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Working in United States of America
Capital: Washington
Largest city: New York City
Population: 316 million (2013 estimate)
Currency: US Dollar
Language: English
The United States is a country in central North America that shares a border with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. It is a federal republic made up of 50 states and is the third largest country in the world by population and area.
The population of the United States has grown rapidly since the 18th century through extensive immigration from countries throughout the world and now stands at about 316 million people.
Washington DC is the capital of the US, while the largest cities in the country are New York City on the east coast and Los Angeles on the west coast.
As the largest economy in world, the US is a leading nation globally in terms of its military and political power. Culture in the US has also had a resounding effect on the world through its arts, technology, sports and more.
The Work and Holiday visa arrangement between Australia and the United States allows holiday and travel between the two countries for Australians.
Under the arrangement, university-educated Australians aged between 18 and 30 are allowed to work and holiday in the United States for up to 12 months.
The arrangement was introduced with the aim of strengthening cultural exchange and widening economic ties and links between the two countries.
Tourism Video
United States of America’s Work and Holiday visa summary
Visa: Working and Holiday
Age: 18 to 30
Length of stay: 24 months
Application fee: US$220
Processing time: 4 months
If you want to travel to the United State under Work and Holiday arrangements, there are several eligibility requirements. These include:
Hold an Australian passport
Meet health and character requirements
Be aged between 18 and 30 at the time of applying
Have no dependent children accompanying you
Have a return ticket, or sufficient funds for a return or onward fare
Have sufficient funds for the first part of the holiday.
A letter of approval from the Australian Government supporting the application
Tertiary education
Applicants are required to be sponsored by a registered sponsoring organisation. A list of sponsoring organsiations can be found on the US Department of State website (http://j1visa.state.gov/).
The following criteria must also be met:
Be enrolled as a post-secondary student
Be enrolled as a post-secondary student and have deferred study
Have graduated within the last 12 months from a post-secondary institution.
The letter of government support can be issued by the ACT and Regions Office in Canberra, where the following details must be provided:
Certified copy of a valid passport
Certified copy of one other form of identification with current residential address
Certified copies of the applicant’s tertiary qualifications, a letter from the university confirming the level of study or originals of academic transcripts.
Emergency
Emergency numbers Police / Fire / Medical emergency 911
Embassy of Australia, Washington, DC 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20036-2273 Telephone: 1 202 797 3000 Facsimile: 1 202 797 3331 Website: www.usa.embassy.gov.au
Australian Consulate-General, Chicago 123 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1330 Chicago, Illinois 60606 Telephone: 1 312 419 1480 Facsimile: 1 312 419 1499 Consular jurisdiction: Indiana, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Australian Consulate-General, Honolulu Penthouse, 1000 Bishop Street Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Telephone: 1 808 529 8100 Facsimile: 1 808 529 8142 Consular jurisdiction: Hawaii.
Australian Consulate-General, Los Angeles 2029 Century Park East, 31st Floor Los Angeles, California 90067 Telephone: 1 310 229 2300 Facsimile: 1 310 299 2380 Consular jurisdiction: Alaska, Arizona, southern California, Colorado, New Mexico, southern Nevada and Utah.
Australian Consulate-General, New York 150 East 42nd Street, 34th Floor New York, New York 10017-5612 Telephone: 1 212 351 6500 Facsimile: 1 212 351 6501 Consular jurisdiction: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands of the United States. Website: www.newyork.consulate.gov.au/nycg/home
Australian Consulate-General, San Francisco 575 Market Street, Suite 1800 San Francisco, California 94105 Telephone: 1 415 644 3620 Facsimile: 1 415 536 1982 Consular jurisdiction: Northern California, Idaho, Montana, northern Nevada, Oregon, Washington State and Wyoming.
