Arm and Leg, and H-1B Cap Numbers
Posted by admin on April 24, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Dear Friends,
From around the world, people come to the United States to learn American English. And yet, even those born and raised here sometimes need to learn new language – especially our fun colloquial terms. Sitting at Easter dinner the other day my wife was telling a story about an extremely expensive dinner she had, explaining that it had cost “An arm and a leg.” My five years old niece, who had never heard this expression before, asked her very seriously, “Why did you have to pay with pieces of your body?”.
H-1B Numbers
The United States Immigration and Citizenship Service, as of April 20, had received approximately 44,000 H-1B petitions that count toward the cap of 65,000 and continues to accept more applications daily. In addition USCIS has received approximately 20,000 petitions for the 20,000 slots reserved for applicants with advanced degrees but they are still accepting those applications as well because not all petitions received are accepted.
Today we have a huge number of positions available for J Interns in Ohio at another wonderful water park.
Filed under Newsletter · Tagged with american english, h-1b, ohio, usa, visa
Doggie Bags International and New I-9 Form
Posted by admin on April 17, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Dear Friends,
Is it proper to take home unfinished food from a restaurant? In the United States most people think it would be wasteful to NOT take perfectly good food home. (”Doggie Bags” – the bags restaurants use to send home un-eaten food are for just that purpose – even though the contents are usually consumed by humans and not dogs). At dinner the other night, I learned from my Brazilian friends that in their country it is looked down upon to bring left-overs home. And our waiter, from Moldova, said that in her country they do not bring home food from restaurants either. I know from my personal experience in Japan that is it similar there. I heard a story of a Japanese restaurant not allowing food to leave because they were afraid of being sued if the food became unhealthy on the way home and someone got sick. Here we would more likely get sick thinking about all of that wasted food.
New I-9 Form
Starting this month US employers need to use the new I-9 Employment Verification form for new employees that has April 3, 2009 printed on the lower right-hand corner. You can find this form at www.uscis.gov or call 1-800-870-3676.
This week we have lots of positions in recreation and hospitality available.
Filed under Newsletter · Tagged with i-9, international, usa, visa
Western Humility and The Economy and Visa Approval
Posted by admin on February 27, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Dear Friends,
A Chinese American friend and one from India both had a similar response recently when they talked about a son giving their father the gift of a car: it was such a generous gift that it was better not to tell family because they might be jealous. Westerners, when asked about whether they would tell their family about such a gift, had different thoughts. In the US, I would call my brother up and invite him for a ride. In Brazil, Simone would call her sister and let her know immediately. In Spain, Cesar would not call his brother. Instead he would drive over to his brother’s house in the new car and honk. When his brother came out he would point out the new car, the gift from his son. Then he would ask, “What has your son bought you lately?”
The Economy’s Effect on Visa Approval While it is very difficult to know with certainty whether approval rates for Interns or Trainees on the J1 Exchange Visitor visas are going down as the US economy slows, it seems not. The number of people obtaining these visas is going down though. There are not as many positions available so there are fewer people applying.
This week we are beginning our recruitment for summer positions at one of the beautiful resorts in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Different Worlds, Same Understandings and H-1B Arrests
Posted by admin on February 13, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Dear Friends,
A Chinese American friend of mine from Berkeley, California, the home of hippies and the ’60s free speech movement, was telling me and another friend from Mumbai India, the home of centuries old temples and Hindu monks, about a gift he gave his father. During the dot com boom, my Chinese-American friend had sold his on-line business and bought a new Lexus automobile for his Dad to say thanks for all of the support he had been given. His father was overjoyed and was about to call his older brother with the exciting news when he was stopped by his wife. At this point our Indian friend, who understood the cultural etiquette well though he was raised 8700 miles away, broke in and explained why the wife has stopped the phone call: if the father had called it would have been an embarrassment to his older brother – his son had never bought him a new car.
11 Arrested for H-1B Fraud
On February 12, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that they had arrested 11 people in 6 states who had been involved with bringing in H-1B workers for jobs that did not always exist or for giving them unauthorized jobs. There were approximately 8 Federal agencies and 7 state agencies involved in the investigation.
