Work And Travel
The general information below will give candidates for the Work and Travel 2021 program a better idea of what everyone participating in the Work and Travel USA 2021 program will have to face, including the stages of training, the list of required documents, and the life of participants in the United States , and traveling around America and much more.
The Work and Travel Program is a cultural international exchange program that brings hundreds of thousands of students from around the world to the United States during the summer holidays, from May to September. The uniqueness of the program is that each student will be able to achieve several goals at the same time: get acquainted with the traditions and culture of the United States.
The main advantage of the program is that there is no need to independently search for suitable vacancies, as well as to complete a number of papers. Employees acting as intermediaries appear to be from the Russian Federation and CIS countries, which eliminates language barriers and cultural differences.
Features of moving from Russia
Green Card or Green Card is a special identification card that gives the right to live and work in Alaska. This is a kind of obtaining an American residence permit and one of the most common methods of emigration.
The easiest way to get a Green Card is to participate in a lottery that the US government holds every year. Participation in the lottery is free. Anyone can fill out the form and apply for participation. The procedure for filling out the questionnaire is discussed in detail below in this article. The registration period for participation in the Green Card drawing, which will be available in 2021, is from October 3 to November 7, 2021.
Thus, the application is submitted in 2021, the drawing and the announcement of its results take place on the official website dvlottery.state.gov in the spring of 2021. If you win and then have a successful interview at the American Embassy, you will be able to receive a Green Card only in 2021.
You can also use the services of numerous intermediary companies and firms, but you need to remember that there are many scammers working in this market. In any case, you need to remember that we should always talk about completely legal employment.
Life in Alaska, Anchorage in Russian
I moved to Alaska in the fall of 2012 with my parents. Our family won a Green card (US residence permit) in a lottery held annually by the American government. This makes it possible to live in the States, having almost all rights, and after 5 years apply for citizenship. We had a unique opportunity that simply could not be missed, and we decided to move.
Many were very surprised: why exactly to Alaska? The answer is very simple. We have quite a lot of relatives and friends living there, including my aunt and older sister. Agree, starting a new life is much easier when there is support and help.
Special Alaska
Alaska is a special state. He's not like everyone else. Although, to be honest, in America almost all states are very different from each other. Everyone has their own character. But I’m sure: Alaska is a very special place that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.
The nature here is very similar to Kamchatka, except that there are no volcanoes. The territory is huge: Alaska occupies the same amount of space as ⅔ of the other states, and only 600 thousand people live, 300 of which are in Anchorage. Alaska is northern, but not at all what many imagine.
People there don’t ride dog sleds to work, don’t ski to the store, and don’t live in igloos, as many even Americans think.
Anchorage, for example (where we live) is located in the south, close to the ocean and warm currents, so the winters there are simply fabulous. Especially after Khabarovsk. There is a lot of snow and quite warm: the coldest temperature this year was -25, and even then only for a couple of days, but overall during the winter it did not exceed -10. This year in January it generally rained, the sun was shining, and even the ice on the lakes melted. True, the daylight hours are still very short: in December it gets dark by half past five in the evening. Winter lasts a very long time: from the beginning of November to the end of April. It’s not hot in summer either: even if the brightest sun shines, it doesn’t burn. But if you go a little deeper into the mainland and to the north, the temperature there in winter will remain down to –40, and in summer it will exceed +30.
Ways to obtain a residence permit
A residence permit can be obtained in the following cases:
- family reunion;
- obtaining a job from an American employer;
- investment in the American economy (from 500 thousand to 1 million US dollars);
- participation in the Green Card drawing program;
- obtaining political asylum/refugee status;
- applying for a green card under the Registry section of the Immigration and Naturalization Act;
- marriage to a US citizen;
List of required documents
Each case of migration to Alaska requires a specific package of documents to obtain a residence permit. However, you can highlight a standard list of documents that need to be prepared:
- marriage certificate, a copy of which must be sent to the immigration office. Getting married is the most common and fastest way to get a card, so many people create fictitious marriages. If migration services find out about this, the foreigner can be expelled from the country, imposed a large fine, put in prison, and the American can be punished with large administrative sanctions.
- the spouse must submit a request to the migration authorities in order for the partner to receive a green card.
- provision of documents confirming completion of the naturalization process.
- Go through a joint interview with the immigration service to prove the reality of the marriage and its selflessness.
IMPORTANT! The people interviewing spouses are psychologists or social workers who can easily see through the fictitiousness of a marriage. A fictitious marriage threatens with serious consequences for both parties. For a citizen of another country, this could be: a large fine, deportation from the country, prison.
First, you will receive a temporary residence permit, and after passing the second interview, you can get a permanent one. To do this, you must submit documents again after 1 year and 9 months. If a child was born in a marriage outside the country, then a green card must be issued for him too.
If you receive a green card on the basis of a work visa, then you need documents such as:
- a petition from the company where you work;
- papers confirming that you are indeed an employee of this company;
- education document;
- salary certificate;
If you have a relative living in the United States who has a green card or is a citizen of the United States, then things are a little different. Each category of reunification requires different documents.
