International Work VISA Information & FAQ's

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GENERAL WORK VISA INFORMATION FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS

Foreign National Work Visa Information

Foreign nations can work in Alaska as long as they obtain proper authority to work legally. You will need to obtain a United States Work Visa before you can work in Alaska. Due to the complexities of applying for and managing H type visas, many Alaska employers do not hire foreign nationals under this program. However, we have been seeing an increase in the number of employers that are hiring foreign nationals working with J-1 Student Visas.

IMPORTANT - You will need to apply for a work visa through a sponsoring agency or go through the process of obtaining your work visa before you apply to employers on AlaskanFishingEmployment.

Please note, we are not experts at work visa issues and do not offer any support or assistance in this area. However, with the assistance of Alliance Abroad Group, we have put together the following information about obtaining work visas.

Overview of Work Visa Options:

Unless you are married to an American, have a green card, or are applying for political asylum, more than likely, you would need an employment-based temporary visa to work in the U.S.A.

University Students
If you are a bonafide university student, and your country has diplomatic relations with the U.S., you may be eligible for sponsorship by qualified licensed exchange programs. These sponsors could bring you to the U.S. on a J-1 exchange visitor visa to participate in an exchange program called "Summer Work/Travel Program". You must be 18 years old to participate and the maximum time you can work is 4 months.

Several visa sponsors will give students a discount for finding their own job.  Please help by mentioning AlaskanFishingEmployment.com in your email to the sponsor you select. If you want to stay more than 4 months, an H visa may be appropriate for you.

General Public
If you are not a university student, and your country has diplomatic relations with the U.S., you may be eligible to qualify for the H visa (temporary work). H-2 visa is used for seasonal workers in short supply in the U.S. H-2A visa is used for seasonal agricultural workers, while H-2B is non-agricultural. The H-2 jobs are usually for unskilled labor work (or manual labor) and last from 4 to 10 months. You may not change jobs on the H visa. AlaskanFishingEmployment.com has packing jobs in fisheries which would be H-2B jobs; we also have fish processing, a H-2A visa job. Picking cabbage in the Matanuska Valley would be a H-2A job. But your sponsoring organization would decide on the proper visa to fit the job.  More detailed information on the H visa is available on the website of the Consulate of the U.S. Embassy in your home country. Visit www.embassyworld.com for the appropriate URL.

Overview of Eligibility

 
H-2B Visa Profile
J-1 Work and Travel Visa Profile
ELIGIBILITY
 Any individual who meets job requirements and has favorable work references and good level of English. Preferred Age: 18-40. Must have current passport. Must be an active student in the university and good level of English. Must have current passport.
VISA
RESTRICTIONS
 Employees on this visa are only permitted to work the job description that was petitioned by the host company. The employee is not authorized to work in any other capacity, including anything outside of the host company. An employee on a J-1 visa is permitted to work multiple jobs with permission from the local coordinator.
JOBS
 Applicants will have to choose from the designated positions that have been petitioned. A list of jobs for H-2B applicants will be provided to the overseas partner. J-1 applicants may apply for any existing and open position.
VISA DATES
 Visa is valid according to dates of job. * The visa holder is authorized to travel for a 10-day period both before and following the period of validity on the labor certification. The J-1 Visa is valid for a four month work period and 29 days for travel only during their holiday break from the university.

Visa Sponsors, Visa Program Managers and other valuable visa related resources:

Alliance Abroad Group
VisaNow
American Work Experience
Apex USA
Association for International Educational Exchange
BUNAC
Council on International Educational Exchange
Cultural Homestay International
Immigration.gov
Interexchange
Student Work Abroad Program (For Canadian Citizens)
Work Experience USA

 

F.A.Q.'S

 

Foreign National Work Visa Information FAQ

Because we do not specialize in visa related issues, we have asked Alliance Abroad Group to put together the following Frequently Asked Questions Section (FAQ) to help answer your questions regarding J and H visas.

Currently, AlaskanFishingEmployment.com does not indicated which companies hire foreign nationals in our employer databases. We hope to add this sometime in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions for Summer Work/Travel Program (J visa) for Students

Question: Can participants travel after their work experience?
Answer: Yes, 30 days are granted after the program ends during which students and trainees are free to travel. And of course there are plenty of days off during the work program to coordinate travel activities. But after the 30 days have passed, they must return home or they will be in violation of their visa status.

Question: Can I extend my visa?
Answer: Extending your stay beyond the designated program is NOT possible. Your sponsor is authorized to sponsor you during the specified program period indicated on your paperwork. You were accepted into the program and granted the Work & Travel J-1 visa on the condition that you would depart the U.S. upon the termination of your program. It is possible for you to re-apply for the next summer.

Question: Do participants pay income taxes on their income?
Answer: Yes, and the amount depends on the total amount earned in a calendar year. Generally, both Federal and State income taxes must be paid. However, participants will have the chance to complete documentation at the end of their stay so that they can get most of the taxes reimbursed with the help of our tax refund service.

