Visas

US J-1 Visa: Fast Facts

Through our J-1 Visa Program, BritishAmerican Business enables its member companies to bring qualified employees and/or interns into the United States – of any nationality, from anywhere in the world – in a quick, cost-effective, reliable and user-friendly way. For more information, please contact Tamra Eker on +1 212 983 3728.

Qualities:

  • Quick: can process completed applications within 5 business days;
  • Cost-Effective: $1,600;
  • Reliable: authorized by the US Department of State since 1986;
  • User-Friendly: all administration/logistics handled by Program Administrator at BritishAmerican Business.

Benefits

  • Provide US work experience/training to employees/interns;
  • Overcome cross-cultural differences and improve communication between US and overseas offices;
  • Enhance employee recruitment/retention by offering US assignments.

Conditions

  • Open to all nationalities, and to employees based anywhere in the world;
  • Period of up to 18 months for trainees and 12 months for interns;
  • Company must have business relationship with UK;
  • Business Sectors include: Management, Business, Commerce, Finance, Law, Industry, Science, Engineering, Architecture, Information, Media & Communications.

UK Immigration - Points Based System: Fast Facts

In February 2008, the UK government launched a new Points Based System (PBS) consolidating existing immigration routes into a structured 5-Tier system.

The new rules mark the biggest change to the UK immigration system in a generation, combining more than 80 pre-existing work and study routes into the United Kingdom into five tiers:

  • Tier 1: Highly skilled individuals to contribute to growth and productivity;
  • Tier 2: Skilled workers with a job offer;
  • Tier 3: Low skilled workers to fill temporary labour shortages (Tier 3 is suspended indefinitely);
  • Tier 4: Students;
  • Tier 5: Youth Mobility and Temporary Workers.

Points are awarded according to workers' skills and reflect aptitude, experience, age and also the demand for those skills in any given sector. This will allow the United Kingdom to respond flexibly to changes in the labor market.

Sponsorship is a key element of the Points Based System. Any organization that wishes to employ migrants or enroll them on a course of study must have registered for a Sponsor Licence for their relevant tier. The Sponsor Register is fully open for Tiers 2, 4 and 5, and Sponsor licences are valid for four years. A licensed sponsor is eligible to apply for an allocation of Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) or Certificates of Acceptance for Studies (CAS – Tier 4 only).

For more information, please visit the UK Border Agency website or contact us for more information about these and other market access issues.