J-Visa for the USA!

MEJ

lil_lisa wrote: »

I would strongly advise going with SAYIT over USIT. Sayit helped me get my paperwork, my visa and out of the country in 4 weeks. I find them a bit more helpful too.

SAYIT aren't issueing the visa at the moment, not sure why but it looks like I'll be booking through USIT. I went in last week and wasnt too impressed with the woman I talked to, she didnt seem to know a great deal of info.
If anyone booked through USIT could you PM me the name/email of the person who you booked through please:)

Julez

Hey everyone, just wondering how long it took to get passports back from the embassy after the interview? I plan on leaving on the 27th of July or so, but I have a week long holiday planned in the Czech Republic from the 10th to the 17th and will obviously need my passport. Gonna be tight whatever way I do it.
Also, when I call the embassy do I get to choose a date for the interview?

Thanks

lil_lisa

You can ask for the next available appointment and they can try squeeze you in, I'm not sure what the waiting time is like at this time of the month. If you are granted a visa they will send your passport out and you should have it maximum 4-5 working days. I had an interview on a Friday morning and received my passport on the following Tuesday.

Julez

Thanks for the response lisa, have to call on Monday and see what I can get.
Just to let anyone who's interested know I'm going with the IIC and I'm very happy with them so far, I haven't been advised to book flights or anything, I was told that thats a risk and totally up to me. I've been dealing with a guy called Jude and he's been extremely nice and helpful and responded to my email in a fair amount of time (about a day usually) whenever I've had questions.

Stercus Accidit

What is required at the interview, should I have any documents with me and what sort of requirements do I have to fulfil to get a visa?

Ruby83

Hey..sorry if the following queries have been flogged to death already on this thread but I would love some advice:
Myself and my boyfriend are looking to head to the US in October for approx 6 months. He is a recent graduate and I have been working for 4 years so will be applying for the J1 trainee visa. I will need to secure a job before I go.
I looked into Usit and Sayit options for the visa and they are really expensive and seem to be dependent on how long you plan to go for. Is there anyway of applying yourself without their help?
There is talk of a DS2019 which needs to be filled in by your "sponsor"..does that refer to the company you are going to work for or Usit/Sayit types?
Also - has anyone any experience in securing work? I am in the legal field and my boyfriend is an engineer. I haven't starting sending out CVs yet but was wondering on the chances of actually getting something through a mass sending of CVs via email. We're easy on destination so hopefully that will help!
Any advice/input greatly appreciated!!

lil_lisa

A sponsor is required for any working visa in the US. The sponsor in these cases are USIT, SAYIT, go4less, IICenter and a few others listed here (there could be a few more I'm not sure of).

However, not all of them offer the trainee visa. If its possible, I would suggest going over to the US on the Visa Waiver Program (i.e. holiday) and looking for a job. Keep in mind you can't actually work during this time but you can go for interviews and get a real feel for what you want to do.

Julez

Hey, so got my interview for the Mon, 19th of July and flying out on Thurs, 29th of July. So, hopefully, I'll have enough time to get the passport back.
Just wondering if anyone has ever been denied the visa at the interview stage and if so why? Also what did people bring as proof that they were coming back? I really haven't a clue on what to bring? I can't think of any official documents I'd have? My whole family is here can that be used as some form of proof?

lil_lisa

Are you returning to college? Or have any job lined up? If you know anyone involved in a company who could write you up a mock letter stating that you've been offered a job for when you return, you should be fine, if you're not going back to college. They just want to see that you have strong ties in Ireland.

As for the interview, people might get refused a visa for criminal offences or lack of funds or even if they give any cheek to the person at the visa desk or if he has any suspicions towards you. As long as you have nothing seriously dangerous to hide, you have all the required documents and you don't act rudely or give cheek you stand a pretty decent chance of getting the visa.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

MEJ

Julez wrote: »

Hey, so got my interview for the Mon, 19th of July and flying out on Thurs, 29th of July. So, hopefully, I'll have enough time to get the passport back.
Just wondering if anyone has ever been denied the visa at the interview stage and if so why? Also what did people bring as proof that they were coming back? I really haven't a clue on what to bring? I can't think of any official documents I'd have? My whole family is here can that be used as some form of proof?

i asked in usit if anyone had been denied the visa and no one who has dealt with them has been denied so far so i think you'll be fine! i need proof of returning to but cant think of anything, could get my boss to write a letter or something but i dont think coming back to work in a bar part-time is something they'd think il 'definatly come back for

dellas1979

Exciting times ahead!
Heard today that I would be eligible to apply (I thought my age and the fact I do a part-time MA course might make me ineligible).
I hand thesis in in mid-august - I must find out what graduate means in terms of is it when you get the result (prob september) or when you confer.

