As your new international Intern, Trainee, and Work & Travel participants start their BridgeUSA program, an important topic to consider is how you will handle payroll and understanding US taxes for these new exchange program employees.
Although Spirit Cultural Exchange is not able to provide specific tax guidance, we do encourage you to review the following information while consulting with a tax/payroll professional.
1. Do BridgeUSA/J-1 Exchange Visitors pay taxes?
Yes! However, it may vary based on your specific location. Exchange Visitors with programs of less than 2 years, are considered Non-Resident Aliens during their program. Generally, this status does not require that they pay FICA or Social Security and Medicare taxes. These individuals will generally pay federal and state income taxes. More information can be found on understanding US taxes from the IRS or Sprintax.
2. What do we do if an Exchange Visitor doesn’t have a Social Security number right away?
All Spirit Cultural Exchange BridgeUSA participants are legally able to work AND be paid in the US while waiting on their Social Security number (SSN). Their DS-2019 form serves as official proof of this eligibility.
Upon arrival, all participants are required to submit a SEVIS Validation through Spirit Cultural Exchange’s online Support Center. This notifies us that they have arrived and confirms basic contact information. Within 2-3 business days, Spirit Cultural Exchange processes this information and submits it to the US government. It can take up to 10 additional business days for this information to be received by the Social Security Administration. Based on this timeline, we encourage participants to wait 10 business days from approval of their SEVIS Validation before applying for a Social Security number.
During the time between arrival and receipt of the SSN, your participants should begin working or training and be paid. The exact process by which you enter their information into your payroll will depend on the specific system your organization utilizes. In some cases, it is 000-00-0000, for others, it is 123-45-6789. We suggest speaking with your payroll department about the best way to temporarily handle this situation.
3. I have J-1/BridgeUSA specific questions about payroll and understanding US taxes – and my payroll department needs help! Where can I find information?
Spirit Cultural Exchange partners with a company called Sprintax for participant tax filing services and we also recommend them for Host assistance. They are experienced in the area of J-1 international tax filing and can help answer questions you may have and assist in planning for future seasons. For more information, we suggest visiting their website.
4. Do J-1 participants file tax returns?
Yes! All J-1 participants will need to file a federal and state tax return. However, due to their non-resident alien residency status, they cannot utilize commonly advertised companies like H&R Block or TurboTax. Instead, we encourage them to utilize tax filing services from Sprintax.
As of 2025, Spirit Cultural Exchange is offering free federal tax filing service through Sprintax for Intern, Trainee, and Work & Travel program participants. We will provide information to participants in January about how to utilize this free service.
Understanding US taxes is very important when working in the US, and we appreciate your continued support in encouraging participants to follow these important rules. Contact Spirit Cultural Exchange or Sprintax with any tax return related questions.
As always, Spirit Cultural Exchange is here to help! If you have any questions about how to best support your participants, please reach out to your Spirit Cultural Exchange representative or contact us at support@spiritexchange.com. We can also be reached at 1-800-390-0978.