16 I March 2009 Foodservice Monthly Immigration Law IN Foodservice finding work sponsorship in advance, or Another critical difference between going on expensive university exchange the working holiday visa and the J1 Working Holiday Visas - programs.” intern visa (foodservice employers take As you can imagine, many young note) is that working holidayers can fill travelers on working holiday visas end any position, skilled or unskilled, relat- A Limited Time Offer! up in the foodservice industry, filling ed or unrelated to their education, short-term or seasonal positions such as whereas interns are limited in the servers or cooks. They provide a ready amount of unskilled labor they can per- supply of young, enthusiastic workers to by Becki L. Young country issuing the visa for the form, and must be employed in a posi- fill positions that may be difficult to tion that is related to their field of stud- purpose of supplementing staff, even in a down economy. ies. This makes the working holiday visa f you have ever traveled their travel funds. Most work- Until recently, the working holiday an attractive alternative to the H2B sea- in Japan, Australia, New ing holiday visas are offered visa was not available in the US, and it sonal worker visa, which has become Zealand, or Canada, you under reciprocal agreements is not likely to be available for much largely unavailable to most seasonal may have come across between certain countries, to longer. But until the end of September, hotel/restaurant businesses in the past young travelers on a encourage travel and cultural interested employers can take advantage few years due to the high demand and I“working holiday” visa. exchange between their citi- extremely limited supply. of a pilot program which provides work- zens. [The visas allow] young According to Wikipedia: “A ing holiday visas to citizens of Australia The current working holiday visa is Becki L. Young people to experience living in working holiday visa is a and New Zealand, to come to the US for part of a pilot program and according to a foreign country, without travel permit which allows a period of up to one year. experts in the international exchange undergoing the usual costly expenses of travelers to undertake employment in the Applicants must be recent universi- community, is likely to be folded into ty/ vocational school graduates or cur- the existing J1 intern category once the rent students; specifically, they must pilot program expires on September 30 have graduated from university or a post of this year. But young travelers from high school vocational course within the Australia and New Zealand still have past year, or be currently enrolled in another eight months to take advantage such a course (and have completed at of this amazing opportunity. least one year of the course). The appli- If your company is interested in cation process is relatively simple, and sponsoring young Australians and New can be completed within a matter of Zealanders for temporary employment weeks (although the process may take a through the working holiday program, or bit longer as the busy summer travel if you know individual Australians and season approaches and wait times for New Zealanders who would like to apply visa appointments at foreign consular (an employer sponsor is optional), please • Printing • Canopies / Awnings posts increase). contact our office for more information. • Painting • Carpet Shampooing The working holiday visa is similar • Payroll Services • Pest Control in some ways to the J1 intern visa which • Advertising • Construction allows university students and recent • Landscaping • Heating and graduates to come to the US for up to I I I • Art & Framing Air Conditioning one year. The primary difference • Flowers / Plants • Electrical between the working holiday visa and Becki L. Young has been working in the • Signs • Parking Lot Striping the intern visa is that the working holi- field of immigration law since 1995. Ms. • Accounting • Attorneys day visa allows the traveler the freedom Young’s practice focuses on employment- • Linen Services • And Much, to change employers. While the intern based immigration law. She has repre- • Hood Cleaning Much More! visa (like almost all other US working sented employers in a variety of indus- DISCOVER WHAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER RESTAURANT visas) is tied to a particular employer tries, including investment banking and OWNERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ALREADY KNOW (and the intern would require special securities, information technology, health ABOUT THE POWER OF BARTERING. permission from their training program care, and hospitality, providing advice on If you are spending your cash to purchase these services, you are losing money. sponsor – an entity designated by the work permits and related immigration FREE ONE HOUR CONSULTATION US Department of State to administer issues, and is the co-editor of the internship program – to change Immigration Options for Essential employers), the working holiday visa is Workers published by the American not employer specific. So, for example, Immigration Lawyers Association. To someone on a working holiday visa learn more or to schedule a personal con- 301.949.4900 • 1.800.533.4002 could travel across the US, working as sultation, call 202-232-0983 or e-mail they go – a once in a lifetime road trip! [email protected].