site.bta120,000-Plus Bulgarian Students Have Participated in US Work and Travel Programme since 2000

Since 2000, more than 120,000 Bulgarian students have participated in the US Work and Travel Programme, said US Ambassador here Kenneth Merten. On Friday he presented the first passports with visas to five Bulgarian students who will take part in this year’s campaign. For 24 years the US Embassy in Sofia has been sending successfully foreign students under the US Work and Travel Programme, said Merten. 

The programme gives students from all over the world the opportunity to live and work in the United States during their summer break while studying at a college or university and learn about the people and way of life in the United States, the Ambassador said. "This experience is truly transformative and life-changing, and we are happy to support students who wish to participate in the summer program," Merten added. 

Participants in the programme become cultural ambassadors for their countries in the US and thanks to them hundreds of Americans will get to know Bulgaria, gain insight into this remarkable country and maybe even visit it one day. “We are confident that when you return to your home country, you will become ambassadors for the United States and explain about American culture and values. This people-to-people connection is one of the strongest parts of the remarkable program,” said Ambassador Merten. 

The programme acts as a springboard for countless energetic and talented students who achieve great success upon their return to Bulgaria, he said. “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the estimated number per year was about 5,000 students travelling on the programme. This year, we expect the number of students to approach pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, the number was just under 4,000,” said US Consul General here Michael Greer.