USIT is Ireland’s leading work abroad organisation. But who are the people behind the headsets? Why do they love travelling so much? And why do they keep wanting us to work on our holidays? It’s kind of a buzzkill, USIT.
Celebrating 65 years of exploring for longer by earning while we do it. Genius.
A lower impact way to see the world, we believe that working abroad opens doors, connects cultures and challenges perspectives.
It was 1959. Hair was long, collars were wide, and beatles would never just be six-legged creepy crawlies again (although people still continued to scream and throw things at them). In Dublin, students at UCD and Trinity College wanted more from the world. They knew that crossing borders had the power to break down barriers and build cultural connections. So they chartered a plane to the USA, started running cultural exchanges, and with it – started USIT. Now, why the history lesson? Because 65 years later, this mission has never been truer for our team.
What we do
Ranging in duration from 3-24 months, USIT provides supported work, camp and intern abroad programs in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Whether you want to fund your summer at camp or on a J1 in the USA, bankroll your gap year or round the world with a working holiday visa, or advance your career with a professional internship or graduate visa – USIT has 65 years of experience making it happen.
How we help
The Swiss army knife of the work abroad world, we help take care of everything you need to work or intern overseas. Including processing or helping you apply for your work visa, supporting you with finding a job or internship placement, and arrival set-up when you land - including all the nerdy tax and bank account stuff. Together with our US partners, we also provide the visa sponsorship to work in America on a J1, camp, internship or grad visa.
Who we are
All our team have worked the world. In fact, before we became professional visa whisperers and job finders, most of us were USIT customers. And continue to be. We must have the only job in the world where we’re regularly encouraged to quit (… to go travelling). Many of us return to camp or to do a J1 each year – coming home with even greater intel and stories to tell on where you can go and what you can do.
The bigger picture
Travel you can trust
A household name in Ireland, globally, USIT is part of a tightknit family of three work abroad brands. Including BUNAC – another OG of the work and travel world founded by students in 1962 and our Summer Camp USA experts, and JENZA – our working holiday and international internship brand for the rest of the world. As one organisation, united in our belief that working abroad is the most transformative (and fun) thing you can do in your twenties, we work together to create life-shaping experiences for our travellers.
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Our world
As a business, we’re on track to become a B Corp by 2024 – meaning we’ll meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance and accountability. In 2022, we recruited a Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) of international 18-25 year olds – who work with us each week to ensure youth voices and concerns remain at the heart of what we do. And 5% of profits go to our Youth Access Scholarship Fund – providing funding for applicants from under-served and lower-income backgrounds to have the career and confidence shaping experience of working abroad.
Our community
We’re on a five-year mission to build a more inclusive workforce, and with it, a global community where our customers feel represented and reflected. We’ve already started making hiring and cultural changes to attract global talent from underrepresented groups. This includes removing the requirement of a degree from all job specs to focus on potential over experience, becoming a remote first business to remove geographical and physical barriers to working for us, and moving to flexible working hours to support the life, cultural and religious commitments of our teams.
Works for others
About our Youth Access Scholarship Fund
5% of profits go to our Youth Access Scholarship Fund to help support young people from lower-income or under-served backgrounds with the costs of doing one of our programs. Applications for 2024/25 funding are now open. Find out more, pass it on, or apply on our parent site - JENZA.
Get hired or get the intel
Meet Camp Directors face-to-face, connect with others heading to camp, and (fingers crossed) get hired on the day. To register your interest, apply for Summer Camp USA and let us know which city you'd like to attend. We can't wait to see your face, but don't worry if you can't make an in-person event - the quickest way to get hired is in our hiring pool.
Final year student or recent grad? Put your academic skill to work, learn from leaders in your field, and get a CV that stands out from the crowd with USIT's 1-year Grad USA program. Get all the intel from our team on what visa you need, what cities you can work in, and what roles you can do. But sign up soon - you only have 12 months from your grad cert date to enter the USA!
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Why book with USIT
Flexible payments and conditions
Secure your place on our programs with a lifetime low deposit, giving you time to save. And if you change your mind, we can move your deposit over to a new program – no awkward questions asked. T&Cs apply.
© GenTAO Ltd trading as USIT is a company registered in Dublin, Ireland with Registered Company No. 670958 and registered address at 29-31 South William St, Dublin, Ireland, D02 EY96.