Question: Do participants on J-1 Visa's pay Social Security taxes?
Answer: Each participant must apply for a social security number, but their J-1 visa status should exempt participants from paying social security taxes. In applying for a social security number, participants must have with them 2 photo identifying documents, one of which they have had at least one year. If a participant arrives in the U.S. with a 6-month old passport and a new driver's license, these are not considered valid documents to apply for a social security number. At least one official picture ID must be dated older than one year. Birth Certificates may be accepted as one ID.

Question: Is it necessary to have a social security number if participants don't pay social security taxes?
Answer: Yes. Host organizations or business employers cannot legally let student workers begin work without a social security number. We would have some exceptions due to the SS# process delay problems expected.

Question: If student has a long-term visitor's visa for the USA, is it necessary to get a J-1 visa as well?
Answer: Yes. The visitor's visa prohibits working or getting trained; all participants must obtain a J-1 visa. In applying for a J-1 visa, the participant must demonstrate "success at university or studies and good possibilities of a promising future at home". This means applicant can show strong ties to his/her home country.

Question: Is it guaranteed that the applicants will get a J-1 visa?
Answer: No. U.S. Embassy Consuls have complete authority to approve or deny issuance of visa for any reason. If you use a Visa Program Manager (such as Alliance Abroad Group), they will provide the applicant with Recommendations and Guidelines for filling out the visa application. They will also usually review your visa application carefully and if they anticipate problems, they usually contact the overseas agent


Frequently Asked Questions for H-2B or H-2A Seasonal Work Programs (H visa)

Question: Can a person, who already came to the U.S. once or twice on a J visa, return on an H visa?
Answer: Yes

Question: What is the pay scale for H workers?
Answer: The pay varies from Alaska State's minimum wage of $7.l5 per hour and up. H workers get paid the prevailing wage for the type of work. The rate paid will be at least the same as U.S. workers for the same position.

Question: How long can a worker stay in the U.S. on an H visa?
Answer: Up to 10 months

Question: Can a worker on H visa come back the next year?
Answer: Yes, following a solid two months in their home country, an H worker may reapply for another H visa. Once the worker has had an H visa, it is easier to get another one as they have demonstrated they have returned to their home residence once.

Question: What is the least amount of time an H worker can stay?
Answer: It depends on the company hiring you on the H visa, but usually 4 or 5 months stay with a minimum stay of 3 months. Generally, the fewer months requested by the employer, the wage has to offset the worker's costs of coming to the U.S.

Question: How many months does the process take for applicants?
Answer: The Applicant should plan on applying a minimum of 90 days before the actual start date of the position.

Question: Are there any questions that Applicant needs to know about how to respond on the application?
Answer: It is very important that the Applicant always uses his/her country of birth, rather than citizenship. It needs to be filled in as follows: "Guatemala" (citizenship Mexico).

Question: Does Applicant need to maintain a residence in his/her home country?
Answer: Yes. Applicant must be able to specify an address where he/she will return upon completion of the program.

Question: Can Applicant participate in the H-2B program if he/she has been on the program before?
Answer: Yes, however, Applicant must notify their Visa Program Manager (if they use one) as to the exact dates of when he/she was in the U.S., the company(s) he/she worked for and the length of time.

Question: Does Applicant need to obtain a Social Security Card?
Answer: Yes. If Applicant has previously received work permission and has a social security number, even a non-work social security number, you should provide this to your Visa Program Manager.

Question: Can Applicant apply at any consulate?
Answer: Applicant will have to apply where the overseas partner tells him/her the non-immigrant visa application will be made. Although it is usually at the consulate that has jurisdiction over where he/she lives - it may be done in groups at any consulate. This information is necessary when Applicant applies, as the petition will be sent directly to the consulate that is indicated on his/her application.


Frequently Asked Questions for H-2B Seasonal Program (H visa)

Question: What are the most commonly requested H-2B positions?
Answer: Most H-2B positions are very "hands on" such as construction, landscaping, dishwashing, plumbing, painting, bricklaying, carpet laying, fisheries packing, etc. H-2A positions are agricultural.

Question: Do H-2B workers have a 30-day grace period at the end of their authorized employment?
Answer: No.

Question: What happens when an H-2B worker gets fired?
Answer: The employer notifies the regional labor department officials and INS and is supposed to pay the reasonable cost of transportation home.

Question: What happens when an H-2B worker quits?
Answer: They must return home immediately.

Question: How long is an H-2B worker required to work at his/her host company?
Answer: An H-2B participant must work the entire length of his/her visa. The end date stamped on his/her visa or passport is the last day of work. They must then return home unless they have been granted an extension.

For more information on United States Work Visas, you can visit this list of Visa Sponsors, Program Managers and other valuable resources:

Alliance Abroad Group
VisaNow
American Work Experience
Apex USA
Association for International Educational Exchange
BUNAC
Council on International Educational Exchange
Cultural Homestay International
Immigration.gov
Interexchange
Student Work Abroad Program (For Canadian Citizens)
Work Experience USA

 

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