Have a working vacation with Kareer Krafters and Taurus International

TOI reports:
If you are a college student, here is something that could make your summer vacation memorable. Under a US government program, you can travel to USA and fund your trip by working there.
The ‘work & travel’ program is a US government initiative under which college students across the world can visit the country on temporary jobs during summer vacations — from May to August. The scheme aims to enable students to ‘‘understand and experience American culture and life’’.
The US department of state’s Council on International Educational Exchange has hired two agencies in India — Kareer Krafters and Taurus International — as partners to administer the J1 visa program meant for this purpose.

Any graduate or PG student can apply under the scheme. The applicant will be screened by the designated companies for suitability to visit the US alone. Vipul Mehta, MD of Kareer Krafter, said one of the prerequisites is a working knowledge of English. In US, summer jobs can fetch up to Rs 3L
New Delhi: Under the US ‘‘work & travel’’ programme regular college students across the world can visit the country on temporary jobs during summer vacations.
During a maximum of four months’ stay in the US allowed under the programme, a student can earn around Rs 3 lakh. Staying expenses, which the student has to bear, typically run up to Rs 1 lakh for four months, said Vipul Mehta, MD of Kareer Krafter,
Students are normally offered unskilled jobs in retail outlets, tourist camps, entertainment park and restaurants, said Col Kulvinder Singh, MD of Taurus International. Students are paid $8 to 12 per hour. Wages for semiskilled students from vocational courses like hotel management are higher. Singh said that students doing degree courses in hospitality can also avail of this opportunity to do practical training in the US for a semester.
An applicant needs to produce a certificate stating the period of vacation from his or her institution. For staying in the US beyond the vacation period, permission is needed from the student’s college or university. Though the J1 visa is for four months, an applicant can extend it for another month but only for the purpose of travelling in the US. Students aren’t allowed to work beyond the four-month period.
The total cost of travel under the programme is Rs 1.16 lakh, which the student has to bear. Out of this, Rs 50,000 is used for buying to and fro ticket, Rs 25,000 goes as fees to the consulting company and the rest is converted into $750 for buying insurance and meeting other statutory requirements.s
Mehta said there is huge demand for students for doing summer jobs under the programme.