Embassies of United States in…
Argentina Embassy of the United States in Buenos Aires, Argentina Av. Colombia 4300 C1425GMN Buenos Aires Ph +54 11 5777 4533 F +54 11 5777 4240 Web: argentina.usebassy.gov
Australia Embassy of the United States in Canberra, Australia Moonah Place Yarralumla ACT 2600 Ph +61 2 6214 5600 Web: Canberra.usembassy.gov
Austria Embassy of the United States in Vienna, Austria Boltzmanngasse 16 1090 Vienna Ph +43 1 31339-0 F +43 1 310 06 82 Web: austria.usembassy.gov
Bangladesh Embassy of the United States in Dhaka, Bangladesh Madani Avenue Baridhara, Dhaka – 1212 Ph +880 2 885 5500 F +880 2 882 3744 Web: dhaka.usembassy.gov
Belgium Embassy of the United States in Brussels, Belgium Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Régent B-1000 Brussels Ph +32 2 811 4000 F +32 2 811 4500 Web: belgium.usembassy.gov
Brazil Embassy of the United States in Brasilia, Brazil SES – Av. das Nações, Quadra 801, Lote 03 70403-900 – Brasília, DF Ph +55 61 3312 7000 F +55 61 3225 9136 Web: brazil.usembassy.gov
Canada Embassy of the United States in Ottawa, Canada 490 Sussex Drive Ottawa K1N 1G8 Ph +613 238 5335 F +613 688 3082 Web: canada.usembassy.gov
Chile Embassy of the United States in Santiago, Chile Av. Andres Bello 2800 Las Condes Santiago Ph +56 2 2330 3000 F +56 2 2330 3710 Web: chile.usembassy.gov
China Embassy of the United States in Beijing, China No. 55 An Jia Lou Lu 100600 Beijing Ph +86 10 8531 3000 Web: beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn
Costa Rica Embassy of the United States in San Josê, Costa Rica Calle 98 Via 104 Pavas, San Josê Ph +506 2519 2000 F +506 2519 2305 Web: costarica.uaembassy.gov
Cyprus, Republic of Embassy of the United States in Nicosia, Cyprus Metochiou & Ploutarchou Street 2407 Engomi Nicosia Ph +357 22 393939 F +357 22 780944 Web: cyprus.usembassy.gov
Czech Republic Embassy of the United States in Prague, the Czech Republic Tržiště 15 118 01 Praha 1 – Malá Strana Ph +420 257 022 000 F +420 257 022 809 Web: prague.usembassy.gov
Denmark Embassy of the United States in Copenhagen, Denmark Dag Hammarskjölds Allé 24 2100 København Ø Ph +45 33 41 71 00 F +45 35 43 02 23 Web: denmark.usembassy.gov
Estonia Embassy of the United States in Tallinn, Estonia Kentmanni 20 15099 Tallinn Ph +372 668 8100 F +372 668 8134 Web: Estonia.usembassy.gov
Finland Embassy of the United States in Helsinki, Finland Itäinen Puistotie 14 B 00140 Helsinki Ph + 358 9 616 250 Web: finland.usembassy.gov
France Embassy of the United States in Paris, France 2 Avenue Gabriel 75382 Paris Cedex 08 Ph +33 1 43 12 22 22 F +33 1 42 66 97 83 Web: france.usembassy.gov
Germany Embassy of the United States in Berlin, Germany Clayallee 170 14191 Berlin Ph +49 30 8305 0 Web: germany.usembassy.gov
Greece Embassy of the United States in Athens, Greece 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue 10160 Athens Ph +30 210 721 2951 Web: Athens.usembassy.gov
India Embassy of the United States in New Delhi, India Shantipath Chanakyapuri New Delhi 110 021 Ph +91 11 2419 8000 F +91 11 2419 0017 Web: newdehli.usembassy.gov
Indonesia Embassy of the United States in Jakarta, Indonesia Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 3 – 5 Jakarta 10110 Ph +62 21 3435 9000 F +62 21 386 2259 Web: jakarta-embassy.gov
Ireland Embassy of the United States in Dublin, Ireland 42 Elgin Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 Ph +353 1 668 8777 Web: dublin.usembassy.gov
Italy Embassy of the United States in Rome, Italy Via Vittorio Veneto 00187 Rome Ph +39 06 46741 Web: italy.usembassy.gov
Japan Embassy of the United States in Tokyo, Japan 1-10-5 Akasaka Minato-ku Tokyo 107-8420 Ph +81 3 3224 5000 F +81 3 3505 1862 Web: japan.usembassy.gov
Latvia Embassy of the United States in Riga, Latvia 1 Samnera Velsa St Riga, LV-1510 Ph +371 6710 7000 F +371 6710 7050 Web: riga.usembassy.gov
Malaysia Embassy of the United States in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 376 Jalan Tun Razak Kuala Lumpur 50400 Ph +60 3 2168 5000 F +60 3 2148 5801 Web: malaysia.usembassy.gov
Malta Embassy of the United States in Malta Ta’ Qali National Park Attard ATD 4000 Ph +356 2561 4000 F +356 21 243229 Web: malta.usembassy.gov
Mexico Embassy of the United States in Mexico City, México Paseo de la Reforma 305 Colonia Cuauhtemoc 06500 México, D.F. Ph +55 5080 2000 F +55 5080 2834 Web: mexico.usembassy.gov
New Zealand Embassy of the United States in Wellington, New Zealand 29 Fitzherbert Terrace Wellington 6011 Ph + 64 4 462 6000 F + 64 4 499 0490 Web: newzealand.usembassy.gov
Norway Embassy of the United States in Oslo, Norway Henrik Ibsens gate 48 0244 Oslo Ph +47 23 96 05 55 F +47 22 56 27 51 Web: norway.usembassy.gov
