The title says it, pretty much. Does anyone have experience/recommendations that don’t involve spending thousands of dollars on an immigration attorney? (Not saying those services aren’t worth the cost, just that we don’t have the money.)
My music group would like to bring an Indonesian to the US for about 2-3 months to instruct us in Javanese gamelan music. We may be able to do it through the University of Hawaii system, if we’re lucky (I’m meeting with them shortly) but we’ll be paying for everything, not UH. However, we will gladly share the instructor’s services with them if they can officially get the visa.
As far as I can tell, a J-1 visa would be ideal, if UH will sponsor. Not long ago, another person was brought to the US by a university on a P3. And a Q visa looks like technically the correct one, especially if our arts organization, not the university, is the official sponsor. But the I-129 form, which seems to be needed for most visas, looks scary beyond belief - not sure if we are up to fighting the bureaucracy at that level.
All thoughts/advice on any part of this are welcome: how to find an agent, costs, how long it takes, etc. Thank you in advance.
@Eva_Luna is an immigration attorney or paralegal iirc
Those visa types are not for the faint of heart. If you want to keep the cost down, I would check whether the university’s international students and scholars office has that expertise and will provide visa support. If you hire an attorney to do it, the cost will likely be a few thousand in legal fees plus USCIS filing fees. If the university can’t do it in-house, they likely have a list of reputable local counsel (or outside counsel that they work with regularly). It’s not just the forms; there’s also a fair bit of supporting documentation involved.
thank you @Eva_Luna . Thankfully, it looks like the university is ready to help, so … fingers crossed.
ETA: when you say “those visa types,” not being for the faint of heart, are you including the J-1? That’s probably what UH is familiar with.
Are there any visa types that are suitable for the faint of heart? From the preliminary research I’ve done, I doubt it. Maybe a business visa, which on the initial read sounds like it could fit (it mentions “social” and “service” functions) but once I look at the documentation required, it doesn’t seem that they would issue a B1/B2 for the kind of visit we intend.
I think that is your best bet because universities bring in educators from around the world on a routine basis. Heck, our K-8 district managed to get TEN international teachers here on work visas with no drama at all.
Yep, that’s what I’m thinking too. My biggest concern right now, which will be resolved one way or the other within a few days, is what the educational requirements are to obtain a J-1, and whether our desired instructor meets them. He probably does - he’s brilliant! - but I don’t know what official educational opportunities he’s had access to. If he’s an autodidact, we’re probably screwed.
This is a much longer discussion! I will try to do it justice over the weekend but I think a B1/B2 is not the way to go here (and would be a crapshoot in your circumstances in the current environment anyway). There’s a reason why work-authorized visas are expensive to have a lawyer do; they are complicated and time-consuming.
Thank you, @Eva_Luna - please don’t put yourself out on account of my question! I know these things are complicated. Enjoy your weekend activities, and if part of that includes offering advice on the internet, I will be grateful, but you certainly don’t have to!
There are several different flavors of J-1s. They are used for things as different from each other as corporate internships, summer work and travel programs for college students, nanny positions, and medical residencies. You can find more info here, and perhaps the university can provide greater guidance regarding whether they can assist.
Other than that, the university will likely be familiar with many other visa types; universities typically handle some kinds in-house for their own faculty/staff and graduate students, or farm them out to outside counsel, for which they will probably have a list of vetted practitioners. I would start there. (My current and former employers have represented a number of local universities, either directly or by accepting referrals for various faculty/staff/graduate students seeking immigration representation for themselves on their own dime.)
Eva_Luna, Immigration Paralegal
Thanks - I did not know that there were different subtypes of J-1s; but hopefully, as you say, the university has familiarity with these matters.