If I start the process in September, how long do ye think it would take?
Am thinking NY -
How hard is it to get a job without employment agencies? How did other people do it?
Do ye think it would be possible to get something before going over (has this ever happened to anyone?).

MEJ

im going with usit, they say it takes 8 weeks altogether. i had everything processed and payed for 2 weeks ago and my embassy interview is in 2 weeks. once the embassy have your passport and process that i think that takes about 2 weeks (or so usit told me) and then im heading at the start of september.
if you're going with usit you have to have everything payed for in full before they can process anything which means you need to start saving asap.
as for your other questions, i dont know yet! i havnt got a job yet but im applying to everything i can find so fingers crossed il have some interviews lined up for when i get over there if nothing else.

Uncle_moe

Hi,

I know there have been some attempts at getting answers to this question throughout this thread but it would be nice if someone out there has a definitive answer.
Basically, how strict are the american body who governs this visa about what you get employment in? i.e. are you really tied to the area you studied in college or is it more flexible?
I've heard of some people getting jobs as barmen and others on this thread said they could not get casual employment while waiting to get a more important job or at least one that is relevant to their area of education. It's a pretty big deal as I'm deciding to either go to Canada or America but the US visa is much dearer and if it limits you to employment in very strict areas then i'm wondering is it really worth it? Any help at all would be great, and i do think this thread is excellent for people seeking info on the topic. Thanks all.

MEJ

well i havnt gotten over there yet but from everything iv read you HAVE to get a job related to your degree and it has to be some sort of trainee job(dont know how strict they are on that, like an internship or something). The job can be paid or unpaid and you can change jobs as many times as you like. You have to keep in regular contact with CIEE about the job you're doing and they will decide if its related to your degree and if its actually an established company you're working for.

as far as other people who have got jobs as barmen etc..you are not allowed to get a job like that, those people are probably being paid cash in hand and so technically they're working illegally.
thats all i know so far as i havnt got over there yet, people over there will probably have a better idea but this topic seems to have gotten a bit quiet recently

Uncle_moe

Great thanks for the reply. The people i know doing bar work are working legally but i dont know how they got around the sponsor thing. ill try find out. It's just be nice to be able to get casual work if you're low on cash

dellas1979

Yes - it would be great if someone who has actually done this could reply.

How exactly are jobs being found/how are companies being approached?

Does it have to be an internship? What if you got a pretty decent job?

confused

MEJ where are you heading to/do you know people over there?

MEJ

Im going to be living in Hoboken, NJ its about 10 mintutes away from Manhattan. I did my J1 there so know the area well and have some friends there. Im heading over with one of my friends from Ireland but she is an American citizen so doesnt have any of this hassel!

armadillo86

I'll be heading up to Dublin on Thursday to book this visa. Think i'm gonna go with go4less as i was more impressed with their level of communication and service than that of Usit. I hope to move to New York mid-October... Exciting times!

Julez

Had my interview today, was really straight forward. I was there for an hour and 20 mins, about an hour and 10mins of that was spent waiting. Didn't get asked for any proof as to why I will return, just where I was going and where I graduated from. Just a quick question to anyone thats done it, did they keep your DS-2019 form? Because I never got mine back.

lil_lisa

Yes, you'll get that back with your passport and visa.

le_girl

Has anyone had any problems getting a certificate of coverage from the insurance company as proof? I'm guessing it's an american term and VHI don't seem to understand what it means and have just sent me a letter with my policy number and seem to think that should be enough proof but it isn't.

