My friend is a Canadian college student and he is looking to come work with my company in the US during the summer as an internship. How does he go about doing this? Does he need a work permit? How long would this process take? please be specific
Immigration - 1 Answers
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To work in the US, the following things must occur. First: There must be corporate sponsorship (which means a US based or US-owned company is hring your Canadian friend). To do so, they must first post the position (nationally), and prove to the US government that there are no qualified US citizens to handle the job. (This typically means having it up for at least 6 months, by the way ... and receiving NO qualified applicants). Then the company has to open up the application process to international applicants. Second: Your firend will have to throw his/her name and skills into the international application pot and hope that they come out on top. They will have to submit transcripts, resumes, reference letters, and a formal job application to the company in question. Third: Once an individual is chosen, the company must apply for the incoming individual's work visa (my guess is that they'll use the TN classification if they choose your Canadian friend, since the H1B status is a multi-year visa and much harder to obtain). The company will have to prove they have done due diligence in determining that the individual's academic standing meets or exceeds comparable US standards. They also need to prove that s/he has the experience and skills associated with the position. THEN they have to write a letter, ofering the job to the individual - including salary, length of employment, and all the background stuff above. Fourth: Now your friend has to bring all his/her documentation to the point-of-entry to obtain their visa (which is actually a stamp on their I-94). Part of their documentation MUST be a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of the employment period stated in the employer's letter. If all the steps are followed correctly, the total time between first advertising the position to his entering the country will be a minimum of 6 months ... more likely on the order of a full year. (When I finally got to the US, the original job opening was first advertised internationally in 1998 ... I successfully obtained the position in the fall of 2004 - mostly due to US citizens applying, and being rejected as unsuitable every couple of months).
