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

Global Current 2011 Holiday Schedule

Dear Friends,

Please note that Global Current will be closed from Monday, December 26, 2011 through Tuesday, January 3, 2012.

We will re-open for business on Wednesday, January 4, 2012.

We kindly ask that you plan your J-1 sponsorship needs accordingly.

All of us at AIESEC United States & Global Current wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Thanks as always for your continued support.

Best Regards,
Jon Adler

J-1 Visa Sponsorship (Trainees and Interns)

Global Current (GC) still has plenty of DS-2019 forms available for sponsoring potential J-1 exchange visitors in the trainee and intern categories for the remainder of 2011.

FYI - GC does not assist foreign nationals in finding suitable training or internship opportunities within the U.S.

If you are a foreign national who has already been offered a training or internship opportunity in the U.S. and seek J-1 sponsorship, we may be able to help!

Please contact us at: +1 212 757 3774 (Extension: 240)

Jon Adler
Senior Program Manager

J-1 Program Changes?

As a J-1 program sponsor for J-1 trainee and intern visas, we have heard from an increasing number of companies that utilize the J-1 program regarding upcoming changes in 2012. We are often asked how any such changes will affect their use of foreign nationals for training or internships moving forward.

As of November 4, 2011, the U.S. Department of State has not announced or implemented any new changes to the J-1 trainee/intern programs for 2012. Any suggestions of future changes are strictly speculative at this point.

We do not have any insight into future changes that the U.S. Department of State will implement to the J-1 trainee/intern programs moving forward.

Rest assured that we have been following the developments in Washington very closely and will be sure to keep all interested parties in the loop through this blog.

As advocates of the J-1 program, we welcome the opportunity to discuss the program and how it benefits companies both big and small.

DS-2019s Available for Eligible J-1 Trainee/Intern Candidates

Global Current still has plenty of DS-2019 documents remaining for the 2011 calender year.

While other J-1 visa sponsors may run out of these forms, rest assured that Global Current will be able to handle your J-1 visa trainee/intern sponsorship needs for the foreseeable future!

We're Moving!

Dear Friends,

I hope that everyone is enjoying the summer season.

Please note that our office will be changing addresses as of September 1st 2011. Our new mailing address will be:

AIESEC United States/Global Current
11 Hanover Square
Suite 1700
New York, NY 10005

We are quite excited about moving into our new office space. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.

Thanks,
Jon Adler

Sponsorship for Trainee & Intern Programs

If you represent a company interested in hosting a foreign national for a trainee or intern program in the United States we may be able to sponsor them for a J-1 visa.

As an intern, foreign nationals can come to the U.S. from anywhere between 3 weeks and 12 months to gain genuine office experience.

As a trainee, foreign nationals can come to the U.S., from anywhere between 3 weeks and 18 months to train in a wide variety of occupational skills.

Assuming the J-1 candidate is eligible for our sponsorship services, the whole process can take as short as 3 weeks.

All foreign nationals on J-1 trainee or intern programs are required to return to their home countries after their J-1 programs are complete.

Have questions? Contact us, we welcome all inquiries!
jona@aiesecus.org

Jon Adler, Program Manager

Did You Know? - J-1 Trainee Requirements

Foreign nationals from all countries are eligible for a U.S. J-1 trainee visa if they:

a) Possess a foreign degree and 1+ year of relevant professional experience
b) In lieu of a degree, possess 5+ years of relevant professional experience

If you are a foreign national who has already secured a trainee opportunity here in the United States, we may be able to serve as your J-1 program visa sponsor.

Please feel free to e-mail us with any questions:
jona@globalcurrentexchanges.org

We welcome all inquiries!

Thanks,
Jon Adler, Program Manager

Does the J Visa Program Abuse American Workers?

There has been an increased amount of debate within the U.S. Government regarding the question as to whether the J-1 Visa Program abuses foreign students and American workers. A hearing within the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Enforcement will address this question at some point this Fall.

While there are certainly areas within the program that could be vastly improved upon, particularly the Summer Work/Travel program, it is our belief that the benefits of the program, such as promoting greater foreign understanding of the United States and our culture, far outweigh the disadvantages.

As an accredited J-1 visa sponsor for the trainee & intern categories, we work tirelessly to make sure that the foreign nationals that we sponsor are not coming to the U.S. to take employment positions from American workers. We also will only sponsor foreign nationals who wholeheartedly plan to return to their home countries once their training/intern programs are complete. We truly hope that other J-1 visa sponsors take the same approach.

What do you think of the J-1 program? How can it be improved? We welcome your feedback......

Memorial Day Holiday

Please note that Global Current will be closed on Monday, May 30th is observance of Memorial Day.

We will be back in the office on Tuesday, May 31st to answer any inquiries.

Have a great weekend!

Did You Know?

Global Current can sponsor foreign nationals from every foreign country for J-1 trainee and intern visas.

Through May 15, 2011, our organization has sponsored foreign nationals from 39 countries on 6 continents (sorry Antarctica). The program participants that we sponsor are spread throughout 27 U.S. states.

So rest assured, if you are a foreign national from Papau New Guinea that has obtained a trainee or intern opportunity in Idaho we can assist...assuming of course you are eligible!