Filed under Newsletter · Tagged with california, chinese-american, india, usa, visa
Super Football and H-2B Workers
Posted by admin on February 6, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Dear Friends,
While hundreds of millions of people around the world watched immense professional athletes earning millions of dollars playing football in the Super Bowl, here at home this past weekend I watched two young boys play catch on a dark field. Football in America is televised pageantry full of flash and color and amazing athletic performances. But it is also a fun game that kids play by throwing a ball. Late Sunday afternoon Wesley 14, and Spencer 16, were practicing diving catches in the rain on a soaked field. They like football (in spite of the fact – or maybe because of the fact – they can get very wet and very messy.) And then they can go home and watch it on TV.
H-2B Workers.
The past year, over 100 H-2B workers disappeared from their employer in Alabama, leaving the company, the local community and the Department of Homeland Security asking questions as to what came of these Napalese individuals. H-2B workers, as compared to the J, Exchange Visitor participants which we primarily use, are generally less-skilled with little motivation to return to their country if they are poor. In contrast, our J participants are generally college-educated and look forward to returning home to use the skills that they have acquired.
We are continuing to gather new positions for hospitality students and professionals interested in working at one of America’s largest indoor water parks.
Filed under Newsletter · Tagged with super bowl, usa, visa, work
San Francisco Snow, New H-2B rules
Posted by admin on December 19, 2008 · Leave a Comment
December 19, 2008
Volume 6, Number 40
Dear Friends,
December in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin is white and about 10 degrees (-12 Celsius); December in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is white and about 5 degrees (-15 Celsius); but here in San Francisco, California December is green, with some grey, and about 50 degrees (10 Celsius) – usually. This week the San Francisco Bay Area changed color as a Canadian storm blew through bringing in cold air and white snow! Children who usually play basketball in t-shirts this time of year were throwing snowballs and building snowmen. Parents who are usually hard at work took the day off to go sledding with the kids who they took out of school. Apparently, for weather-deprived Californians, understanding the look and feel of real snow is an important educational experience.
H-2B Visa Changes
On December 18 the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services submitted its Final Rule changing the requirements of the H-2B visa program. One major change is that neither employers nor recruiters can impose fees on prospective H-2B participants.
For more information please see http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f 6d1a/?vgnextoid=332cef590da4e110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439 c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD
Filed under Newsletter · Tagged with h2b, san francisco, visa
Thanksgiving International; H2B Visa Cap Numbers
Posted by admin on November 26, 2008 · Leave a Comment
November 26, 2008
Volume 6, Number 37
Dear Friends,
As people from around the world come to the United States to live and work, they often adopt many of our – formerly foreign – customs. Like tomorrow’s celebration of Thanksgiving. While, back in Algeria or Albania for example, one would never consider eating a turkey with cranberry sauce, once in the United States, people from everywhere can be found at a Safeway grocery store purchasing “Stove Top Stuffing,” gravy and pumpkin pies – items that can’t even be found back “at home.” I believe it is safe to say that most of these newcomers learn to enjoy our traditional meal on Thanksgiving day – even if they can’t quite understand the other Thanksgiving tradition that us Americans can’t live without: 6 hours of football on television.
H2B Visa Cap Updates
This week the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service updated their cap numbers for the H visa, and as of, November 21, there were already 4,663 H-2B applicants approved with another 5,602 pending of the 33,000 available for the second half of the 2009 fiscal year which does not begin until April 1 of 2009. (The J Visa which we use, does not have a formal numerical cap nor does it require the job to be seasonal – it is always available.)
We are now accepting applications for a variety of hospitality-related jobs located in the New York area and the Mid-West for the spring of 2009.
Hope you enjoy your turkey this week, with or without the football,
Filed under Newsletter · Tagged with citizenship, h2b, immigration, thanksgiving, usa, visa
The Election’s Afterglow; Obama on Immigration
Posted by admin on November 14, 2008 · Leave a Comment
November 14, 2008
Volume 6, Number 35
Dear Friends,
The afterglow of the Obama Presidential victory seems to continue filtering down from around the world. Here in the US though, it is not as one of my South American friends thought – Obama is not viewed in the US as the new Martin Luther King. On the contrary, Obama won because he appealed to all Americans of all racial backgrounds. Listening to my friends from Jamaica and Japan and Poland and Brazil and India, it seems he appeals internationally as well. From each of those countries I heard the same comment: “Congratulations on Obama.”
