Restaurant work for trainee visa?

loca

Hi all, I have a friend who owns a restaurant business in New York and is willing to sponsor me on a 20 month traineeship visa. I am just wondering if I get a visa based on this line of work is it possible for me to then look for a job in the field in which I am qualified and change midway through the visa ?

silja

I am not familiar with a 20 months traineeship visa, what is the visa "number"? Or do you mean the 12 months J1 internship?

What would you be doing at the restaurant?
What current education/ experience do you have that qualifies you for the type of work you'd be doing?

loca

silja wrote: »

I am not familiar with a 20 months traineeship visa, what is the visa "number"? Or do you mean the 12 months J1 internship?

What would you be doing at the restaurant?
What current education/ experience do you have that qualifies you for the type of work you'd be doing?

http://blog.htp-usa.com/2011/08/31/can-a-j-1-trainee-really-remain-in-the-u-s-for-20-months/
Check the above site out... Bit of a loophole. My friend did it. His lawyer told him about it.

My education is in engineering so I was hoping to try to get a serious job in engineering once I arrive. The restaurant is just while I get on my feet but if it's not possible to change I still want to go.

I've worked in banking & financial services for 6 years so was hoping to be working on the business side of the restaurant. My friend is flexible she will go with whatever I need to do.

I just need to figure out how to go about it. :-/

rockonollie

loca wrote: »

http://blog.htp-usa.com/2011/08/31/can-a-j-1-trainee-really-remain-in-the-u-s-for-20-months/
Check the above site out... Bit of a loophole. My friend did it. His lawyer told him about it.

My education is in engineering so I was hoping to try to get a serious job in engineering once I arrive. The restaurant is just while I get on my feet but if it's not possible to change I still want to go.

I've worked in banking & financial services for 6 years so was hoping to be working on the business side of the restaurant. My friend is flexible she will go with whatever I need to do.

I just need to figure out how to go about it. :-/

But it's still just an 18 month visa, they only say 20 month because you can arrive a month early and leave a month late, but in that 1st and last month you wouldn't be able to work so you'd need to have savings to support yourself.

But based on what you've told us, you wouldn't qualify.
For the J-1 trainee visa to two main requirements are;

A trainee must be a foreign national who has a degree or professional certificate from a foreign post-secondary academic institution and at least one year of prior related work experience in his or her occupational field outside the United States;

or

Have five years of work experience outside the United States in the occupational field in which they are seeking training

Also, while in the US on the J1 trainee visa, you cannot take any job outside of the training program your visa is based on.

rockonollie

Here's a link to a website that I found the information is clearest: http://www.immihelp.com/j1-visa/trainee-program/

It isn't just a case of your friend hiring you to a clerical position and filling out paperwork saying that you're a business/management trainee, there's a long list of requirements for the sponsor company for them to qualify to be considered a trainee program.