If I can't sort it out I'll have to cancel and go with one of the american insurance companies which seems crazy - surely this should be the easy part of the process? I've already paid for the travel insurance with VHI which was expensive because I didn't want to take any chances on a cheaper basic policy but now I can't even get the right document to prove it.

MEJ

Julez wrote: »

Had my interview today, was really straight forward. I was there for an hour and 20 mins, about an hour and 10mins of that was spent waiting. Didn't get asked for any proof as to why I will return, just where I was going and where I graduated from. Just a quick question to anyone thats done it, did they keep your DS-2019 form? Because I never got mine back.

sounds easy enough. did you have any sort of proof with you just in case? iv got my interview on friday

lonestargirl

le_girl wrote: »

Has anyone had any problems getting a certificate of coverage from the insurance company as proof? I'm guessing it's an american term and VHI don't seem to understand what it means and have just sent me a letter with my policy number and seem to think that should be enough proof but it isn't.

If I can't sort it out I'll have to cancel and go with one of the american insurance companies which seems crazy - surely this should be the easy part of the process? I've already paid for the travel insurance with VHI which was expensive because I didn't want to take any chances on a cheaper basic policy but now I can't even get the right document to prove it.

Do you have an option to manage your account online with VHI, mybe you can print out details of your policy there?

le_girl

lonestargirl wrote: »

Do you have an option to manage your account online with VHI, mybe you can print out details of your policy there?

I just tried and it gave very basic info, nothing that I could use unfortunately.
But thanks for the idea, I hadn't thought of that and it was worth a go.

lonestargirl

le_girl wrote: »

I just tried and it gave very basic info, nothing that I could use unfortunately.
But thanks for the idea, I hadn't thought of that and it was worth a go.

Was worth a try. Another piece of advice, make sure you have contact numbers for you health insurance easily accesible as a hospital/doctor will want to verify your coverage before treating you (unless it's an emergency) and you don't want to find out after the fact that your plan doesn't cover a particular doctor/hospital.

lil_lisa

Does VHI definitely cover you for this trip? They should be able to give you proof of this, AFAIK, it's an additional option on your coverage.

Harpy

hey what insurance companies did people use for this visa and what policies? Vhi want about 150 euro a month for insurance which is ridicolous and the other companies im getting confused about whether they cover the requirments or not.

lonestargirl

Harpy wrote: »

hey what insurance companies did people use for this visa and what policies? Vhi want about 150 euro a month for insurance which is ridicolous and the other companies im getting confused about whether they cover the requirments or not.

You really need to read the small print on your policy. Health insurance is very expensive here, I have an excellent package subsidised through my husband's employer that costs me $250 a month. You need to check what your dedutible is (amount you pay before insurance kicks in), if it covers dental work, what % of your bills it covers (often tests etc are only covered 80-90%), what your co-pay is (the contribution you pay when going to the doctor). Most importantly find out how it will be billed, i.e. direct to the insurance company or will you have to pay upfront and then reclaim. I know an extra €50 a month sounds like a waste of money but you really need to know what you are buying.

le_girl

lil_lisa wrote: »

Does VHI definitely cover you for this trip? They should be able to give you proof of this, AFAIK, it's an additional option on your coverage.

Yep, it's a worldwide global traveler policy that exceeds the minimum requirements for the visa.

They really should be able to give me a better form of proof than the letters they've sent that basically just state my policy number. As far as I know, they send out what they call a policy certificate 30 days before the start date of the policy which is probably exactly what I need as proof but they're refusing to send it to me early even though I've paid in full for the whole year. Really frustrating since it cost so much and I just need the right piece of paper to prove it but hopefully it'll get sorted out soon.

avalon68

le_girl wrote: »

Yep, it's a worldwide global traveler policy that exceeds the minimum requirements for the visa.

