J-Visa for the USA!

sleepyescapade

I am two weeks into my visa and I went with IIC, I found their process very straightforward and they are great to deal with. I had my visa in about 6 weeks from the time I applied. No problems, would highly recommend them!

letitroll

Sent you Lil_Lisa a PM around your double IWT

neil.p.b

neil.p.b wrote: »

Has anyone done their interview recently? Did they ask you for a bank statement or proof of return?

Bump.

sleepyescapade

Hi, they didn't explicitly ask for them but I had them anyway just incase.

neil.p.b

Just had my embassy appointment, very routine, just like the j1. The only thing they asked me during the 'interview' was had i graduated within the last year and for proof of funds.

Heading off in 6 weeks, can't wait!

syd barrett

i came back from a j1, i received a 300 euro fine for possesion of cannabis 7 years ago, i declared it last year and was granted a B1/B2 visa, when i had my embassy interview last tuesday i received a refusal letter that said why i was refused the visa and at the bottom of the page it said "you are eligible to apply for a waiver on the ground(s) of ineligibility

they held onto my ds2019 form, and told me to email in my bank statement, i got a letter off her for that, i couldnt really hear what the lady was saying and anytime i asked her to repeat herself she seemed to get more angry and just told me to go away, i emailed the embassy and have rang since but seem to be going round in circles, no one seems to know what is happening,

anyone have any ideas?

syd barrett

syd barrett wrote: »

i came back from a j1, i received a 300 euro fine for possesion of cannabis 7 years ago, i declared it last year and was granted a B1/B2 visa, when i had my embassy interview last tuesday i received a refusal letter that said why i was refused the visa and at the bottom of the page it said "you are eligible to apply for a waiver on the ground(s) of ineligibility

they held onto my ds2019 form, and told me to email in my bank statement, i got a letter off her for that, i couldnt really hear what the lady was saying and anytime i asked her to repeat herself she seemed to get more angry and just told me to go away, i emailed the embassy and have rang since but seem to be going round in circles, no one seems to know what is happening,

anyone have any ideas?

and i was on the j1 this year

lil_lisa

The only thing you can do is make an appointment with the Embassy and speak to someone up there. We can't give legal advice for a situation like this. Make sure to bring all paperwork necessary in case they ask for it when you're there.

syd barrett

lil_lisa wrote: »

The only thing you can do is make an appointment with the Embassy and speak to someone up there. We can't give legal advice for a situation like this. Make sure to bring all paperwork necessary in case they ask for it when you're there.

cheers

i have all the necessary paperwork and from what i gather the form i got off them means i dont have to make an appointment, once i have it i can get in, but was told not to be too eager as that might go against me, i understand you cant offer legal advice, its just a tough situation i seem to be in

thanks anyways

the_real_lamp

hey,

I am currently doing a masters in law. want to go to NYC when I finish for a year. Could I arrange to work maybe one or two days a week for free in a law firm and then get a bar job to keep me going?
Worked in a bar on a J1 in NY and would love to do it again before coming home to get a 'real' job!

kmart6

Can't officially work in a bar as part of the Graduate J1...would have to be under the table i.e. cash in hand!

sheamyboy

I'm just wondering is it much cheaper going through the Irish Immigration Center, then from through USIT?

CurtisPadd

I'm strongly considering the 12 month work programme. I'm interested in finding out about your experiences once you got to the US, in particular how payment is working out and if companies are interested in keeping you on after visa expires.

I have just graduate as a mature student and have some experience in my field (Highway Engineering) and would not work for a year unpaid. However, If I could find a good company, civil consultancy or contractor, that would pay and be interested in taking someone on long term I would go for it.

Am I being a bit optimistic?
PC

quilliam

same as CurtisPadd above, id love to get an update on people using the 12 month visa currently.. their experiences.

Im starting an MA in Sept finishing in June 2013. its in Screenwriting which could be difficult to translate into work :rolleyes: My work experience hasnt been related to that apart from writing a couple of short films but over the next 18 months Im going to get as much industry (film/tv) relevant work experience as I can.

Anyone have experiences with getting jobs 'somewhat' related to their BA/MA? Any experiences at all would be helpful. Has the program eased up or tightened up since its inception? Has there been any notable changes, less availability of visas or anything like that?

