Intrinsic | for students and youth

By signing your EOAF (Employment Offer Agreement Form), you are agreeing to work for that employer. If you decide that you cannot work for that employer, or you lose your job, you need to contact us and CIEE for assistance. If you don't show up at your job, or you leave your job without contacting us first, you will be dismissed from the Program, and you will have to return home immediately. Make sure you contact us before leaving your job. We will work with you and your employer to resolve any problems that you may be encountering.

Yes. Just choose the same employer, but it is not guaranteed since the final decision is made by the employer.

Speak with your employer and speak with us. We will assist you in working with your employer. If, for any reason, a change of employer becomes necessary, you must contact CIEE and get approval before changing jobs.

Sorry, your international flight is arranged by Intrinsic, meaning the airlines / departure date / flight time / flight route are fixed and will be arranged by Intrinsic, any change of the above is NOT allowed.

You and other WATUSA participants will leave Hong Kong to the U.S. on early June, the date(s) will be fixed by both the U.S. employers and Intrinsic. No individual departure will be allowed.

You will have to buy an air ticket to the U.S. at your own cost. Intrinsic will not bear any costs or responsibility for those who miss their flight for any reason. Therefore, please be punctual on your departure date!

Change of return date is permitted for most of the airlines, however, it would depend on each airline’s terms & conditions and flight availability, and some additional cost may be involved.

No. You should report to your employer upon arrival and the date of departure from Hong Kong is fixed by Intrinsic.

No extension is allowed for the J-1 Work/Travel Program including the visa. By signing your copy of the Terms and Conditions of the program, you are agreeing to return home within 30 days of the end of your program. Failure to return home by that time will result in your being out of status, and subject to arrest and deportation. Do not jeopardize your future by breaking the law! Return home at the end of your program!

Yes. You are permitted to travel within the U.S. after your work program has ended (the end date on your DS-2019 form). Though your J-1 Work/Travel visa expires at the end of your employment, in theory you are still permitted to remain in the country for traveling purpose for up to 30 days. This is known as the “grace period.” However, you are required to return to Hong Kong before the start of the new academic year set by your university. This applies to final year students as well.

The other thing you must be pay special attention is, you are STRICTLY PROHIBITED from traveling outside the U.S. If you leave the U.S. after the end date on your DS-2019 form, you will not be permitted back in with the expired J-1 visa. This rule applies even for airport layovers, so be certain your international air travel plans do not include stops in the U.S. after you have departed the country. (However, if you hold a passport from a country that does not require a visa to enter the U.S., this rule does not apply.)

If you have a multiple-entry visa, are in good standing with the program, and able to obtain a visa for the country you wish to visit, you may travel outside of USA during your program. You will need to send your DS-2019 form and a copy of your J-1 visa at least two weeks prior to your trip and via a self addressed, PREPAID, TRACKABLE envelope (i.e. Fed Ex), with a note stating your travel dates, U.S. mailing address & phone number to the CIEE’s office. The responsible officer will sign the back of your DS-2019 and a “letter of Good Standing” so you can re-enter the country at the end of your trip. You cannot re-enter USA with the J-1 visa after your program end date listed in section 3 of your DS-2019 form. You will not be able to re-enter the U.S. after your work program has ended. Do not ever spend more than 30 days outside the U.S. during your work period. If you do this, you may have trouble re-entering the country, your program may be terminated, or you may be deported.

The DS-2019 form is one of the documents required for the J-1 Work/Travel Visa application. Without this form, you cannot apply for your visa. And, in order to obtain this form, one must be sponsored by an organization designated by U.S. Department of State. CIEE, of which INTRINSIC is a partner in Hong Kong, is one of these organizations.

A J-1 Work/Travel visa allows you entry to the U.S. as a WAT participant and work for up to 4 months.

No. In addition to the fee, complete forms and various required documents, you will be required to attend an interview at U.S. Consulate and discuss the purpose of your visit which will determine the success of your visa application.

In the event of a visa denial, you will receive a refund of HKD8,500 from your 1st Installment, while the rest (HKD1500) will be charged as placement cost. Your administration fee (HKD100) is non-refundable. In order to collect the refund, you will need to return the original DS-2019 form, along with proof from U.S. Consulate that your visa application w

SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) has been set up by the government in an effort to keep track of all J-1 participants’ whereabouts. Therefore, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you register with SEVIS within 20 days of your arrival. If you do not register for SEVIS, you are in danger of losing your CIEE sponsorship and program termination! There are 3 ways to register with SEVIS:

1. Go to www.mysevis.com.
2. Call 1-888-COUNCIL (1 888 268 6245), and a Customer Service Representative will assist you.
3. Use the Orange Postcard you received at orientation.