You should double and triple check this - how long will you be in the us for? I was informed by quinn that my insurance covered me - but only for a very small amount - ie if I got hit by a car I should call a taxi to the airport and not an ambulance Medical insurance here is VERY expensive (mine is over 500 a month which is fortunately covered by work). Also, quinn informed me that you have to be resident in Ireland for 6 months of the year for your insurance to be valid. Plus, just remember, if you do need a hospitel they will probably have no idea who VHI is . . . . . Is there not a specific J visa insurance package you can get?

le_girl

avalon68 wrote: »

You should double and triple check this - how long will you be in the us for? I was informed by quinn that my insurance covered me - but only for a very small amount - ie if I got hit by a car I should call a taxi to the airport and not an ambulance Medical insurance here is VERY expensive (mine is over 500 a month which is fortunately covered by work). Also, quinn informed me that you have to be resident in Ireland for 6 months of the year for your insurance to be valid. Plus, just remember, if you do need a hospitel they will probably have no idea who VHI is . . . . . Is there not a specific J visa insurance package you can get?

Wow, I went and read through every page of my policy after reading that. Definitely don't want to be stuck there with insurance that's not valid. :eek: I'll hopefully be there for the full 12-13 months.

Any policy we take out has to cover these requirements:

1. Medical benefits of at least $50,000.00 per accident or illness
2. Repatriation of remains in the sum of $7,500.00.
3. Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $10,000.00.
4. A deductable (amount payable by you) not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

The IIC recommended some US insurance companies who have basic plans that cost about $30 a month and cover the requirements of the visa. I wanted to pay a bit more for more cover though just in case. My policy with VHI cost about €1200 (after discounts) for the year so it had better be good, I had a read through it though and it looks fine. It's specifically for anyone living abroad for over 6 months and gives full cover for hospital costs, emergency care, intensive care, emergency transfer, evacuation, emergency dental, etc.

I also checked the part about ambulance costs and it covers "road/off- road ambulance, train, helicopter or fixed wing aircraft with a medical escort if necessary" so I think I'm good

So, I finally got the proof I needed for the IIC after scanning everything I could get my hands on and they're happy with it and sending out my DS-2019 cert.

lonestargirl

Good thing that the insurance checks out le-girl. As your deductible is $500 you have to pay if you need to make a simple visit to the doctor. If this situation occurs ring around a few places and tell them you are a cash payer and ask what it will cost. They'll usually give you a discount on what they would bill the insurance company.

le_girl

Thanks for the advice, this stuff is beyond confusing to me.

I wanted my policy to cover more than the minimum requirements so the one I chose actually covers GP visits, x-rays, MRI scans, etc up to $500 with no deducible. I think I have to pay 20% of the cost of prescriptions though.

lonestargirl

le_girl wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, this stuff is beyond confusing to me.

I wanted my policy to cover more than the minimum requirements so the one I chose actually covers GP visits, x-rays, MRI scans, etc up to $500 with no deducible. I think I have to pay 20% of the cost of prescriptions though.

Believe me, I live here and it still confuses me!!

Your policy seems pretty good, hopefully you woun't have any cause to use it.

le_girl

lonestargirl wrote: »

Believe me, I live here and it still confuses me!!

Your policy seems pretty good, hopefully you woun't have any cause to use it.

That's what I'm counting on anyway because I think I'd need a translator to get through the rest of the terms and conditions document. Time to start popping vitamins to boost the old immune system I think... I do not want to fall ill out there, too much paperwork involved. :rolleyes:

lil_lisa

It was a good idea to get a little more cover. Living in a new country for a whole year without the option of having your insurance cover GP visits is ghastly. Usually works out at over $150 a visit which is not good if you're in any way hypochondriacal. A lot of people like to try get the cheapest insurance but at the end of the day it may be working out more expensive!

So well done le_girl. Mind me asking where you're headed?

le_girl

Yeah, glad the insurance is all done and sorted and I don't have to worry about coming home with ridiculous medical bills if anything happens.

I'm heading to the San Francisco/San Jose area. I have family there to stay with and I studied IT so it should be a good place to look for a job. Emphasis on should. :rolleyes:

Harpy

just wondering who do you make the bank draft/postal order payable to is it just to the us embassy or what?
also are they strict on the envelope size i can only find 9 inch by 6 and 3/8 inch envelopes and they say on teh website you need a 6 inch by 9 and a half inch..i know i sound weird asking about envelopes sizes but just want to have everything sorted..

lil_lisa

Yes, you must make the bank draft payable to 'US Embassy', if I were you I would get it in $ instead of €, if the exchange rate changes even the morning of your interview and you're off by a cent, they won't accept it.