Obama on Immigration
How will the Obama victory affect international visas for foreigners interested in coming to the US for work experience? While it is hard to say exactly, one thing for sure is that the economy of the US is not great right now. Because of this it would be difficult for anyone in the government to justify additional visas for foreigners wanting to work in the US. But Obama does encourage international exchange so the J program should continue to thrive.
Another of our host companies from the New Jersey area is looking for applicants with Food and Beverage as well as Culinary experience for the coming Spring and Summer season.
Filed under Newsletter · Tagged with election, immigration, j1, obama, usa, visa
Calling Times and J Training vs. “Work”
Posted by admin on November 3, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Dear Friends,
As we end daylight saving time I got to wondering about time around the world. Specifically I was wondering until what time you can call people at night at their homes to say hello in different countries. Vipul in India says you can call people at home up to about 10 in the evening, which is about the same time I would call people here in the US – though I start feeling self-conscious after 9:30. Simone says that in Brazil you don’t want to call after 10:30 because after that people expect you would only be calling because of an emergency. Cesar, from Spain, says it is similar in his homeland, where you don’t want to call after 11:00 pm unless you want to worry people. In China, Fei says that it is even earlier. There, if you are calling around 8:00 pm you should start by saying “I hope it is not too late to call.” But Chinese are not shy and before you get a chance to say anything they might have already told you “Oh, you are calling very late!”
J Training or J Internship Is Not Work
While the J Training and the J Internship programs are “work based” they are not specifically “work” programs. There are working visas, such as the H-2B, that are designed to allow internationals to work in the US but the J are Exchange Visitor visas that, for the Training and the Internship programs, allow one to gain experience in a field through a work-based placement. The difference is very fine but, especially when being interviewed by a US consular official for a J visa, it is very important that applicants understand it.
This week I was in Utah and Wyoming visiting resorts and ski areas in those beautiful states. We will be posting additional open positions for those areas this week but in the meantime please do be sure to check our current open positions.
Please note that as of Sunday November 2, the time in the United States has went back an hour (except for the States of Hawaii and Arizona). We are now on “standard time.”
Hope you don’t receive any too-late-calls this week.
Modern Bookstores and Professional Experience in the US for J Training Visas
Posted by admin on October 24, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Dear Friends,
As you read this e-mail then check your voice mail before going home to surf your favorite web-sites, it may seem that our world is getting so high in technology that the “simple life” before computers is a distant, irrelevant, memory. But a hugely popular business here in the US are bookstores that offer a warm “at-home” feeling while they sell millions of dollars of old-fashioned paper and ink books. The one I went to last night with my mom had big cozy leather chairs and a fire-place where a young woman sat contentedly reading a book with her feet up. They even served fresh pastries and coffee – Starbucks of course. The presence of a large, recognizable, multinational corporation works well with our “at-home” feeling.
Professional Experience in the US for J Training Visas.
For the J Training visa 5 years of work experience is required for those without a degree in the field of training or one year for those with a degree in a training-related field. BUT all of those years of experience need to be OUTSIDE of the US. Details like this make it that much more important to be sure to inquire with a professional before making decisions related to your visa.
This week we have wonderful positions in some exquisite locations in Florida and the hosts will be covering part of the visa fees!
Hope you have a cozy “at-home” week.
Hospitality
Luxury Country Club/ Golf/ Tennis/ Spa
Culinary Management, Hostess/Cashiers, Restaurant Servers, Porters, Housekeepers. Seasonal Workers
6-12 months
Seasonal workers. Training includes: food preparation, dining room operation, dis/pot machine operation and/or maintaining sanitation standards. Heavy lifting is required. Good English and strong customer service skills. Educational or work experience in hospitality/ culinary management may be required. $9/hr J-1 Training/ Internship
Filed under Newsletter · Tagged with j1, professional experience, usa, visa