We are proud of all we have achieved in 2022, especially due to the prior years’ travel ban. Throughout this year, we have issued 216 J-1 visas, rebuilt our Learning Exchange team and currently have over 130 Exchange Visitors in the U.S! As we continue to build our program back up from where it was pre-pandemic, we have some exciting updates regarding our team’s yearly progress:
Jude Clarke, Senior Manager of LEP in Ireland, has completed 10 university visits in-person, compared to 0 in-person last year. These visits are essential for recruiting program participants. For two of these events, Ellie Carver, Director of Learning Exchange, traveled to Ireland to attend.
We hosted our first annual Thanksgiving Potluck in the center. This provided us the opportunity to celebrate and reflect on Thanksgiving with the J-1s on our program in Boston, Rian staff, and the LEP team. It was great to see everyone and experience cultural exchange together.
One of the main purposes of the J-1 Graduate visa is to allow for recent graduates or students to get work experience that will propel them into their careers. We are excited to share that 76% of our Exchange Visitors are currently employed, 19 of which are with employers we hold relationships with and connect them to directly. If you’re interested in hiring a J-1 intern for up to 12 months, please reach out to our Manager of Intern Placements, Adelina Harvey, at aharvey@riancenter.org
