Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/138003
BY JOSEPH ould your winery or vineyard benefit from adding a skilled or aspiring professional to your staff, especially around harvest and crush time? Would a temporary worker who can offer new ideas and valuable techniques be welcome? If so, you may want to look into the J-1 visa program. J-1 visa recipients are professionals or high-level students, i.e. college or graduate level, who wish to advance their skills by gaining practical experience and exchanging ideas and techniques. They should not be confused with H-2A workers, who are commonly recruited to perform temporary agricultural jobs for which domestic workers are not available. Gloria Massoud is an assistant manager at Laurel Lake Vineyards in Laurel, N.Y. She originally came to the vineyard in 2002 on a J-1 visa while enrolled as a college student in Chile. "I was studying marketing FINORA and public relations," she said. "I was able to continue and advance my sales and marketing education by coming here, and wrote numerous papers about it." Laurel Lake Vineyards has hosted several J-1 interns/workers over the last 10 years and is largely pleased with the experience, according to Massoud. The education, experience and collaboration are the most attractive factors of the J-1 program, for both participants and employers. Participants are expected to share knowledge, as well as learn new skills, to help their careers and communities. They need to show a dedicated commitment to their chosen field either through education or professional experience. Their objective is to gain experience and further training, as well as to share their knowledge, ideas and techniques with the host company. There are two types of J-1 visas for agriculture: one for trainees and one for interns. A trainee must be a foreign national who has a degree or professional certifi- cate from a foreign, post-secondary academic institution, and at least one year of prior work experience in his or her occupational field. Five years of work experience outside the United States in the occupational field in which the applicant is seeking training also qualifies. When participants return to their home countries, the U.S. experience is to be used to further their AT A GLANCE + J-1 visa recipients can bring knowledge and skill to a winery or vineyard operation. + Participants must be profes- sionals or high-level students from foreign countries. + A sponsoring agent can help streamline the application process for U.S. companies. + A company host can request a specific individual for the program. w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m