Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

Hi everyone,

This may be a very specific question but I figure here is a good place to ask if anyone knows!

I live in London UK currently, have a degree and 4 years experience in the not for profit sector here. I'm interested in moving the New York and if possible would like to stay in the not for profit sector.

From what I have seen in researching, employers sponsor the working visa to the tune of $5k. My question really comes in two parts - 1) would you say it's better to try and secure a job before I arrive, or get a 3 month visa and look for something while I'm out here and 2) is a charity likely to sponsor a visa?

I still have a bit of saving to do before I can start looking really seriously into this bit I would really appreciate any help or advice you have :-)

Claire

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

You need to do some more research into the general visa process. Both your options would likely apply but you need a visa when you enter the US if you want to work and to get a visa you need a job. Assuming an employment visa. As to a non profit sponsoring, it depends on what you mean. There are many types of non profit here, most hospitals for example, and some sponsor all the time. It will also depend on your skills, experience and education.

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

Thanks for the advise, I'm working in marketing at the head office of a national charity over here, so would be looking to do the equivalent in NY. I have a degree in business marketing and my experience in the charity sector has been exclusively in marketing.
It seems like a catch 22 situation then! I'm assuming if I had no luck applying from the UK for employment I can get a tourist visa and be available to attend face to face interviews?

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

If you are eligible to use the visa waiver program you probably would be refused a tourist visa and that would cause you problems. Just my opinion but I think it would be highly unlikely that any company would sponsor somebody for a marketing job unless they were well known in that industry.

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

I used to work in the third sector in the UK. Why don't you turn it on its head.
Would your charity be able to justify spending thousands of pounds on employing someone with no real niche skills over the basic costs of recruiting someone who could start work with none of those kind of hassles?

Lx

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

Or as a company transfer.

Which really would be the best option.

As for H1, the company wouldn't be able to sponsor till April for that following October start, so basically no company at the moment will bother. That is unless they're cap exempt, but just being a non-profit doesn't mean that one is.

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

A not for profit may be a Charity but by no means should the tow be confused.

Mind you what a Charity is seems to have changed significantly.

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

She specified a national charity and that she would be looking to do the equivalent

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

Yeah, the terms "not for profit" and "charity" seem to get abused a lot these days, mainly for tax purposes. See also: FIFA, NFL, IKEA.

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

Hospitals raking it in.

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

And Directors of said organizations.

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

Of course.

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

I had some connections with an NGO in NYC and they were wary of sponsoring someone for a work permit, primarily because they had no experience of doing it, not because they were fundamentally against it. They interviewed me anyway, although I was local at the time seeing as how I was in the US on a B-2 visa. I didn't get the job but that's because they found someone much more suitable than me, not because of the lack of a visa. But do bear in mind that I had a strong connection with the NGO so that was a big factor in not rejecting me outright.

I have to say that I agree with the others regarding your chances of a work permit unless there is something else that you didn't mention. It's actually not that easy to get a visa which would allow you to work. As an aside, we're hiring admin assistants with master's degrees so there is a lot of competition out there so you'd have to be a standout candidate for an NGO or non-profit to go the extra miles for someone without the appropriate visa.

Re: Will a not for profit sponsor a visa?
 

I think you are going to have a tough time.

First, you have the problem you identified of non-profits not wanting to pay for a visa or unaware of the process of obtaining one. This will reduce the number of NGOs that you can consider immensely.

You'll also have the "Johnny Foreigner" problem, which manifests itself in two ways. Organizations that rely on public contributions or government money are going to be wary about having a "foreigner doing a job an American should be doing". Second, your employer have to convince the Immigration department that your experience is so incredible that you just have to be given the job because there are no unemployed Americans with the skills you have (problem: there are many unemployed Americans with marketing skills and/or NGO experience).

You might find some work with an international organization, such as the United Nations or perhaps one of their offshoots like W.H.O. or UNICEF. Competition for these jobs is tight, but they are able to cut through a considerable amount of the employment visa process given their special status.

But realistically, it's going to be very difficult.