Each year, there are around 35,000 interns and trainees that travel to the United States under the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program.
As the manager of a luxury hotel or resort in the US, the J-1 program can provide you with a steady pipeline of eager and skilled young workers — but it does more than that. The J-1 program helps you build your brand abroad, diversify your staff, offer multilingual experiences for guests, and a lot more.
Many organizations also utilize the international internship program to develop a talent pipeline for their overseas offices. Let’s take a look at some of the other benefits.
J-1 Intern/Trainee Program Benefits for Hotels and Resorts
“The J-1 program has become a critical piece in the mobility portfolios for multinational employers to be able to train their foreign talent. It not only allows foreign employees to gain new skills but fosters collaboration with their U.S. co-workers, which can last long after the program ends.” – Mike Jackson, Manager of Exchange Visitor Programs at the Council for Global Immigration (CFGI)
Tax Benefits for Employers
When you hire J-1 workers, your tax contribution is reduced. Most American employers can legally save almost 8% of their total payroll expenses by participating in the J-1 program.
This is because of a few factors:
International students are still required to pay federal, state, and local taxes. However, they are exempt from paying Medicare, Social Security, and federal unemployment tax.
Many employers will match some of these taxes, including 6.2% of the employee’s wages to Social Security, 1.45% towards Medicare, and up to 0.8% towards Federal Unemployment. Since international students don’t pay these taxes, the savings are immediate.
Sometimes employers are able to save even more. For example, the Federal Unemployment tax is typically 6.2%. Employers can take a credit of up to 5.4% for their State Unemployment Tax. If your state rate is less than 5.4%, your maximum credit for Federal Unemployment will decrease.
Related Reading: J-1 Internship Host Employer Responsibilities
Diversity in Your Workplace
Another key benefit of hiring international workers is the increased diversity in your hotel and resort.
These interns and trainees come from different areas around the globe. They are all fluent in English as well as their native language(s). If your company has a culturally diverse client base, your international participant’s cultural knowledge and language abilities will help you in serving your clientele.
You also expose your other employees to different cultures and help create a more robust team that is capable of assisting and understanding many more of your customers.
Talented and Motivated Employees
Our highly motivated and enthusiastic participants are majoring in Hotel Management or a tourism-related field, or have a desire to further their hospitality careers.
All participants are either pursuing or have completed a university degree, diploma, or certificate. Trainees have at least one year of professional experience in their career field. When participants start their program, they already have the skills to contribute to the success of your hotel.
You can trust that they will be motivated and work hard to succeed with your company.
They are leaving their home countries for six months to a year in order to learn more in their chosen field. This is not a small commitment. It represents a significant emotional and financial investment in their future.
Related Reading: Frequently Asked Questions from Hotels & Resorts About the J-1 Program and Your Responsibilities
How to Hire J-1 Interns & Trainees
If you are ready to consider hiring a J-1 intern or trainee, then talk to our team here at HPUSA. We help hundreds of aspiring young hospitality industry workers find placements in United States luxury hotels and resorts every year.
We know how complicated the process can be and we are here to help.
The interns and trainees will be working for you directly, but it’s our job to help find the best candidates to send your way. From the beginning of the recruitment process through to the successful completion of their program with you, HPUSA is here as a partner and resource to help.
Related Reading: What to Expect When You Decide to Hire a J-1 Intern or Trainee
We hand-select and individually screen each participant to find the best fit for your company. We review the participant’s profile, experience, and personality to find someone that will fit perfectly with your property needs and selection process.
Our experienced team will coordinate virtual interviews via Skype webcam to allow you to personally speak with each candidate before offering them a position in your hotel or resort.
We will help them through every step of their journey to receive their J-1 Visa so they can be allowed to participant and train at your business.
So what are you waiting for? Contact us today to get started.