Twelve months of hospitality training at three of America's leading resort groups, on the U.S. Department of State BridgeUSA J-1 programme — a training opportunity, not a job abroad.
Twelve months inside a world-class American resort, on a programme administered by the U.S. Department of State. Very few hospitality careers get to start at this level.
J-1 visa sponsor
Five kinds of training placement, across three resorts and six US states. Twelve months, minimum 32 hours a week. Every position is a real order from a named host company.
| Position | Destination | Start date |
|---|
Start dates are the host company’s stated availability window, not a guaranteed start date.
| Kalahari Resorts | The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island | Gaylord Rockies | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Ohio · Pennsylvania · Texas · Wisconsin | Amelia Island, Florida | Aurora, Colorado · Marriott |
| Roles | Culinary Kitchen Rotation · Culinary Pastry · Guest Services · Food & Beverage | Culinary Kitchen Rotation · Food & Beverage · Front Desk | Culinary Kitchen Rotation · Food & Beverage |
| Stipend | From $14.00 / hourUp to $16.00 by location and role. F&B roles tipped, with a guaranteed minimum. | $15.68 / hourOvertime at 1.5×, offered but not guaranteed. | $17.25 / hourHighest in the programme. F&B roles also receive tips. |
| Starts | November 2026 onwards | 14 Feb – 14 Mar 2027 | 2 – 30 Mar 2027A limited number of November 2026 starts may be available — discussed at interview. |
| Housing | Provided$112 / week from your training stipend. No lease. | Provided$150 / week from your training stipend. No lease, no deposit, no cash on arrival. | You arrange it yourselfYou sign your own 12-month lease. Read the block below. |
| Worth knowing | No prior experience. No drug test. Employee rate on waterpark admission. | Culinary needs 1 year experience and formal culinary education. JAX airport pickup if arranged in advance. | Meals on shift. On-site staff gym. |
The Ritz-Carlton and Gaylord Rockies. Names recognised across the global hospitality industry.
Twelve months inside world-class operations — the service standards, the systems, the pace.
Real English fluency from living it daily. International experience on your record. A professional network.
Built around your return, so everything you learn comes back with you. Graduates return ready to lead.
This is a cultural exchange, not employment. But what you carry home — the training, the standard, the experience — is yours to keep.
Housing is not the same at every resort. Two arrange it for you. One does not — and you need to know which before you choose a role.
Housing is provided at every location — furnished accommodation at or near each resort. $112 per week, taken from your training stipend. No lease to sign.
Housing is arranged for you — shared housing near the resort. $150 per week, taken from your training stipend.
At Gaylord Rockies you arrange your own apartment. You sign your own 12-month lease. The resort will not sign a lease on your behalf.
CTI walks you through the lease and introduces you to other participants going to the same resort so you can share and split the cost.
At Ritz-Carlton and Kalahari your housing is arranged before you land and the cost comes from your training stipend.
At Gaylord Rockies you will need money up front — a security deposit of at least $500, application and administration fees, renter's insurance and utilities, on top of rent. The resort gives you three weeks free on the property while you find somewhere.
Property-specific arrival costs are set out in your offer letter and in the truth statement you sign before departure.
Housing costs may change before or during your programme. Terms and conditions apply. Check current figures with your CTI representative.
Itemised in full, as required under 22 CFR 62.10(a)(5). If anyone asks you for a payment that is not on this list, it did not come from CTI Group.
| Programme costs | USD |
|---|---|
| CTI Group programme fee — InternCovers BridgeUSA visa sponsorship, DS-2019, training plan, SEVIS, embassy visa processing, and medical insurance for the full programme. | $4,950 |
| CTI Group programme fee — TraineeWhere a Trainee position applies. | $5,225 |
| SEVIS feePaid to the U.S. government | Included$220 |
| U.S. visa application feePaid to the U.S. Embassy | Included$185 |
| U.S. Visa Integrity FeeNew U.S. government charge, collected at the embassy when your visa is issued. | $250Expected |
| International airfareYou arrange and pay for your own flights. | At your cost |
| Housing — Amelia IslandFrom your training stipend. Transport $75 / month. | $150 / week |
| Housing — KalahariFrom your training stipend. | $112 / week |
| Housing — Gaylord RockiesYou arrange your own apartment. $300 / month from the resort covering housing and transport. | You rent |
You receive a training stipend for every hour of your training placement, at or above the U.S. federal or state minimum wage, whichever is higher for your location.
None of the below is paid to CTI Group. These amounts are not fixed — they change with the resort you are matched with and the cost of living in that part of the United States.
Your training stipend is paid on the resort's normal pay cycle, so nothing arrives on your first day. You need enough money to cover food, transport and daily living from the moment you land until that first payment clears.
The exact cycle depends on the resort you are matched with. Ask at your interview and budget for it before you travel — arriving without this is the single most common difficulty participants face.
Yes. CTI has its own travel department and can book your flights for you. If your departure date moves — which does happen on J-1 programmes — CTI will not charge you anything to change your booking. The airline may still apply its own change fee under its ticket rules, and that is outside our control.
Interviews are by invitation only. Register below, and we will pre-qualify you online before we invite you. Walk-ins are not interviewed. Do not travel to Bangkok without a confirmed invitation from CTI Group.
An interview invitation is not an offer of employment, it is not a visa, and it is not a guarantee of placement.
Not sure whether you qualify? Read the requirements and the full Q&A →
Then talk to us. A CTI representative will go through the programme with you, answer anything that is not covered here, and tell you honestly whether it is right for you before you spend a single dollar.
The resorts and the roles are the good part. This is the part every candidate has to understand before they commit.
This is a training opportunity abroad — not a job abroad, and not migration.
J-1 is a cultural exchange programme administered by the U.S. Department of State. You train at a US host company for twelve months under a structured training plan, then you return home.
Your DS-2019 is issued by Alliance Abroad Group, a sponsor designated by the U.S. Department of State. CTI Group Worldwide Services is an authorised international recruitment partner under 22 CFR 62.22(g). We do not issue visas, we do not sponsor DS-2019 forms, and we cannot guarantee placement. A visa decision is made only by a U.S. consular officer, under U.S. law.
Participants may be subject to the two-year home-country physical presence requirement under INA 212(e).
If you are unsure whether you qualify, contact a CTI representative — they will go through your eligibility with you before you apply. Call +66 65 668 8100.
Not for most roles. Kalahari roles require no prior experience at all.
The one exception is Amelia Island Culinary, which requires at least 1 year of experience and formal culinary education.
Excellent spoken English is required at every property and will be screened.
We pre-qualify you online first. If you qualify, we send you an invitation with a confirmed time — in Bangkok, or online from Vietnam.
You return home. The programme is built around your return.
What you carry home — the training, the standard, the experience — is yours to keep.