I'm not sure about the envelope. I always had an A5 size, it's just to send back your passport and documents to you, anything smaller won't hold, so I'm sure even if you had an A4 envelope, as long as it was self-addressed and had the correct stamps on it it should be fine.

MEJ

with the envelope i just got a registered post envelope because the post office wouldnt give me an express post one. it was about half an A4 i think, so it fit my passport and then the forms were folded up when i got them back.

Harpy

lil_lisa wrote: »

Yes, you must make the bank draft payable to 'US Embassy', if I were you I would get it in $ instead of €, if the exchange rate changes even the morning of your interview and you're off by a cent, they won't accept it.

I'm not sure about the envelope. I always had an A5 size, it's just to send back your passport and documents to you, anything smaller won't hold, so I'm sure even if you had an A4 envelope, as long as it was self-addressed and had the correct stamps on it it should be fine.

thanks lil lisa thats really helpful, yeah ill get it in dollars and maybe bring a few different envelopes and give them a choice haha..

MEJ

for anyone who is over in the US, whats the best deal for phones, better to be pay as you go or bill? i hear that unless you have credit in your phone you vant recieve calls unless its bill is that right?

lonestargirl

MEJ wrote: »

for anyone who is over in the US, whats the best deal for phones, better to be pay as you go or bill? i hear that unless you have credit in your phone you vant recieve calls unless its bill is that right?

In the US you pay both to make and to receive calls, both on billpay and on PAYG. If you are only coming for a year I would go with PAYG as billpay will (a) have a minimum contract - for me that is 24 months with AT&T for an iPhone and (b) if you don't have a credit history you will have to put a deposit down - $500 with AT&T.

lil_lisa

There are several companies out there that offer month to month contracts, I'm currently using cricket and they have unlimited minutes (over here they go by minutes instead of money on your phone) Check them out here to give you an idea. There are other cell phone providers that offer month to month plans like that.

MEJ

thanks for the help! i got a sim card from usit so il find out what network that is but that month-month contract looks like a pretty good deal.

Harpy

had my interview today, all went grand..Just asked me where i was going what i did in college they didn't even ask me for a bank statement or proof of return..

how long have people on here had to wait for them to send back their passports? i know on the website it says two working days to process so should prob have it back monday or tuesday, but a friend of a friend was waiting two weeks and had to ring them and then they sent it out im hoping that was just a isolated incident cause im leaving the 22nd..

I think if i don't have it back tuesday morning ill just ring them to make sure they've sent it out..

MEJ

i had my interview on a fri and had it by tues.

lil_lisa

Me too, interview friday, passport tuesday morning.

le_girl

Probably a really stupid question but is there any harm in renewing the ESTA even though I'm heading over next month on this visa? I thought I might as well since it'll cover me for two years if I go back on the visa waiver thingy. Or do you actually need the ESTA with a J Visa anyway?

Also, if you go to the US on this or a similar visa what's the story with paperwork like the green form, I-94 (are they the same thing?) or a white form (is there even a white form or did I make that up?)? I'm guessing the visa waiver doesn't apply to us and isn't that green form obsolete now anyway?

I realise I sound like an confused idiot... because I am

lonestargirl

le_girl wrote: »

Probably a really stupid question but is there any harm in renewing the ESTA even though I'm heading over next month on this visa? I thought I might as well since it'll cover me for two years if I go back on the visa waiver thingy. Or do you actually need the ESTA with a J Visa anyway?

You don't need ESTA if you are going on a visa. However there is going to be a charge from September so there's no harm in applying in case you want to use the VWP in the next 2 years, just keep your reference number handy.

le_girl wrote: »

Also, if you go to the US on this or a similar visa what's the story with paperwork like the green form, I-94 (are they the same thing?) or a white form (is there even a white form or did I make that up?)? I'm guessing the visa waiver doesn't apply to us and isn't that green form obsolete now anyway?

I-94 is a white form, I-94W was the green one that was used when on the VWP and has now been discontinued. You will fill out the white form and the immigration officer will staple a section into your passport, you then surrender this to the airline when leaving the country.