A retailer’s guide to J-1

What J-1 Summer Work Travel is

J-1 Summer Work Travel is run by the U.S. Department of State through designated sponsors. Participants are university students on a break, working seasonal jobs for up to four months. Southern Hemisphere students come in the U.S. winter.

What the sponsor does

Sponsors screen and select every participant, handle program documents and run participant orientation. Alto works alongside them; we do not select or recruit participants abroad, and we do not issue or guarantee visas or program documents.

Which roles can fit

Customer-facing store roles in daytime and evening hours are the usual starting point. Every role is reviewed against program rules.

Sponsors screen and select every participant. Participants work in eligible seasonal roles only: no warehouse or distribution work, no jobs worked mostly between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and no jobs that need a driver’s license. Participants are never contractors, and they never pay Alto a fee.

Two ways to host

Alto as host employer, where our structure meets program requirements: participants are Alto employees, paid and supervised full time on site by Alto, which controls the worksite.

You as host employer: your company hosts, and Alto manages readiness, sponsor matching, paperwork, housing, transportation and support.

How to start

Start the conversation months before your season. We review your roles, match you with one of our sponsor partners and plan housing and transport.