What to Expect on a CAEP Program
Benefits of a CAEP Program
Who Can Participate?
What is the J1 Visa Program?
Add Education to your Program
What is an Outbound program?
What is a Domestic Apprentice?
Who is CAEP?
Build a Career with CAEP
Estimated Program Fees
What about health insurance?
What if I cancel?
- Gain new knowledge and skills in your field of agricultural interest through on-the-job training
- Improve your language and communication skills
- Participate in cultural and social activities
- Exchange ideas about agriculture and culture with your hosts
- Learn about agricultural technology, management, marketing, and finance in your host country
- Understand the connections between people in different countries and the effects that events in one country have in other countries
To participate on a CAEP program, you must meet these requirements:
- Be between the ages of 18 and 35 when your program begins
- Have an interest in agriculture and have sufficient experience to benefit from the program
- Have an interest in learning about another culture and sharing your home culture with people in your host community
- Have the maturity necessary to live in a foreign country, away from your family and friends. This means that you can adapt to a different lifestyle and live together with people who have different beliefs and values
- Have no personal or legal problems that will prevent you from benefiting from the exchange. You must write about any actual or potential problems on your application
- Be able to speak and understand English well enough to learn about culture and agriculture during your program. It is not necessary to be fluent, but you must be able to understand daily conversation when you arrive
A J1 visa allows you to enter the United States for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 18 (depending on the program) to learn by working. You are allowed to earn money while working at a pre-determined placement in the United States.
Following a successfully completed program you will have 30 days to travel around the United States before returning home.
Visas are provided by the U.S. Department of State and the CA Education Program. You will need to apply for a program and you will be issued a visa accordingly. An appointment at the US embassy near you is required to validate the visa before entry into the United States.
- Applicants must be 18-28 (21-35 for enology applicants), have 2-years experience in their requested field and have conversational English skills.
- J1 Visa provided by U.S. Dept. of State and CA Exchange Program for training in agriculture related fields.
- Visa application coordinated by CAEP.
- 24 hour medical/accident Insurance required.
- J1 visa holders able to move to different training site/host within the U.S., pending CAEP approval.
- J1 visa holders will receive room and board plus minimum stipend of $700/month.
- J1 visa holders must pay state (if applicable) and federal taxes.
- J1 visa holders are allowed 3 weeks travel for a 6 month or longer stay and 30 days travel before and after visa dates.
Qualifications for the Trainee J1 Visa Program
To qualify for a CAEP Trainee program, you must have either
(1) a degree or professional certificate from a post-secondary academic institution outside of the United States AND at least one year of prior related work experience in the occupational field acquired outside the United States, or
(2) five years of work experience outside the United States in the occupational field.
Qualifications for Intern J1 visa:
To qualify for a CAEP Intern program, you must have either
(1) be currently enrolled in and pursuing studies at a degree or certificate-granting, post-secondary academic institution outside of the United States, or
(2) have graduated from such an institution no more than 12 months prior to your internship start date.
CAEP H Visa Programs
More and more of CAEP’s participants are students who want or are required to add American education to their training program while in the U.S.
Currently we are working on expanding the number of colleges and universities to allow for more diversity and accessibility to education across the country. Opportunities for online, long-distance, and on campus learning are available.
CAEP’s approach is that of an "educational guidance counselor." Our Education Specialist will inform them of the opportunities we currently have available in their area of agriculture and assist with all aspects of registration.
If you are interested in taking classes during your program you will need to indicate that on your application so it can be written into your training plan. Adding education may give you at additional six months in the United States if you attend classes full time.
J-1 trainee/intern visa holders are allowed to attend post-secondary institutions for less than 50% of their total time in the United States. Educational components will need to be directly related to their training in the United States.
CAEP’s Outbound program is for citizens of the USA desiring to go another country.
Outbound Qualifications:
To qualify for a CAEP Outbound program, you must have either
(1) One year of domestic experience in a CAEP Apprenticeship Program, or
(2) Documented experience or education in your chosen program, or
(3) A strong desire and commitment to learn about the agricultural field and participate in an outbound program (with the pre-approval of CAEP)
What is a Domestic Apprentice?
