HomeTerms & conditions

Terms & conditions

These terms govern your use of Exchange Path (operated by Exchange Path) and the application services provided through it. By using the site you agree to them — please read carefully.

The short version

We help you apply to U.S. summer camps and prepare for your J-1 visa. We don’t employ you and we can’t guarantee a visa or a placement — those are decided by the camp and the U.S. government. Our full obligations and yours are below.

§ Acceptance

1. Acceptance of these terms

By creating an account, submitting an application, or otherwise using Exchange Path, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these terms and our privacy policy. If you do not agree, do not use the service.

§ Eligibility

2. Eligibility

To apply through Exchange Path you must:

Be 18 or over at the start of the camp season you’re applying for.
Hold a passport with sufficient validity (typically 6 months past your intended stay).
Be willing to undergo background checks, references, and interviews as required by the camp and J-1 sponsor.
Be free of legal restrictions that would prevent U.S. entry or work-with-children clearance.

§ What we provide

3. What we provide

Exchange Path is a coordination service. We help you build a strong application, introduce you to U.S. summer camps that may want to hire you, prepare you for interviews, and liaise with U.S. State Department–designated J-1 sponsors who issue your DS-2019.

Critically: we do not employ you. Your contractual relationship is with the camp that hires you (employment) and with the visa sponsor (J-1 programme). We don’t issue your visa — the U.S. consular officer at your interview makes that decision.

§ Your account

4. Your account

You’re responsible for keeping your password secure and for all activity on your account. Tell us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access. One person, one account — sharing or transferring your account is not permitted.

§ Accurate info

5. Accurate information

You confirm that everything you submit is accurate, complete, and your own. Misrepresentation — including fabricated references, falsified documents, or hidden criminal history — is grounds for immediate withdrawal of any offer, account termination, and reporting to the J-1 sponsor and, where appropriate, U.S. authorities.

§ Fees & refunds

6. Fees and refunds

Exchange Path charges one universal programme fee. You may pay it in one payment or across three application-progress milestones. Today, payments are coordinated on our official WhatsApp (+1 (845) 665-1477) or by email to info@exchangepath.org, and completed by bank transfer to Exchange Path using the account details and reference we send you. We may introduce card checkout through a licensed processor later; if we do, the checkout will be clearly labelled in your dashboard and these terms will be updated.

Financial aid. Limited fee relief may be offered to applicants with genuine need and a strong, honest application. The US$25 application fee is not waivable through aid — you must pay it before an aid request is considered. If awarded, aid applies only to the acceptance and placement portions of the programme fee (or the remaining balance under pay-in-full), not the application fee. Requests are submitted from your dashboard after the application fee has been paid.

Charge	Amount	Taken
Pay in full	US$400	Once, when you choose to proceed
Application Fee (staged)	US$25	On application submission
Acceptance Fee (staged)	US$150	Once you are accepted onto the programme
Placement Fee (staged)	US$300	Only after a written camp offer
SEVIS, MRV & embassy fees	Varies	Paid directly to U.S. government

Refunds — summary

The full policy, including the cooling-off window and how to submit a request, lives on our refund policy page. In short:

$25 Application Fee — non-refundable once we have reviewed your file. This covers the assessment work.
$150 Acceptance Fee — refundable in full if you withdraw before we have initiated sponsor paperwork for you.
$300 Placement Fee — refunded in full if Exchange Path is unable to match you with a camp. Refunded in full if your visa is refused by the U.S. consulate, where you have attended the appointment and supplied accurate documents.
$400 pay-in-full — carries the same milestone-based refund entitlement as the staged option. If we cannot match you with a camp, the US$300 Placement-Fee portion is refunded in full. If you withdraw before we initiate sponsor paperwork, the US$150 Acceptance-Fee portion is also refunded.
Government fees (SEVIS, MRV, DS-160) are paid directly to U.S. authorities and are subject to their refund rules, not ours.
UK & EU statutory rights — where applicable law gives you a 14-day cooling-off period on distance-sold services, you keep that right. Once you expressly request that we begin work during the cooling-off period (for example, by asking us to review your application immediately) you agree that the fee for work already performed is not refundable.

We never request payment to personal accounts or via untraceable methods. Official instructions come from our published WhatsApp (+1 (845) 665-1477), email addresses on this domain (including info@exchangepath.org), or your applicant dashboard. If anyone claiming to represent Exchange Path asks you to pay elsewhere, do not pay and email info@exchangepath.org immediately.

§ Visa disclaimer

7. Visa & placement disclaimer

We cannot and do not guarantee:

That a U.S. summer camp will hire you.
That a J-1 sponsor will accept you onto their programme.
That a U.S. consular officer will issue your visa.
That your visa appointment will fall before any specific date.

We work hard to maximise your chances on each of those — but they are not in our gift. Anyone who guarantees a U.S. visa is misrepresenting themselves.

§ Conduct

8. Conduct & safeguarding

While participating in the programme you must follow camp policies, sponsor rules, and applicable U.S. and local law — including alcohol policies, social-media guidelines, boundary expectations around minors, and any safeguarding training you receive. Serious breaches will lead to programme removal at your own expense, and may be reported to the sponsor and authorities where required.

§ IP

9. Intellectual property

The Exchange Path brand, logo, content, and software are owned by Exchange Path and protected by copyright and trademark law. You may share links freely; you may not copy or republish substantial portions without our prior written permission.

§ Liability

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Exchange Path is not liable for indirect, consequential, or special losses (e.g. lost income, missed connecting flights, third-party visa or sponsor decisions). Our aggregate liability for any direct loss is capped at the fees you have paid us in the twelve months preceding the event. Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded (including for death, personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud).

§ Termination

11. Suspension & termination

We may suspend or close your account if you breach these terms, misrepresent yourself, or behave in a way that endangers campers, staff, or our standing with the J-1 sponsor. You can close your account at any time by emailing info@exchangepath.org.

§ Governing law

12. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maine, USA. Any dispute will be resolved in the courts of that jurisdiction, without limiting any rights you may have under mandatory consumer protection law in your country of residence.

§ Changes

13. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. Material changes will be posted here at least 14 days before they take effect, and active applicants will be notified by email. Your continued use of the service after that constitutes acceptance, where permitted by law.

§ Contact

14. Contact

Exchange Path
63 Federal Street, Portland, ME 04101, USA
info@exchangepath.org