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American Trainees in Belgium

New SEVIS fee required for J-1 Visa holders

J-1 Visa Program Participants testify.

Doing an internship with a U.S. Company is a magnificent experience, both on the professional and personal level...that much is clear. Getting started, however, may seem a bit overwhelming. Many students and young professionals ask themselves: 'How do I find a company to train with?', 'Can the BACC really arrange a visa for me?', 'What will living in the U.S. be like?' and so on. Who could answer these questions better, than those who have actually been in the J-1 Visa Program? Meet Albano, Pablo and Caroline and find out about their experiences in the U.S.

Albano Masino

Albano Masino, a 23-year old marketing student from Namur was a Student Trainee at Automatic Control Systems in Port Washington, New York in the Spring of 2003.

Albano on enrolling in the J-1 Visa Program:

"I have always been attracted by the United States. The U.S. is an important player in global economics and I wanted to see things from their perspective for a while. I believe that you have to know a country from the inside if you want to communicate with it properly. Apart from that, going to New York seemed such a challenge and a great exercise in independence."

On finding a company to train with:

"I believe the best way to find a company to train with is via personal or business contacts. Automatic Control Systems, the company that hired me as a trainee, is actually the American branch of the company my mother works for in Belgium. This way, I already knew what the company had to offer, so I felt that I could trust them completely."

On the assistance of the Belgian-American Chamber of Commerce (BACC) in the visa procedure:

"Before turning to the BACC, I had tried to apply for a visa myself, without success. As soon as I turned to the Chamber, everything went smoothly. Katya Levy sent me all the documents I needed to obtain my visa, with a clear check-list of everything I had to do. Suddenly, it all looked simple!"

On his training position at Automatic Control Systems:

"I was responsible for the implementation of a communications strategy and learned a lot about commercial negotiations."

On living in New York:

"New York is really the city that never sleeps. For example, you can go grocery shopping anytime of night, if you wish. The number of restaurants, bars, clubs, theatres and museums is immense. During the four months I lived there, I almost never did the same thing twice. There was always something new to try out. It takes some time to find your way in the city and make friends, but once you've managed that, there is no place like New York!"

Looking back on his J-1 Visa Exchange Period:

"I am really nostalgic about that period. It was an incomparable experience. Establishing myself in such a big city, took a lot of determination and self-confidence and I am proud to have coped with it. My training period enriched me both on the personal and professional level. I noticed that employers in Belgium were immediately interested in my profile when they saw on my resume that I had done a traineeship in the U.S."

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Pablo Ruiz

Pablo Ruiz Petit is a 29-year-old young professional with a bachelor's degree in economics, a master's degree in international politics and ...a taste for traveling. He is currently training with Sunscope Latin America in Miami Beach, Florida.

Pablo on enrolling in the J-1 Visa Program:

"The maximum training period with a J-1 Visa for Young Professionals is 18 months. To me, this makes the difference with all other exchange programs. I want to have time to learn every detail about my job, and to really get to know the city I live in and the people I meet. Before coming to Miami, I had done a six-month internship in Washington with a different program... and it was great but much too short."

On the assistance of the Belgian-American Chamber of Commerce (BACC) in the visa procedure:

"Sunscope Latin America wanted to hire me as a trainee, but they needed me as soon as possible. They gave me less than a month to get everything organized. Without the help of the BACC, I couldn't have done it. I had only two weeks to organize all the documents with the BACC, before making an appointment with the embassy in Brussels, getting an apartment, a car... Believe me, it was impossible. The BACC made it real. In a month, everything was done."

On the qualities Belgian trainees bring to the U.S.:

"Most Belgians master several languages, so our language skills are definitely an asset. And the Belgians in the U.S. tend to be curious and extremely motivated. The reason is simple: you only come here if you're proactive. Belgian trainees really want to work, and learn and make most of their stay here. Such motivated people are always helpful to a company."

On his training position with Sunscope Latin America:

"I am responsible for increasing sales with Latin America, so I am working to solve the marketing problems my company's having there."

On living in Miami Beach:

"I think Miami is one of the nicest cities in the U.S. because the Latino culture is so prominent here. Miami is a perfectly bilingual city. People switch from Spanish to English and vice versa without problems. Plus; the city is growing fast. Mainly young people, like me, are attracted to Miami so it's very easy to meet people. Because of its young profile, Miami has a strong cultural and social life, particularly at night."

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Caroline Deltour

Caroline Deltour holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from ICHEC, Brussels. After graduating, she wanted to come to the U.S. for a longer period, in order to spend time with her American boyfriend. She is currently training with Global Business Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Caroline on enrolling in the J-1 Visa Program:

"I had a personal reason for coming to the U.S., but I really wanted to do something interesting and useful here. So I decided to do an internship at Global Business Center. After spending my whole life in Belgium, I wanted to face a new challenge, open myself to another culture and improve my language skills. Besides, doing an international internship is really interesting from a professional point of view. When you graduate, you realize that everyone around you is trying to find their dream job, and everyone holds the same degree, but nobody has experience. My American experience will make me stand out in the Belgian market."

On the assistance of the Belgian-American Chamber of Commerce (BACC) in the visa procedure:

"Katya Levy handled my application and she was wonderful! She was very helpful and professional in arranging my visa. Since I've moved to the U.S., each time I have a question about my internship or other things, I know I can count on her. I think the BACC is a great organization!!!!"

On her training position at Global Business Center:

"Global Business Center is a new company. We're a one-stop solution for multiple business and individual needs and are subdivided into 5 departments: Insurance, Funding, Real Estate, Law and Accounting. I assisted/ managed the set up of the 'RIM' (Real Estate, Insurance & Mortgage) division and am trained as an Office Manager. I mostly deal with Insurance, Mortgage and Real Estate duties."

On living in Atlanta:

"In my opinion, Atlanta is a very nice place to live. The weather is beautiful for 9 months out of 12. Atlanta's a big city (4 million people) with a very young crowd, which means lots of places to go out, lots of bars, restaurants...It is also a very diversified city with many different cultures: Hispanic, African, Asian, European... It is a real melting pot. Ant there is also a good French community. Alliance Francaise and the Atlanta Chapter of the BACC organize a wide range of activities where you can easily meet other Belgians or francophones."

On her J-1 Visa Experience in general:

"I am having a great time. The Exchange Visitor Program is a great experience. It's so nice to be in a huge city, to meet lots of new people and to get business experience in an international context. Precisely because everything is new at the beginning, it doesn't hurt to do a little research before embarking on the J-1 Visa Experience, though. I would advise all young professionals to research the companies they want to work for, to speak with former participants and to gain information about the area they will be living in. Moving to America for half a year or longer is quite something. You want to be prepared."

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Programming by Business Technologies of Central FL, Inc.