CAEP’s Domestic Apprentice program is for citizens of the USA desiring to do an apprenticeship in the USA.
Domestic Apprentice Qualifications:
To qualify for a CAEP Apprentice program, you must have either
(1)Domestic 2 or 4 year students who are looking for validated internship in their current field of study OR qualified individuals who have a strong desire for learning skills within their chosen field through hands-on participation and validation, or
(2) Incumbent workers looking to expand their careers through further education and work experience in other related employment.
- A nonprofit membership based organization founded in 1972 in Fergus Falls Minnesota.
- Responsible for authoring legislation for beginning farmers, farm apprenticeship, and state risk health pool
- Current legislative activities focused on worker immigration
- 25 years of experience in providing H & J visas to our members (over 20,000 visas issued YTD in Agriculture)
- Largest company in the U.S. that provides agricultural J-1 visas
H2-A visas to the industries of Agriculture, Horticulture and the Thoroughbred industry
CAEP's philosophy is "We Put Learning to Work". How do we do that? It's all about looking good to a future employer.
Most participants in CAEP programs have received some schooling in a professional Technical School or at a University. When you compete your schooling you receive a document that shows you have studied and passed your exams. Congratulations! Someone should hire you immediately!
What??? No employer beating down your door to hire you? Unemployment rates are up and jobs are down? Hmmm, maybe you are no different than the other 1000s of students who graduate each year from educational institutions. What can set you apart from all those other graduates? What could make you stand out to an employer that you are better than the others?
The answer is experience! But not just the experience that says on a resume that that you worked abroad, or have lived in another country. Once again, that is no different than 1000's of other people who go on international work and training programs each year.
What makes you different and unique is that you went on a CAEP experience! A CAEP learning experience documents a list of the skills that will be imparted to you as you gain your international experience. Then your experience will be validated by the employer, so that you can show any future employer your online CAEP record and let them see exactly what you did, when you did it, and how you did it.
And, if you choose to go on multiple CAEP programs, we will get each employer you participate with, to add to your validated skills.
Imagine showing a potential employer your education certificate, and a certificate from CAEP validating multiple work experiences with a transcript of each skill mastered in the world. Now that's Unique!!!
What are you waiting for? Go Grab Your Piece of the World!!!
How do I apply?
- Decide which best fulfills your goals
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Read through all of the program information
You can also see which programs are available in which countries by using the map feature on the landing page. You can then fill in your desired country on the application.
Start the application process by clicking the apply button on the landing page or any of the program pages
You have the option of purchasing health insurance on your own, or CAEP has a low-cost comprehensive policy option. Some CAEP partners also have health insurance available.
All J1 visa holders are required to carry health insurance from the day they leave their home country until they return to their home country.
The program fees include all country partner fees and CAEP fees and can range from country to country. Program Fee include: visa paperwork processing, placement, pre-departure preparations, program monitoring, orientation, and other assistance during program.
Government Visa Fees: Are the collected fees that each embassy and country charges to process your application. SEVIS fee of $180 USD, Embassy appointment fee of $131 USD, and other fees which may apply at the embassy.
Travel: Travel to your placement site is the participant's responsibility. Travel costs vary by country and location in the United States.
Education Options: It is possible to be enrolled in post-secondary education during a J1 program for up to 49% of the total time on a CAEP program. Actual cost of schooling varies by school, school type, and location.
If you have any other questions regarding fees for a CAEP program, please contact your country partner or your CAEP coordinator for more assistance.
NOTE: Specific charges for fees for Outbound students will vary by country and by the visa type needed to enter that country.
If you cancel your program or are not accepted as a trainee, the following rules apply:
Once the government fees are paid for your application, they are not refundable, as these are paid to government agencies.
If you are not accepted as a trainee or we cannot find a placement for you, your deposit will be refunded.
If you cancel or are rejected because you gave CAEP false or incomplete information you may lose part or all of your deposit.
There are no refunds once you are in your placement country.