in general
The internet has allowed the world to come together in many great ways, including effective communication with international applicants. International employees offer a new dimension to seasonal operations, to your guests, and to other employees. Language barriers and cultural considerations are the biggest hurdles, though well worth the challenge they provide. Our clients who have international students on their staff speak highly of the experience.
cultural exchange
Many international students are interested in coming to the United States to combine "Work and Travel", and are participants in a program of the same name. These students come to the United States with J-1 Visas, allowing work during a specified period of time (typically June - October for Northern Hemisphere students or November - March for Southern Hemisphere students), although individual school holiday dates and travel dates may vary.
Programs such as Apex USA, Basic Work (Brazilian Students) Council on International Education Exchange, InterExchange, Intrax, Work Experience USA and BUNAC are employers' connections to these students. (You can check out our International Job Seekers page to get a more complete list.)
These programs each operate a bit differently; some have program applications, some contact you with specific applicants, some are not involved in the placement process at all. Most have an employer directory which will introduce your operation to the international applicants. Contact the agencies early in the fall to ask about directory listings.
Non-US citizens may contact you without even knowing of the restrictions and program options. Your communication may need to include some very basic information. Please feel free to refer them to our page for internationals referred to above.
social security
International students working with you on J-1 Visas come to the US with papers in hand that allow legal employment, though they will need to apply for a US Social Security Card. Some of the sponsoring agencies allow time for the students to go to a Social Security Office during orientation sessions in New York City or elsewhere. The employer must follow-up with the employee to secure the SSN when issued to keep payroll records up to date.
nobody's perfect
You can expect many international students to be loyal to employment dates. However, their visas allow for both work and travel, and they are not legally bound to stay with you. The international staff members learn many interesting things from their American co-workers!
Students vs. non-students
The J-1 Visas are reserved solely for the purpose of the cultural exchange of students - this leaves a whole bunch of non-student folks almost out of options.
One option is using an H2-B Visa to sponsor and secure temporary employees. This process requires a lot of paperwork. There are agencies and immigration lawyers that specialize in assisting with these visas. Currently there is an annual limit of 66,000 H2B visas issued per year, but because they have become increasingly popular, there is current legislation under way to increase that annual number. H2B visas can be valid for up to ten months per year. It is common for seasonal employers who have them, to bring back the same employees year after year.
You may also receive employment requests from students studying at US universities on F-1 visas. Employment for these visa holders is restricted to "practical training" only, meaning the job they hold must be directly related to their field of study.
one last thing
If all of this just confuses you, but you really do want to get a grasp on what it takes to hire internationals, just give us a call. We're happy to explain it and guide you in the right direction.
On the other hand, if you are using our website to recruit, and you're getting too much non-qualified international response, also give us a call. We have a few suggestions.
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