So, for example, to reunite with spouses you need the following package:
- Form I-130;
- Form G-325A (one copy per applicant, one copy for the husband or wife);
- photocopy of marriage certificate;
- a certificate confirming that the applicants’ previously concluded marriages are invalid;
- photos;
- a certificate confirming the change of name of the spouses;
- a certificate that confirms that the applicant is truly a citizen of the states;
To reunite with children you need:
- Form I-130;
- certificate confirming US citizenship;
- a photocopy of the child’s birth certificate;
- photocopy of marriage certificate;
Where to contact
You can contact the US Embassy, which is located in Moscow. After approval of a green card, a Russian must leave for America within 6 months.
When crossing the border, you must provide a passport with a visa stamped, after which you will be issued a card valid for one year.
Cost and terms
For a migrating worker, the consular fee is $160. Also here you need to add some costs for the services of express companies and paperwork, if the employer does not deal with this issue himself. The cost of such a service is from 10 thousand rubles. For one spouse, the fee will be $240, plus additional expenses.
The deadlines are different for each category. On average they are 282 days.
What to do in case of refusal
The reasons for refusal can be completely different. Often, applicants provide fictitious documents and embellish various biographical facts. In this case, the first step is to check whether you have provided a complete package of documents and, if not, you need to resend the application.
There are strict requirements for the photograph, and if they are not met, the application form, even if you win, may be canceled and you will be denied a Green Card.
Disadvantages of Moving to Alaska
Immigration in this direction seems to be an extremely profitable and promising option for most people, however, there are several negative features that should definitely be taken into account when planning to move here for permanent residence.
First of all, these are harsh climatic conditions, which differ significantly from Moscow. In some cities in the north, temperatures in winter can drop to very low levels, which creates certain inconveniences for long-term living.
Another negative point characteristic of migration in any direction is the environment that is unusual for the traveler. If you have basic knowledge of English, it is quite possible to make your existence more or less comfortable, however, in order to become truly part of society, it is advisable to devote a lot of time to studying local customs and culture.
To obtain permanent residence, it is extremely important to meet certain requirements set out in migration legislation.
As the immigration of foreign nationals wishing to move to the United States continues to increase, even obtaining a tourist visa may result in denial, let alone obtaining residency status and citizenship.
These shortcomings are partly offset by the presence of the necessary infrastructure even in the most remote and remote corners of the state, as well as a high level of security.
Obtaining permanent residence
You can apply for permanent residence only after a temporary Green Card has been issued. Afterwards, the green card can be transferred to a permanent basis. Usually you can apply for permanent residence two years after receiving a residence permit.
In addition, you can obtain permanent residence and subsequently citizenship if you marry a current citizen of this country. Since a business visa will require significant financial investments, it is advisable to examine the procedure for obtaining a work visa in more detail.
Legal employment
You can work on the continent or at sea. Work on floating factories is not much different from that on land. In Alaska they fish all year round, but the hot season is spawning, or poutine, as the Russians also call it. This period lasts from the beginning of June to October, and at this time the need for free hands increases several times. In November the water freezes and fishing becomes impossible. There is no point in going here in winter and spring; the locals themselves cope with everything that needs to be done.
Summing up
Moving to Alaska is quite a long process. It is possible that you will face refusal. Alaska is a very mysterious and secret place for many people, not to mention finding a job in this place. But in fact, jobs in Alaska were in incredible demand in 2021 due to the very large salaries paid in a short amount of time. And 2021 will be the same. Another question is that for such a salary and work there will be a corresponding one. That is, very painstaking and difficult.
Life in Alaska today
It would seem that being on the same latitude as Chukotka makes Anchorage completely unsuitable for long-term living. But it turns out that weather and climatic conditions are not so terrible if there is developed infrastructure, good roads and high salaries. Alaska and its people are the best example of this.
This state attracts those who want to make good money. There are many high-paying vacancies here, and this in itself is a good incentive to move. After working in Alaska for 10-15 years, a visitor can collect the necessary capital to purchase a mortgage on his own home in almost any state, with the exception of some areas of California.
In terms of the overall quality of life, it would not be entirely correct to compare Alaska with Chukotka or other regions of our Far North. The differences are too great. The degree of development of the state is indicated only by the fact that there are more airports in Alaska than in all of Russia.
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Climatic conditions
The main disadvantage of polar latitudes is the harsh winter. True, almost 40% of Alaska's population lives in Anchorage, which is somewhat protected by mountain ranges from the icy northern winds. And the proximity of the Pacific Ocean makes the local climate not as continental as in Siberia. However, frosts of –20-30 °C are not uncommon here. If we take the northern part of Alaska, then sometimes the thermometer there drops to –40 °C. In addition, very strong snowstorms are observed in those areas in winter.
It is worth considering that the climate on the Aleutian Islands is much milder than on mainland Alaska. Therefore, some people prefer to look for work in this part of the state. There are about 8 thousand people on the Aleutian Islands - mostly fishermen and members of their families.
Indigenous people
Who lives in Alaska? According to statistics, there are just over 710 thousand people in the state (as of 2010). Of these, approximately 66% are white. Indigenous people (representatives of various Indian tribes) – 14%. There are very few African Americans in Alaska - about 3.6%. Asians are approximately 5.4%.
