White House weighs ending or limiting J-1 internship/trainee program

The White House is considering eliminating or restricting the use of the J-1 visa internship/trainee program, as well as the J-1 summer work travel, au pair and camp counselor programs (but not the other J programs), according to a Wall Street Journal article published Sunday.

Why it matters: The internship/trainee programs are used by many U.S. firms to bring in foreign personnel. In 2016, more than 15,000 people entered the U.S. through these programs – 5,903 J-1 interns were employed in California alone.

Between the lines:

• Discussions are in the preliminary stage, and there appears to be some opposition to eliminating these programs from the State Department, which administers the J visa programs.
• These discussions are part of a general White House review to limit or restrict employment on temporary non-immigrant visas.
• Any change is unlikely to occur immediately. The J visa categories are authorized by regulation, so it may require new regulations (which involve a public notice and comment period) before these visa categories can be eliminated or changed.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact BerryApplemanLeiden@bal.com.

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