Volunteer work exchange in the USA

Klunt Bumskrint · 2025-01-31T16:00:58+0000

So my daughter (18 years old) is planning a month long trip to Oklahoma to stay at a youth hostel in exchange for 20 hours work a week with lots of spare time for tourism. We're having difficulty working out which visa she needs.

The people where she is planning to stay just said to get a ESTA which is part of the visa waiver program but I've seen reports of people being turned away from immigration using this visa incorrectly for volunteer work.
It's the "volunteer" (not for charity) part that we're having trouble with finding out.

I tried calling the US embassy but couldn't get through to a human and their website doesn't cover volunteering

Can anyone advise?

mattx4 · 2025-01-31T16:16:10+0000

Could be eligible under a B1 visa but this will cost you a couple of hundred and several months to find out

People are eligible for B-1 visas if they are a member of and committed to a recognized religious or nonprofit charitable organization and will participate in a "voluntary service program" there. (See 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(B).)

The program you will be volunteering with must assist the poor or needy or further a religious or charitable cause. It may not involve earning money by selling items or soliciting or accepting donations. You may not accept payment for your efforts, but the organization can provide an allowance or reimbursement for incidental expenses.

I don't think you can volunteer under an ESTA and I wouldn't be surprised given the current government if Border patrol are going to even more invasive on questions and quick to deny people

Klunt Bumskrint · 2025-01-31T17:44:38+0000

Yep looked at that but the problem is finding out a definitive answer. Having her get there and just be sent home would be awful for her.

Jokester · 2025-01-31T17:59:27+0000

ESTA doesn't cover this, so their banking on immigration not finding out or stopping her on entry. If she was caught doing this it would likely stop her using the ESTA process in future and relying on having to get a proper visa to visit again (and clearly this would be an issue for that as well).

Semple · 2025-01-31T18:03:30+0000

Jokester said:
ESTA doesn't cover this, so their banking on immigration not finding out or stopping her on entry. If she was caught doing this it would likely stop her using the ESTA process in future and relying on having to get a proper visa to visit again (and clearly this would be an issue for that as well).

Yeah I imagine the US will be very hot on quizzing people at the moment, and like the Australians they don't take kindly to people lying their way into the country.

In theory she's actually getting paid for this role, but rather than being paid in $ cash, it's traded for bed and board.