People of the World Love Training...but on Which U.S. Visa?
The word “training” means different things to different people as well as to the government. A variety of U.S. visa categories exist, which accommodate training activities for both trainees and trainers. Which one(s) to utilize depends on many factors, including compensation; length of time required; type and structure of the training; group or individual trainee(s); current U.S. visa status of the trainee; availability of the training in the home country; processing times; experience and education of the prospective trainee, whether privately or government sponsored; difficulty and cost in obtaining the particular visa type; and employer and trainee compliance requirements. The session will help you sort them out and provide a road map for determining the correct approach.
Learning Objectives:
To gain an understanding of each of the U.S. visa categories used for training foreign nationals in the U.S.
How to analyze which visa would apply based on the characteristics of the training and the trainee’s background.
Be able to explain the requirements, process, time frame and costs in seeking the selected trainee visa.
Understand the role of the HR specialist, manager, counsel and prospective trainee in the process.
Put in place safeguards to assure that the employer and trainee maintain immigration compliance during the training program.
Scott F. Cooper
Scott F. Cooper is Senior Counsel of the Troy, Michigan offices of the Fragomen firm. His practice involves business-related immigration matters for small, mid-size and Fortune 100 companies; higher education and research institutions and foundations. Scott has served on the national Board of Governors of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and Chaired the Immigration and Nationality Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association. He has been listed in the International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers in America and served as an instructor/speaker at several law schools, state CLE programs, HR and legal conferences.
Brooke H.M. Stokdyk
Brooke H.M. Stokdyk is currently an Assistant Director at Michigan State University. She is the J-1 Responsible Officer and an F-1 Designated School Official. She presents various sessions and workshops in the field of international student and scholar services at the state, regional, and national levels. Brooke is an international education professional with over sixteen years of experience with F-1 and J-1 program administration at academic institutions sponsoring some of the largest international student and scholar populations in the U.S. Brooke has served as an F-1 and J-1 compliance consultant for more than six years.
Gennady Babankov, J.D.
Gennady Babankov, J.D. is a Manager of SHRM Exchange Visitor (J-1) Program. Babankov oversees two private sector exchange programs for foreign trainees and interns and helps develop, implement, and promote SHRM benefits portfolio for global mobility and immigration members.
Babankov has more than 20 years of experience building and managing global education and training programs for students and professionals. He has experience in teacher training, study abroad, cross-cultural training, and language acquisition, and has directed field operations in Russia, Central Asia, Middle East, and the Caucasus.
Prior to joining SHRM in 2019, Babankov managed several education and training programs sponsored by the federal government, including the Flagship Overseas Language Program (U.S. Department of Defense), Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program (U.S. Department of State), and the Open World Program (Library of Congress).
Babankov earned his J.D. degree from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University, and a bachelor’s degree from the Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia.
Babankov has lived in the United States since 1994 and currently resides in Fairfax, VA.