International Applicants
The following information outlines visa policies and procedures appropriate
for seasonal work at Mammoth. Please read the "important considerations" below.
J-1 VISA Applicants (students):
For temporary work in the United States, the most popular visa secured by students is a "cultural exchange" Visa (J-1) that permits them to work for a period of 4 months, and allows for 1 month of travel at the end (total of 5 months).
Mammoth is interested in applicants who are available to work full-time during our winter ski season, no sooner than from late December through late April. Visas must commence with a mid-December start date to be considered for employment at our resort.
In order to be eligible for a J-1 Visa you must currently be a student between the ages of 19 and 30, and must be a full-time student for at least one semester of the same year that you are applying for, or have deferred status. This type of visa must be secured via a third party, sponsoring body. Mammoth currently works with an organization that assists applicants in obtaining J-1 visas, Work USA (IEP/BUNAC) (from Australia & New Zealand). This agency typically charges a fee for their services. You should contact them if you wish to obtain a J-1 visa.
Housing is available to seasonal, entry-level employees and space is limited. Not all jobs come with a place in employee housing. Each hiring department has a predetermined number of housing spaces available for distribution. In order to access the housing application you will need to be given one of those bed spaces from your hiring department.
H-2B VISA Applicants (non students):
The United States policies on foreign workers permit employers to recruit international workers needed for the applicable labor market. At the same time, it ensures that employers have considered US Citizens and permanent residents, and that the entry of foreign workers will not adversely affect employment or career
opportunities for the citizens and permanent residents of the country.
It is up to the employer to be able to convince the immigration authorities in their country that they have exhausted all efforts available to them in their country.
Once these recruiting efforts have been exhausted, Mammoth may consider sponsoring qualified international applicants by applying for an H-2B Temporary Specialist Work Visa. A person who is employed with an H-2B Visa may only work within the specified position they have been employed to fill, and only for the company that has sponsored the Visa application.
2008-2009 Season H2B Instructors
We will be accepting applications for the 2008-2009 season beginning May 1st 2008.
Important Considerations:
- At Will Employment: At Mammoth, both the employee
and the company have the right to terminate employment at any time,
with or without cause. This arrangement is called "employment at will" and
no one in the organization, other than the Chief Executive Office has
the authority to alter that arrangement, to enter into an agreement
for employment for a specified period of time, or to make any agreement
contrary to this policy.
- Weather Risk: The winter resort industry is largely
dependent on snow. While California usually enjoys excellent snow conditions,
sometimes mother nature does not cooperate and snow comes late. If
we experience low or delayed snow, we may be unable to open all or
part of the ski area as scheduled. In that event, work may not be available
to you.
- Embassy and Consulate procedures and policies: The
policies for issuance of visas for foreign work and travel vary widely
from country to country and from embassy/consulate to embassy/consulate.
These procedures may also change from day-to-day. Some consulates in
some nations will require you to pay a service fee to receive your
visa. You will be responsible to pay this fee. You should check with
your consulate or embassy on a regular basis to be well informed of
their particular procedures.
- You may only pick up your visa from the U.S. Consulate or Embassy
outside of the United States that you nominate in your application.
You may not change your U.S. Consulate or Embassy once we submit the
information to the government so please be very sure of your Consulate
choice. US visa approval is conditional and does not guarantee that
your local consulate or embassy will issue a visa.
- Employee Housing: In
order to submit a housing application, you will be required to pay
a $50 application deposit. This deposit will be collected online and
does require a credit card, debit card or a PayPal account. Please
go to the housing page for more information.
- Timing of Visa approval and issuance: The timing
for Visa approvals and issuance is beyond the control of Mammoth. We
will make all reasonable efforts to help expedite the process, but
we make no guarantees. You should carefully weigh the financial consequences
to you that may result from visa delays and plan accordingly. In the
past visas have been available for pick up as early as late October,
and as late as early January.
- Travel arrangements: In making travel arrangements,
you should consider the possibility that visa issuance maybe delayed.
We strongly recommend that you not make any reservations that are non-refundable.
You may want to consider some form of travel insurance.
- Working in a foreign country: While in the U.S.,
you must be prepared to be self-sufficient. If you have substantial
personal, family, or financial commitments that cannot tolerate uncertainty,
seasonal work may not be appropriate for your circumstances.
- Again, please keep in mind that there can be delays in this process
and we will do everything that we can to expedite your visa. If all
goes well, you should be able to pick up your visa in early November,
although we are unable to guarantee this time frame.
- The government may deny these visas at any point in the process,
but we have been very successful in the past and expect to be in the
future.
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