Anyone who ended up being able to stay past the 12 months also please speak up

Im probably going to opt for San Fran as I have cousins there and Ive visited and loved it. Im in the latter part of my 20s so the idea of toughing it out in NYC isnt maybe as appealing as it might have been 4 or 5 years ago..

Thanks guys, its been a really good thread so far, couple of months since its been paid any notice though

HavingCrack

quilliam wrote: »

Im starting an MA in Sept finishing in June 2013. its in Screenwriting which could be difficult to translate into work :rolleyes: My work experience hasnt been related to that apart from writing a couple of short films but over the next 18 months Im going to get as much industry (film/tv) relevant work experience as I can.

If you really want to work in screenwriting type stuff the two main centres for it are New York and Los Angeles, the former for TV and theatre (obviously) and latter for TV and film (also obviously :pac:). New York is growing in importance for film lately though, lot of movies being shot there. There's also a good bit of work in Chicago, Orlando (Disney) and Atlanta (TNT). They're the locations of the major networks.

Then of course all the different cities in America have their 'local' versions of the networks, I have no idea how much programming they produce locally though.

San Francisco really would be quite far down the list for script writing though, all that sort of work in California is going to be based in Los Angeles.

Very, very tough industry to break into in the States, LA and New York are over run with struggling screenwriters working as waiters etc. I'm sure you know all that sort of thign already though

#Daniel

Just graduated with a first class honours in computing. Would securing an IT position in New York be feasible?

delaney001

Hey,

If anyone could answer this question for me, I would appreciate it a lot.

I graduated in December 2011.

So I assume I have until December 2012 to get my visa (I understand ill need to book it at least 8 weeks early to ensure I get it in time)

If I get the visa, for example on the 1st of November this year, when do I have to start using the visa?

Do i Have to head to USA before December 2012 or can I wait till the new year and start my 12 months in February for example and stay there working until Feb 2013?

Thanks

Dani Adelante

I'm not 100% sure about when you need to head over there. Generally, I think most people go over on their visa start date, or thereabouts. But the visa date expiration date would be 12 months from the visa start date, so it would be unlikely that it would run past December 2013.

Have you talked to USIT or IIC or any of the companies who sponsor the visa? They might have a better idea.

If you got the visa on November 1st, then it would expire on November 1st, 2013. But you can tell them what date you want the visa to start on as far as I know.
I applied for mine in July 2009, and I asked for it to start on September 23rd, and that's the date I had on my visa.

delaney001

Dani Adelante wrote: »

I'm not 100% sure about when you need to head over there. Generally, I think most people go over on their visa start date, or thereabouts. But the visa date expiration date would be 12 months from the visa start date, so it would be unlikely that it would run past December 2013.

Have you talked to USIT or IIC or any of the companies who sponsor the visa? They might have a better idea.

If you got the visa on November 1st, then it would expire on November 1st, 2013. But you can tell them what date you want the visa to start on as far as I know.
I applied for mine in July 2009, and I asked for it to start on September 23rd, and that's the date I had on my visa.

You see I completely accept that if I get it 1st Nov then it will expire 1st NOv 2013, Ive no problem with that.

What I want to know is, can I start it Nov 1st and wait till Jan/feb to actually head over, and I know Im wasting 3 months of the visa by not being over there, but 9 months would do me fine and I would come back around october 2013.

regarding where you said you asked them for a certain start date, I assume this date cant be past your graduation date + 12 months ( as in december 10th this year for me)?

Thanks

HideAndSeek23

Hey guys,

I worked in a restaurant last summer on a J1...and will be finishing my final year exams in May. The restaurant has asked me to come back right then (at the end of May) and work as a trainee manager position for the year so I've a couple questions.

1) If the work might involve getting behind the bar at some times during busy periods it that still acceptable as part of the management title i.e. linked to my degree?

2) Because I'm applying now (even though my graduation date isn't until November) can I apply for another 12 month visa when this one runs out as I'm still within the timeline of 13 months after graduation?

3) Can I apply for 2) while still in the US so I'd only have to fly home for the embassy interview?

Any help from anyone or experience with issues such as these I'd really like to hear!! Having a hard time finding anyone I can ask about these things. Thanks!

lil_lisa

As long as the DS-7002 training form is accepted by the Jvisa, the position itself should suffice.