Poland Embassy of the United States in Warsaw, Poland Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw Ph +48 22 504 2000 Web: Poland.usembassy.gov
Singapore Embassy of the United States in Singapore, Singapore 27 Napier Road Singapore 258508 Ph +65 6476 9100 F +65 6476 9340 Web: singapore.usembassy.gov
Slovakia Embassy of the United States in Bratislava, Slovakia PO Box 309 814 99 Bratislava Ph +421 2 5443 3338 F +421 2 5441 8861 Web: slovakia.usembassy.gov
Slovenia Embassy of the United States in Ljubljana, Slovenia Presernova 31 1000 Ljubljana Ph +386 1 200 5500 F +386 1 200 5555 Web: slovenia.usembassy.gov
South Korea Embassy of the United States in Seoul, Korea (Republic) 188 sejong-daero, Jongno-gu Seoul 110-710 Ph +82 2 397 4114 Web: seoul.usembassy.gov
Spain Embassy of the United States in Madrid, Spain Ph +91 587 2200 F +91 587 2303 Web: madrid.usembassy.gov
Sweden Embassy of the United States in Stockholm, Sweden American Embassy Dag Hammarskjölds väg 31 115 89 Stockholm Ph +46 8 783 5300 F +46 8 783 5480 Web: Sweden.usembassy.gov
Switzerland Embassy of the United States in Bern, Switzerland Sulgeneckstrasse 19 CH-3007 Bern Ph +41 31 357 70 11 F +41 31 357 73 20 Web: bern.usembassy.gov
Taiwan American Institute in Taiwan No. 7 Lane 134 Hsin Yi Roard Section 3 Taipei 106 Ph +886 2 2162 2000 F +886 2 2162 2251 Web: www.ait.org.tw
Thailand Embassy of the United States in Bangkok, Thailand 95 &120-122 Wireless Road Bangkok 10330 Ph +66 2 205 4000 Web: bankok.usembassy.gov
The Netherlands Embassy of the United States in The Hague, the Netherlands Lange Voorhout 102 2514 EJ The Hague Ph +31 70 310 2209 F +31 70 310 2207 Web: thehague.usembassy.gov
Turkey Embassy of the United States in Ankara, Turkey 110 Ataturk Blvd Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara Ph +90 312 455 5555 F +90 312 467 0019 Web: turkey.usembassy.gov
United Kingdom Embassy of the United States in London, the United Kingdom 24 Grosvenor Square London W1A 2LQ Ph +44 20 7499 9000 Web: london.usembassy.gov
United States N/A
Uruguay Embassy of the United States in Montevideo, Uruguay Laura Muller 1775 Montevideo 11200 Ph +598 2 1770 2000 F +598 2 1770 2128 Web: Uruguay.usembassy.gov
Tax System
The tax system in the United States is different from most places around the world in that it allows individuals to choose their tax year. Most commonly, tax payers opt for the calendar year as their tax year. The USA operates on a progressive tax system with rates in the country reaching as high as 39.6%. The system is also divided up for singles, married couples (filing together or separates) and the head of the household.
The tax rates for singles in 2013 are as follows:
Tax rate
Income
10%
$0 – $8,925
15%
$8,926 – $36,250
25%
$36,251 – $87,850
28%
$87,851 – $183,250
33%
$183,251 – $398,350
35%
$398,351 – $400,000
39.6%
$400,001+
Bank Account
Opening a bank account as an expat in the United States requires several pieces of documentation, including: passport, proof of residence, proof of employment and US Social Security number. Each bank account will usually include a debit card, overdraft facility and option to open a savings account. Applicants must enter a branch to open a bank account in the United States and will need to provide an initial deposit.
The major banks in the United States include: Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo. Several foreign banks also operate in the United States, such as HSBC and Barclays.
Working in the United States of America
There is a world of work opportunities in the United States, but beware, since the global economic crisis hit in 2008 unemployment has risen sharply in the country. Despite the US economy slowing in recent years, it still has by far the highest GDP in the world.
Basically every industry exists in the highly diversified United States market place. However, the key industries for the country include petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, telecommunications, chemical, electronics and mining.
Job listings are still commonly found in print media and through online websites. A few US-based online job websites include:
The United States is well serviced by telecommunications and has several mobile phone providers for expats to choose from. The major telecommunications companies in the United States are:
Verizon
AT&T
Sprint
To sign-up for a phone contract in United States, applicants will need to provide identification, such as a passport, proof of address, proof of employment and social security number.
The United States has many key dates during the year that are celebrated nationwide at locally based festivals and events. They include Martin Luther King Day (third Monday in January),…
