Is a J-1 more likely to be approved than an H-1B? What criteria need to be met to get a J-1 visa approved? I know people working ordinary jobs with these fyi.
The J-1 is not supposed to be used to fill regular positions although the J-1 is sometimes abused by companies. The J-1 is supposed to be for training and career development and the J-1 trainee/intern is supposed to have the intent to return to his or her home country or last place of foreign residence. All that being said, it's generally pretty easy to get a J-1 visa.
I work in a tourist town that only stays operational by bringing in thousands of J-1s each summer, and it honestly looks to me more like trafficking more than a legit use of the J-1 program - housing tied to job status with instant evictions if you lose a job, that kind of thing. I've always felt like the whole program feels sketchy with the way it is used here. Is there a good resource for understanding what is actually legal or not in the context of J-1 workers, so I can know for sure when a company in town crosses the line?
