BridgePoint Exchange Services facilitates J-1 cultural exchange opportunities for candidates across our Work & Travel and Trainee/Internship program categories. This page outlines our program fees and the support BridgePoint provides at each stage — from application through your time in the United States.
Candidate Fees
- Application Fee: $35 — due at registration. Covers document processing, your eligibility check, and creation of your candidate profile.
- Work & Travel Program Fee: $350 — due once your sponsor has confirmed and accepted you as a candidate, and your job placement has been secured.
- Trainee / Internship Program Fee: $1,400 — due once your sponsor has confirmed and accepted you as a candidate, and your job placement has been secured.
- Host Employer Cost: $0 — BridgePoint does not charge host employers a placement or recruitment fee.
Your BridgePoint fee is separate from, and in addition to, any program fee charged directly by your designated J-1 sponsor (which typically covers your DS-2019 issuance, SEVIS registration, and program-mandated insurance).
What BridgePoint Provides Before You Arrive
- Eligibility & Screening — review of your background against J-1 program requirements; English proficiency and documentation check.
- Candidate Profile Creation — a professional, sponsor-ready profile prepared to a consistent BridgePoint standard for employer and sponsor review.
- Document Preparation — guidance organizing your paperwork so your sponsor can accept your application without delay.
- Sponsor & Employer Matching — we identify and pitch you directly to vetted host employers and designated J-1 sponsors; you never negotiate sponsor terms on your own.
- Interview Coaching — preparation for host employer interviews and your embassy/consular visa interview.
- Visa & Fee Guidance — step-by-step support through SEVIS fee payment, your DS-160 application, and visa-stage documentation.
What BridgePoint Provides Once Your Program Begins
- Pre-Departure Orientation — guidance on travel and what to expect before you arrive in the U.S.
- A Continued Point of Contact — BridgePoint remains available to you throughout your program. Day-to-day compliance monitoring and check-ins are managed directly by your host employer’s HR team and your sponsor’s check-in system.
For Host Employers: $0 Cost
BridgePoint does not charge host employers a placement or recruitment fee. You gain access to pre-screened, sponsor-ready candidates at no direct cost — BridgePoint handles the coordination work that would otherwise fall to you or your sponsor.
For Sponsors: Less Work at Every Stage
- Pre-screened candidates who have already cleared an eligibility and documentation review, reducing back-and-forth.
- Consistent, sponsor-ready documentation — every candidate profile follows the same standard format.
- A single point of contact — BridgePoint owns candidate communication before placement, so you’re not fielding individual candidate questions during recruitment and matching.
- A clean handoff at placement — day-to-day compliance monitoring stays with your own check-in system and the host employer’s HR process, without duplication or conflicting communication.