AmeriCamp Costs: The Truth Behind Working At Summer Camp

Thinking of doing AmeriCamp? Here is the truth behind the costs of working at summer camp!

Yes it’s true that working at a summer camp will be one of the best experiences are your life. But it’s also true that it’s not cheap to do. Especially as an international staff member!

There are a lot of extra fees that need to be paid to legally work at a summer camp. So be prepare to barely break even in your first year. And in this post I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing all the juicy numbers. So what does doing the AmeriCamp program actually cost? Let’s break it down…

AmeriCamp Fees

A big chunk of the cost of doing AmeriCamp is paid to AmeriCamp themselves in the form of fees. This is currently £399 but you can get £30 off when you use the code ‘JESSP30‘.

It might seem weird to pay to get a job but as an international staff member you need an agency to sponsor your visa and your fees cover the paperwork needed. Plus you’ll get access to 24/7 emergency support when you are in the US and AmeriCamp provide medical insurance for the duration of your program plus the 30-day grace period afterwards.

Unfortunately, agency fees are unavoidable and you’ll find all the agencies are in the same region price wise. So whether you go with AmeriCamp or another agency, expect to pay in the region of £399 (or £369 with my code JESSP30).

AmeriCamp Fees = £399 (or £369 with code JESSP30)

Background Check

You will need an enhanced background check to participate in the program and as of writing this is currently £65. Unfortunately, for AmeriCamp you can’t use a previous background check as it has to be conducted by their partner. So again this cost is unavoidable.

Background Check = £65

Medical Check

Now the exact price of getting a medical check completed depends on a few factors. First of all, your agency. AmeriCamp require a medical check but I know another agency called Camp Leaders doesn’t, or didn’t back in 2022.

Secondly, the price will depend on your GP surgery. According to google, GPs charge between £60 and £100 for a standard report without an examination. Mine charges £60 to fill in the two-page document which is an absolute ripoff. The past couple of years I’ve been in a rush to get everything completed so I’ve paid the fee, but this year I’m going to be more frugal about it and try to reduce this cost.

I’ve been told by other camp alumni that if you make a normal appointment and ask nicely, some GPs will fill it in on the spot without the charge. I’m going to give this a go and report back!

Medical Check = £0-£100

Visa Application Fee (+ optional delivery charges)

Next up after you’ve chosen an agency, landed your dream camp job and completed all the require paperwork is to actually apply for your J1 visa. This looks like an online application form followed by an in person visit to a US embassy.

You will have to pay an application fee when applying for the visa and this is currently $220/£155 and paid directly to the US government via their online portal. You can also opt into paying an additional delivery fee to get your passport sent directly back to your home. Your alternative would be to go and collect it in person from a drop off location in central London.

The extra delivery fee is £30 so you need to compare whether it would be cheaper to collect in person or not. For me, as someone who lives 2 hours from London, it is cheaper/more convenient to pay the delivery fee rather than go down to collect, which I had to do in year one because I missed the deadline to pay extra.

Visa Application Fee + delivery = £185

Visa Photos

The US Embassy is very particular about your photo requirements. They require a photo that is less than 6 months old and 2×2, which is not the same size as UK passport requirements. So you can’t just reuse one from that.

You do have to upload a photo online but then they will ask you to bring one to the embassy too. These do not have to be the same photo. To get a 2×2 that they will approve, you will likely need to go and get these photos done. I’ve used a few different high street shops to get the correct sized photo and it’s cost between £14 and £18 each time. Annoying but necessary to get your visa approved.

There is a photo booth in the US embassy in London which you can use to get your photos done but this will slow down your embassy visit and they cannot guarantee it will be operational on the day of your visit.

Visa Photos = £14-£18

Visit to the Embassy

The exact cost of your embassy visit will completely depend on how far away from a US embassy you live. For British applicants you can either attend your appointment in London or in Belfast. Appointments are typically early morning so you may have to factor in accommodation the night before the appointment.

In my experience you can spend anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours in the embassy. It all depends on how many other appointments there are and how fast they are moving.

Flight out to the US

And last but certainly not least, with AmeriCamp there is no option to add on flights so you’re on your own. But this is not necessarily a bad thing as there are lots of hacks out there to get cheap flights. Especially on common routes like from the UK to the US.

I budget only £50 for my flight out to the US each summer because I like to collect avios points during the year and then use them to redeem a cheap flight.

The Total

Let’s summarise the costs.

Fixed costs:

• AmeriCamp Fees ~ £369 (with code JESSP30)
• Background Check ~ £65
• Medical Check ~ £60
• Visa Application Fee ~ £155
• Visa Delivery Fee ~ £30

= £679

Variable Costs:

• Embassy Visit Costs
• Flight to the US

I budget £1000 for the pre-camp costs each year and having done this for three summers now, this budget has always covered all the fees plus little extras.

Is it worth it?

Is camp worth it financially? Probably not. Is it worth it overall? Hell yes.

Financially in your first year, you will break even if not be in the red by the end of the experience. Especially when you factor in summer spending, some Walmart shopping sprees and a little bit of travel afterwards.

But as an experience it’s the best thing I’ve ever done and I’m about to return for my fourth summer at camp.

Are you considering doing the AmeriCamp program? Have any of these costs surprised you?