All About Sponsorship

ERDT’s Responsibilities as a Work & Travel Program Sponsor

Under the sponsorship of Educational Resource Development Trust (ERDT), you are provided with the following services:

• Sponsorship, which allows you to work legally in the U.S.
• Full assistance with J-visa and other program documents
• Full assistance with obtaining a Social Security Number and Card
• Medical & Accident insurance coverage throughout your program
• Pre-departure support and assistance as you prepare for your program
• Support from ERDT staff to answer your questions
• 24-hour emergency assistance

One of the jobs of the sponsor is to track all J1 participants during their stay in the U.S. on a system known as "the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System" (SEVIS). SEVIS is a tracking system of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is designed to keep accurate and current information on foreign exchange visitors entering the U.S.

SEVIS tracks personal data (name, place of birth, country of citizenship), your visa status and your current accommodation and employer data. Although this does not limit your freedom to travel and explore during your time here, it does mean that ERDT, as your legal sponsor, will be required by the U.S. government to keep SEVIS up-to-date. Accordingly, ERDT is required to verify that all participants begin their work programs as scheduled. ERDT must also update SEVIS regarding any change in your U.S. address, change of employer, termination and other details.

Your Responsibilities as a Work & Travel Program Participant

As a Work & Travel participant, you are expected to do the following:

• Immediately after you arrive, go to www.erdtworkandtravel.org and click on "Validate and Update your SEVIS Record." If your record isn’t validated, you won’t have legal status in the U.S..
• After you have applied for your Social Security Card, go back to "Validate and Update your SEVIS Record" on our website, to update your record.
• During your stay, contact ERDT at 800-321-3738, 310-450-4624 or worktravel@erdtshare.org if any of the following should happen:
  • You change your accommodation address
  • You are fired or laid off from your job.
  • You are thinking about quitting or changing your job. (Quitting or changing your job without ERDT approval can result in your visa termination.)
• Prior to your departure, fill out the ERDT pre-departure questionnaire at www.erdtworkandtravel.org