Washington D.C. (October 16, 2020) – As a designated program sponsor for international exchange opportunities, Cultural Vistas would like to provide our community with an update on the recent visa ban. On June 22, 2020, a Presidential Proclamation prevented the visa issuance for most new J-1 Visa programs for the remainder of 2020. This visa ban included H-1B, H-2B and L-1 visa classifications. In turn, several lawsuits were filed, protesting the visa ban. Cultural Vistas supported these efforts in multiple ways, including by signing on to amicus briefs in support of the plaintiffs.
We are excited to share that on October 1, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California placed an injunction on the June 22nd proclamation. In part, the judge ruled that the proclamation no longer applies to the plaintiffs and that the plaintiff’s J-1 Visa programs are now permitted to proceed as usual. The plaintiffs in this case include the following associations and their members – U.S. Chamber of Commerce, TechNet, the National Association of Manufacturers, National Retail Federation, and Intrax.
Cultural Vistas is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; therefore, we are able to sponsor J-1 Intern, Trainee, and Teacher Visa Programs with any start dates, and U.S. Consulates are permitted to issue visas accordingly. We will provide all applicants approved for sponsorship with proof of this membership for their Consular appointments. We are thrilled to share the news that the visa ban is no longer in place and to proceed with supporting you!
Cultural Vistas is a designated program sponsor for three of the 15 categories of the J-1 Visa: Intern, Teacher, and Trainee exchanges. Annually, more than 1,000 different U.S. companies and institutions and 5,000 individuals from over 100 countries turn to Cultural Vistas as their trusted solution for J-1 Visa sponsorship for internship and on-the-job training programs.
To learn more about J-1 Visa sponsorship, contact us at train@culturalvistas.org. Our team is ready and eager to partner with you to bring international talent to your workforce.