, and maintenance. Your practical skills are a big part of the role, and resorts look for people who bring reliability, experience, and a strong work ethic.
Select your top skills based on your strengths and the roles you want, then describe each one. Choose at least three skills, or at least four on the Intern & Trainee Program. For your best three skills, write a full description in complete sentences rather than bullet points, and include:
- Your skill level and experience
- Your work experience first, then your personal experience
- What the role involved and what you learned
Your program changes this slightly:
- On the Intern & Trainee Program, select the field you want to work in and explain why, including the skills that qualify you
- If you're returning to a resort, select the one skill that matches the role you're returning to, and describe how you've used it and how you'll apply it
Availability
Your available dates depend on your program and visa.
Work & Travel Program (J-1)
You can work for around 12 weeks, depending on your university vacation dates and the dates set by the US Embassy for your country. Choose the earliest and latest dates you can work, with at least 12 weeks between them. You can travel for up to 30 days after you finish working.
Intern & Trainee Program (J-1)
You can work for up to 12 months. Most 6 month placements start in spring and end in late fall or early winter. Choose your preferred dates, and tell the team if you have a deadline to be home.
H-2B program
There are two seasons, April 1 to January 1 and October 1 to July 1. A full program runs up to 9 months and may be shorter, depending on the resort's needs. Choose the earliest and latest dates you can work, with at least 6 months between them. Dates may vary pending visa approval.
Changing your availability dates after you have been placed at a resort may mean a processing fee to change the dates on your visa documents, so choose your dates carefully.
Your social media
Resort managers often check the public social media profiles of people they are thinking of hiring. Before you apply, review your profiles and privacy settings so that anything on public display would look appropriate to a resort manager.
Going to the same resort as a friend
If you would like to be placed at the same resort as a friend, you can link your applications. Enter your friend's application ID, shown next to their photo, and they will be invited to link back to you. Once linked, resorts can see that you would like to be placed together. There is no guarantee a resort will offer you both a place, as it depends on your skills, experience, and the roles available.
The resort questionnaire
This is your chance to show resorts who you are beyond your skills and experience. You'll be asked to:
- Share your motivation for working in hospitality
- Describe your previous travel experience and how it could benefit a resort
- Tell the team what you enjoy doing in your free time