Office Situation Update/2012 Holiday Schedule

I am pleased to announce that our office is fully operational again. Regarding our holiday schedule: Please note that Global Current will be closed from Monday, December 24th through Thursday, January 3rd. We will re-open our office on Friday, January 4th. We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.

GC Office Situation

Global Current's office is currently closed indefinitely due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Our office is located in Lower Manhattan, among the hardest hit areas in NYC during the recent storm. Flooding from last weeks storm destroyed the infrastructure that our power, internet, and phone providers rely upon to provide our office building with service. We hope to be fully operational within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us via e-mail with any inquiries.

GC closed, 10/22 - 10/25

Please note that Global Current will be closed from Monday, October 22nd through Thursday, October 25th. If you plan on sending us J-1 sponsorship applications this month, we kindly request that you send them to us on or before Wednesday, October 17th, or from Friday October 26th onwards.

Rule 212(e) - Fact vs. Fiction

As J-1 visa sponsors we are often asked which foreign nationals are subject to Rule 212(e), the dreaded 2-year home residency immigration law. Foreign nationals are subject to Rule 212(e) based on their nationality and the occupational category of their J-1 program. While there remains a considerable amount of confusion regarding the law, by far the best resource for determining who is subject to 212(e)is via the U.S. Department of State's Exchange Visitor Skills List: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_4514.html

Trainee and Intern DS-2019 Forms Available!

Global Current still has available DS-2019 forms to meet your J-1 trainee and intern sponsorship needs! Give us a ring: (212) 757-3774 x240 We welcome all inquiries. Thanks, Jon Adler Director of Business Development, Global Current

Happy July 4th!

We wish all of our friends a happy & healthy July 4th Holiday!

Are Temporary Exchange Visitors Subject to U.S. Taxes?

The answer is YES!

As tax day (April 17, 2012) approaches, most J-1 visa sponsors are bombarded by questions regarding taxes for the J-1 exchange visitors that they sponsor. Unfortunately most J-1 visa sponsors are not tax experts and are unable to answer the specific questions sent to us.

For those seeking more information, the IRS website (www.irs.gov) is by far the best resource for retrieving information about taxes for non-resident aliens participating in the J-Visa Exchange Visitor Program.

Important things to know:
(1) Exchange Visitors on J-1 visas are required to pay any Federal, State, and City (if applicable) taxes.

(2) Exchange Visitors on J-1 visas under the trainee and intern categories are exempt from paying Social Security and Medicare taxes.

(3) If they are paid in the U.S. during their active J-1 programs, J-1 exchange visitors must file a tax return in April.

Here are a few IRS links that are particularly useful:
Foreign Students and Scholars (Trainees & Interns are included in this category)
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=96431,00.html

Taxation of Nonresident Aliens
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=96477,00.html

Foreign Student Liability for Social Security and Medicare Taxes
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=129427,00.html

Wow there sure are lots of types of J-1 visas......

Even for those of us working for J-1 visa sponsors, we are often fascinated by the number of different types of J-1 visas offered by the U.S. Department of State. Many of the requirements for these J-1 visas are not only confusing to anyone actually seeking J-1 visa sponsorship, but also to the J-1 visa sponsorship community as a whole.

While AIESEC United States/Global Current is designated by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor J-1 Trainee and Intern programs, there are many other sponsors out there that are designated in other J-1 categories, such as Summer Work Travel or Professor and Research Scholar.

If you are pursuing a J-1 visa in a category other than trainee or intern, we recommend visiting the U.S. Department of State's designated J-1 visa information site:

http://j1visa.state.gov/programs

GC Closed on 1/16

Please note that Global Current will be closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Thanks,
Jon Adler
Senior Program Manager

Happy New Year!

Global Current is back open for business! All inquiries are welcome.

Jon Adler
Program Manager
jona@aiesecus.org