How can my startup sponsor J1 Visa?
I have a startup, active for 2 years.
I found a guy and it looks like the best way is to get him a J1 visa.
how can my company sponsor a J1 visa for him ?
Visa Jobs USA Corporate Sponsorship
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Maybe I misunderstood your question, but I suspect a J1 is a suboptimal solution. It is meant for time-limited cultural exchange. That is, the candidate is expected to leave and spread what they learnt. – Steve Jones 11 years ago
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I started with a J1 in a startup and it worked really well: easy and quick to get. Then, you can always convert to an H1b. Just make sure of one very important thing: there's a regulation that requires some J1 holders to wait 18 months outside the country to change status. If think it's called reg 212 but I'm not sure. So when you get your J1, make sure you're not subject to this requirement so that you can later adjust your status without having to leave. – Frenchie 11 years ago
1 Answer
You need to discuss it with an immigration lawyer. J-1 is an exchange visa, usually used by employers for interns, post-docs and visiting researchers/professors. Some graduate students get it too. It is not an equivalent of L1 or H1, and there's no conversion to H1b (there's no such thing called "convert to/transfer H1B" in general. You apply from scratch). You have to have a well-defined program for the exchange visitors, its not just a regular employee.
When you discuss the issue with an immigration attorney, ask about H3 visa as an alternative. This is also a trainee/exchange visa, but is more geared towards employers, less towards educational institutions/internships.
Bottom line is that if you're looking for a foreign worker, there's nothing much you can do but to deal with the H1B visa.