You are responsible for your accommodation while in USA. You must arrange at least temporary housing before you leave home. We suggest that you contact your employer as many employers provide housing or assistance with housing. Even though it is your responsibility to make your housing arrangement, we will try our best to assist you in securing a place to stay in USA. Once you have secured a place to stay in USA, you must notify us of where you will be staying. You must do this before you leave home.

You are responsible for your housing while you are in USA. If you move to a new address, you need to notify us and CIEE as soon as possible.

Yes! In the U.S., income taxes are imposed by the federal, state and local governments. Your employer generally withholds income tax from your salary and pays it directly to the government. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of your salary will be withheld for federal income tax, a portion of which you may be able to claim back as a refund at the end of the year.

States and cities may charge extra income tax according to local laws. State income taxes are approximately 5 to 8 percent. If applicable, state and local income taxes will be withheld from your paycheck. Ask your employer about the local tax situation. You may be able to claim a refund for a portion of these taxes at the end of the year.

You MUST pay U.S. income tax. Failure to pay any taxes you owe could cause problems for you if you apply for any visas to return to the U.S. in the future. Please make sure that these taxes are being withheld from your paycheck.

At the end of the tax year, your employer will mail you the W-2 form. The W-2 details your total wages and the amount of each tax that was withheld. The U.S. tax year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31. You should be receiving your W-2 form in March.

Be sure to leave your address in your home country with your employer before departing the U.S. so they can mail you the W-2 form. If you do not receive your W-2 form by March 1, you should contact your employer directly and request replacements. To file a tax return, you must complete separate forms for federal taxes and state/local taxes and you are required and responsible for filing the U.S. tax returns by April 15th.

All forms are available from banks, libraries and post offices in the U.S. If you are in your home country, federal forms are available at the U.S. Embassies. You may also download tax forms on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website: www.irs.gov.

You may also contact "Tax Back" who will file your taxes for you for a small fee. Please contact Tax Back International at www.taxback.com/ for enrollment and further information.

You should bring enough money to pay for food and housing for your first month in USA. This is important, because you may not receive your first pay check until after you've been working for one or two weeks. As a general rule, you should have enough money for one month's rent, and an additional USD1000 when you arrive. CIEE and Intrinsic will not loan you money, so make sure that you bring enough.

The United States Information Agency requires that all visitors be insured for illness, emergencies and third party liability. The insurance provided to you by CIEE is specifically designed to cover all of the above requirements. Visit CIEE insurance site for complete information on your medical coverage during your stay in the U.S.

The Administration Fee (HK$100) is non-refundable. However, whether you can get a refund is depended on your application stage. For details, please see the below refund policy:

Stage 1: After passing selection, before signing Program Confirmation Form (“PCF”)
Reason for Cancellation	Refund Type / Penalty:
Any reason	NO penalty will be charged
Stage 2: After signing Program Confirmation Form (“PCF”), before signing Employment Offer Agreement Form (“EOAF”)
Reason for Cancellation	Refund Type / Penalty
Family illness, family death, participant illness, or participant pregnancy,	NO penalty will be charged. A doctor’s note regarding the condition must be given.
No interest in Placements	NO penalty will be charged
Personal issue or participant change his/her mind	NO refund
Stage 3: After signing Employment Offer Agreement Form (“EOAF”), before applying for J-1 Work/Travel Visa
Reason for Cancellation	Refund Type / Penalty
Family illness, family death, participant illness, or participant pregnancy,	HK$1500 will be charged, the rest will be refunded. A doctor’s note regarding the condition must be given.
Personal issue or participant change his/her mind	NO refund
Stage 4: After applying J-1 Work/Travel Visa, before departure
Reason for Cancellation	Refund Type / Penalty
Visa Denial	HK$1500 will be charged, the rest will be refunded.
Family illness, family death, participant illness, or participant pregnancy	HK$11500 will be charged, the rest will be refunded. A doctor’s note regarding the condition must be given.
Personal issue or participant change his/her mind	NO refund

CIEE runs a twenty-four hour emergency support line for program participants. Emergencies are defined as the following:

• Death or medical emergency
• If you are a victim of a crime
• If you have been arrested
• Urgent Counseling

Call CIEE's 24 hour emergency number: 1-888- COUNCIL (1-888-268-6245)

For other concerns, you may contact the CIEE Boston office's toll-free number during office hours. Examples of problems that CIEE can help you with are:

• Loss of DS-2019 and/or I-94 form
• Loss of passport - contact your home country's consulate
• Tenant/Landlord concerns
• Basic legal information and advice for procedures and contacts
• Victim of theft or a non-violent crime
• Employee/Employer concerns
• Social Security and tax problems
• Forwarding your Social Security card
• General information about jobs and housing

For all non-emergency queries call 1-888-COUNCIL (1-888-268-6245) during regular business hours (9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST) or email contact@ciee.org

Email us at info@intrinsic.com.hk or call us at (852) 2312 0077 for further enquiries.