Host Company Requirements and Costs

A Host Company in the SACC-USA J-1 Visa Program should meet the following requirements:

Have an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Have Workman’s Compensation Insurance
Provide continuous training and supervision
Write and follow a Training/Internship Placement Plan, DS-7002
Adhere to the Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA, regarding minimum wage and overtime pay.
Comply with federal, state, and local occupational health and safety laws related to first aid, fire protection, personal protective equipment, safe operation of tools and equipment, transportation of employees, etc.
Agree to a site visit if has fewer than 25 employees or less than $3M in annual revenue. (Academic institutions and federal, state or local governments are exempt from site visit requirement.) SACC-USA policy is a minimum of 5 full-time employees.
Be a member of a SACC Regional Chamber or pay Non-member service fee

Areas of Training

SACC-USA is a designated J-1 visa sponsor in the following areas of training:

Management, Business, Commerce & Finance, the Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Mathematics, Industrial Occupations, Public Administration, and Law.

Compensation

An intern/trainee may receive compensation (called a stipend) from the host company. The stipend should at a minimum cover living expenses. There is no upper limit. The word “stipend” should not be confused with the Swedish word “stipendium.” A stipend is subject to U.S. federal and state income tax. The host company can also choose to pay for housing, car, travel or insurance instead of, or in addition to, a stipend.

A short training program up to six months may be unpaid.

Income Tax and Social Security

The host company should withhold income tax on behalf of the intern/trainee and provide them with a W-2. Treating a J-1 intern/trainee as an independent contractor is inappropriate.

There are generally no social security or Medicare taxes associated with a J-1 visa unless the intern/trainee has lived in the U.S. for an extended period of time recently. For more information, please visit the IRS website for International Taxpayers or contact a tax professional.

Talent Recruitment Fee

The SACC-USA Talent recruitment fee is a flat fee of $2500 or equivalent to one month's stipend that is given to the trainee, whatever is the higher. (If a host company offers a paid position, for example $3,000/month, the placement fee would be a onetime fee to SACC of $3,000.)

The Recruitment fee includes:

Collaborate and position internship advertisement
Marketing in Sweden and Finland about the placement
Manage all incoming talents and do first screening to check visa eligibility, relevant background etc.
Manage the connection with talents and assist in setting up calls, answer question etc.
SACC USA will handle and be responsible for the entire visa process

The company will only be charged if and when they have selected a candidate for the internship and extended an offer to them, and also when the candidate's visa application has been approved.

Visa fee

In addition to the recruitment fee, there is also a visa fee. The student is ultimately responsible for this fee, but if agreed upon, host company can cover the visa fee for student.

Link to the visa fee

Extension of Program

A training program may be extended with the same host company for up to 12 months in the category Intern and 18 months in the type Trainee. It is not possible to switch from one class to the other. The host company is required to write a new training plan, DS-7002, with new or more advanced training tasks.

The intern/trainee must show proof of insurance and financing for the extended period and have a passport valid for at least six months after the proposed extended period ends.

The fee for an extension is the price of a new visa; the cost depends on the duration of the training period and covers all our administration.

Refund of Fees

If the host organization should withdraw from the program before the issuance of the DS-2019, 75% of the program fee will be refundable to the host company.