As for applying twice, when do you graduate? If its November 2013 you shouldn't have any problem applying twice (assuming you and the position meet all requirements again a year from now). You can start some of the application from the US but will have to go home for a couple of weeks for your interview and actually waiting for your visa. I went with Intrax Internships for my second 12 month J visa as they guarantee a turnaround of 3-4 weeks. Everything was done via email/phone. I was home for 3 weeks and back in the US so quickly.

HideAndSeek23

Ah that's great thanks very much! Would you recommend going with Intrax for my first 12 month J1 visa as well as my second? I did my summer J1 with USIT last summer but was going to go with go4less this time as they're cheaper...any thoughts?

lil_lisa

Its up to you. I went with USIT for the 1st one. When I contacted them about starting a new one, they told me I had to be out of the country for 90 days between visas. I couldn't find this information anywhere under the government website or rules so when I applied to Intrax, obviously gave them a list of all my previous visas and they didn't seem to have such rule.

spideog7

lil_lisa wrote: »

Its up to you. I went with USIT for the 1st one. When I contacted them about starting a new one, they told me I had to be out of the country for 90 days between visas. I couldn't find this information anywhere under the government website or rules so when I applied to Intrax, obviously gave them a list of all my previous visas and they didn't seem to have such rule.

When I did the same thing I just headed up and did the interview at the consulate in Toronto, spent 4 days in Canada then just drove back. Same setup as you, I didn't graduate until August but was finished in May so was able to get it twice.

SAJ

lil_lisa wrote: »

As long as the DS-7002 training form is accepted by the Jvisa, the position itself should suffice.

As for applying twice, when do you graduate? If its November 2013 you shouldn't have any problem applying twice (assuming you and the position meet all requirements again a year from now). You can start some of the application from the US but will have to go home for a couple of weeks for your interview and actually waiting for your visa. I went with Intrax Internships for my second 12 month J visa as they guarantee a turnaround of 3-4 weeks. Everything was done via email/phone. I was home for 3 weeks and back in the US so quickly.

Have been meaning to ask about the ability to be able to apply for the Jvisa twice but this seems to indicate that it is possible thankfully!

In my case I finished my undergraduate degree in May 2012 and went on a Summer J1, with the actual graduation ceremony (and the date on my graduation parchment) on the 25th October 2012. I'm now doing a Masters which I shall finish by early August 2013, with the graduation ceremony in November 2013.

I am assuming that if I am to apply for a 1 year visa to leave for the US in September this year, that I can quickly apply for another one as long as it is done and completed before November 2014?

Thanks in advance for any help with this query!

lil_lisa

Again, once you finish your visa in September 2014 and you are still eligible for the visa, then you should have no problem applying.

MeowXyz

Hi everyone,

Can anyone tell me whether you can get a "real job" on the 12 month visa? A friend of mine told me it's technically an internship visa and employers aren't supposed to hire you like a normal employee and don't have to pay you full wages. Is this true? Seems odd to me.

Also, has anyone ever heard of someone on this visa getting a job in management consulting?

Thanks a mil!

lil_lisa

Once you find a job in your field of study, the 1 year must be planned like an internship (i.e. the DS-7002 must be completed and updated quarterly by your manager). Once you fulfill this, you're fine. I worked a proper full-time job, my manager just had to do a bit of planning and write down exactly what I would be working on over the next year.

NEEDHELP2010

Hi, I know I am open an old thread but some people here seem to know what they are talking about.

I am heading to San Diego this summer(2014) and I am looking into booking a J1 independently as I just dont trust the J1 companies and there hidden costs and the fact they just want your money at the end of the day. If booking a J1 on my own would save a bit of cash I dont mind putting in a bit of effort to do that.

What I want to know really is how you go about getting a DS-2019 form and what are the costs in getting this. I understand you must get a sponsor but does this mean you have to work for this company or do they just supply you with the form and you can find work yourself ie. part time..

If anybody has booked a J1 on there own in the past I would appreciate their help and experiences.

lil_lisa

You have to get a sponsor. A sponsor is a government approved company who verify and are responsible for you while you are in the US. These sponsors (such as interexchange) work with USIT, SAYIT, go4less and possibly others. So, unfortunately, you cannot apply on your own. You must go through a sponsor company, however, you do not have to work with/for them.