As schools and districts nationwide grapple with a deluge of open requisitions and the ongoing struggle to find qualified candidates, it’s time to take proactive steps to ensure your institution’s success. In this blog post, we’ll unveil the top 4 strategies that your school or district should be embracing to prepare for the upcoming academic year and effectively reduce the overwhelming burden of open requisitions. FordMurray will guide you through the path to success in addressing these challenges head-on. Don’t miss this opportunity to revolutionize your recruitment process and build a diverse, talented, and dynamic team that will lead your school or district to new heights:
- Begin recruiting or enhance current recruiting internationally to increase diversity and develop a larger pool of qualified candidates.
- Update or begin affiliation(s) with an institution of higher education in your area.
- Partner with a reputable J-1 provider or consider starting your own J-1 program.
- Start now!
Begin recruiting or enhance current recruiting internationally to increase diversity and develop a larger pool of qualified candidates:
Many schools and/or districts have shied away from sponsoring international candidates for immigration benefits to allow those candidates to work within the school or district because of costs, timing, complexity, or other preconceived notions of why sponsorship would not work for the school or district. With open requisitions on the rise, a decrease in graduates from teacher education programs, and an overall difficulty in filling many positions within the school or district, expanding the pool of qualified candidates to individuals that require sponsorship can lead to less openings, more cost savings in the long-term, and a more diverse and talented pool of faculty, staff, and administration within the school or district. With the typical immigration sponsorship of a candidate’s nonimmigrant visa averaging about $5,000-$6,000 for a three-year work authorization, this cost against the cost to the students, the staff, and the school or district of an open requisition is minimal, at best. And, the typical boost to the school or district in having a qualified candidate within that open requisition who is capable, energetic, and brings new skills and viewpoints is immeasurable.
Update or begin affiliation(s) with an institution of higher education in your area:
Many schools or districts have agreements in place with local institutions of higher education, often centering on students at the school or within the district taking college courses while in high school or the institution sending teacher education students to the school or district for student teaching assignments. But there are other affiliations, such as joint research, that would also be fruitful and applicable in the immigration context. Because schools or districts are generally subject to the H-1B cap (the annual limit on H-1Bs in the United States), sponsorship of individuals in this status can be laborious and/or tricky, and not always reliable (which may be why many schools and districts have shied away from such sponsorship). However, if a school or district has an affiliation agreement in place with an institution of higher education, this agreement may allow the school or district an exemption from the annual limit, which means the school or district could have much greater flexibility and lower hurdles when sponsoring an individual for this status . For more information regarding the H-1B Visa, download our free guide here
Partner with a reputable J-1 provider or consider starting your own J-1 program:
The J-1 teacher category can be a valuable resource for schools or districts seeking to recruit internationally. Schools or districts can find authorized J-1 teacher programs at the U.S. Department of State site here: https://j1visa.state.gov/participants/how-to-apply/sponsor-search/ . Partnering with an existing organization can be an excellent way to begin the J-1 sponsorship journey as these programs may have existing candidates and/or pipelines to potential candidates and, because the organization is already authorized by the Department of State, the organization can work with the school or district to complete the necessary paperwork to sponsor the candidate and have the candidate begin employment. For some schools or districts, becoming an authorized J-1 program sponsor is a great resource for recruiting and hiring international teachers and can reduce the costs and 3rd party timelines associated with going through an independent authorized program sponsor.
Start now!
International recruiting can be a valuable tool in the school or district’s efforts to fill open requisitions but immigration sponsorship, even in the best of times, requires planning and takes a little extra time to get through the government processes resulting in the employee having proper work authorization in the United States. If you are considering adding immigration sponsorship to your recruitment efforts or, if you are looking to enhance your current immigration sponsorship, FordMurray is happy to assist you in reviewing these options and how they may work best for your school or district. Schedule an initial consultation with us today!
Visit us at https://fordmurraylaw.com/consultation/ or give us a call at 207-613-7331
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