Frequently Asked Questions

We put together some Frequently Asked Questions together with answers. Please, read it before calling us. There is a big chance you will find the answer here. We will be updating this list often.

You can also email us if you cannot find your answer here.

before the program
during the program

BEFORE THE PROGRAM:

Q. What type of training your Program has to offer?

A. All of our students train in businesses related to agriculture. Here are type of businesses which we have the most placements available:

- horticulture
- greenhouses ( tropical plants, annuals, vegetables, cut flowers )
- outdoor nurseries and garden centers
- landscaping
- agriculture
- animals ( dairy, swine, equine )
- grain
- mixed (grain and animals)
- agricultural machinery
- turfgrass
Please, understand, that placements in all fields are limited. We place students according to their desires based on honest interests and on education and experience.

Q. When can I start my adventure?

A. We accept applications during the whole year. The best time to apply, however, is in the early winter to start training in the early spring. This is the time when most placements are available. We strongly advise you to chose that period. If you do, you can expect placement much faster then in the summer. Applications received in late spring or in the summer often wait 2- 4 months until placements are available. In the winter we are usually able to find a placements in just a couple of weeks.

Q. How much will I earn? Will I get paid overtime?

A. First, remember that this is a training program not a work program. You are guaranteed to receive compensation, and the federal minimum wage in the USA is $5.15 at the moment, higher in some particular States. You are guaranteed to receive compensation for 40 hrs a week but it may happen that in the slow season that will be less and in the peak times ? more, potentially even as much as 60- 70 hrs a week.

Extra pay for any overtime hours you complete is not required of agricultural/horticultural businesses under U.S. law. Only some companies opt to pay 150% of the regular hourly compensation for any hour over the normal 40 hour week.

Q. Will I be insured while on the program?

A. Yes, having good health insurance is one of requirements to participate in our program. Almost all students buy the insurance directly from us, as it offers excellent value. If you wish, we can send you a detailed description of the insurance we offer. Also, during training hours, you will be covered by insurance provided by your host called Workers Compensation. This insurance protects you against work related accidents. Remember! The insurance does not cover any pre-existing conditions. To make it simple ? if you arrive with a broken leg to the USA, our insurance will not pay those bills. If you break it here ? it will be covered.

Q. Will I have to pay any taxes?

A. Yes, you will. But wait, there is more! You will have to complete a tax report in the spring of the following year. During the first year of your training you can expect to have almost all or simply all of your taxes returned/refunded. IRS will send you a nice check about 2- 3 months after you submit your paperwork to them. If you extend your visa and stay in the USA for a full 18 months, your situation after the first 12 months changes and you will get smaller refund, or you may even have to pay something extra. It all depends on the income to expenses and deductions ratio.

Q. Where will I live and how much will this cost?

A. When you arrive, an house or an apartment will be waiting for you. Very often accommodation is provided for free or at a subsidized rate compared to rental properities in that area. Sometimes you will live in regular, commercial housing. In this case the rent may cost you more, but you can expect to be paid better. Whatever the situation is, before you agree to particular placement you will have all the information concerning your pay, accommodation, type of work etc.

Q. You ask for reference letters to be submitted with application to your program. Why?

A. We cannot say enough how important the reference letters are. After receiving your application, we send it to many companies which we feel can best offer you the type of internship experience youa re seeking. It is up to them to choose you or not. This is why your application should be made very clearly. You will have to have at least two good letters of reference, preferably from former employers and if you were hired on a farm or had an internship abroad already, better. Some students send us letters of reference from their school, from teachers and professors. These are not worth as much as the one from AG employers, but still better then none.

Q. How long can I participate in The Ohio Program?

A. The longest your participation on our program can be is 18 months. Typically most of our students come for an initial program of 12 months and then extend for a further 6 months. Typically, participants are granted a 30-day grace period at the end of an 18-month program to close accounts, pack and send their belongings home and to do some tourism within the US. You should not remain in the US beyond the grace period. You should not engage in any employment during the grace period either.

Q. I want to pay the application fee but I do not have a credit card. I want to send you bank draft or an international check issued by my bank, but I am having problems to buy one!

A. Many banks, especially in Eastern Europe, have problems issuing this form of payment. The first thing is to find the biggest bank in your city. Almost always they have meant to issue a bank draft. Then you have to find an employee of that bank who can help you. Bank drafts (example) are not very common and many times you may hear that they cannot be issued. They can! The problem is that bank employees often just do not know about it. Make sure to take a printed copy of the example of such a check/draft that we supply you with. Sometimes you even have to talk to the manager of the branch. It is very important that the check has numbers on the bottom (like on the example provided, but the numbers will be different!) and is issued for The Ohio State University. Remember, we cannot accept wire transfers.

DURING THE PROGRAM:

Q: I plan to leave and re-enter the US during my program. What do I need to do?

A: If you are traveling while your J-1 visa and your original visa stamp is valid, all you need to do is to send us a full copy of your flight itinerary (travel agent or e-itinerary) with a good return address. If there is a rush on this, you will need to send this via special courier delivery (DHL, FedEx, TNT, Priority Mail) with either a self-addressed, pre-paid return envelope enclosed, or include payment of $40 for us to return it to you, be it within the US or overseas. If you pay us for the courier return, be sure that the address you include is a street address (couriers do not deliver to PO boxes), that someone is there to sign for the packet during the day AND that you include a contact phone number, should delivery problems arise. If you give us enough time, lets say you plan to travel 4-6 weeks later, there is no need to rush it and regular mail will be fine. No $40 needed.

If you intend to travel during your extended program and your J-1 visa has expired you will need to plan enough time for a return visit to the US consulate overseas. When making the appointment explain you need an extended J-1 trainee visa stamp. Follow any instructions the consulate gives you and be sure to take your passport, with your old J-1 visa stamp and DS-2019 form with you.

Q. I want to travel outside of the US, say to Mexico or Canada, during my grace period (see above) and then return to the US before flying home, can I do this?

A. In a word, NO (unless you have a separate tourist visa to the US that covers you after the date you intend to re-enter). Although participants are typically allowed a 30-day grace period at the end of their 18 month program, this is considered for tourism within the US. If you decide to leave the US at any time during that 30-day grace period, officials will consider your exit as signifying you have opted NOT to utilize any of that remaining period. If you still really want to visit, say Mexico, our advice is to get all you US tourism and affairs completed prior to departing the US, and then simply fly home from another country.

Q. I want to extend my program? How does that happen and when?

A. Firstly, you have to maintain good performance evaluations. These are done by your supervisor and sent directly to us. If your evaluations are in order, we will invite you to extend your program. This is normally done in the form of an ?Extension Letter?, which is sent to you with instructions about 2- 3 months before your current visa/program expires. If you do not receive such a letter two months prior to the end of your program, you can contact our office to learn if this was a clerical error or if we have decided not to offer you an extension. Any extension offer we make to you is optional.