Working in USA (NY)

Casdawer

Casdawer

Casdawer

Soldato
Joined
14 May 2009
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Location
Hampshire
Good morning everyone, it's monday yay... =/

Have any of you guys worked abroad, the USA in particular?

I really want to move there and get myself a decent IT job but i don't know what my first step is.

Do i look for a job first and then do the rest, or do i find a place first?

How much money will i need to move over there? Is it best to save up money now for a place and then move over when i can afford to put a deposit down to rent a flat or mortgage a house?

Thank's for any help :)

Cas.
 
Immigration controls in the US are very, very tough. You will need to find a job first and that will be difficult. Like in this country, the company needs to prove that the job you're doing couldn't be filled by an American worker.

The easiest (but slowest) route would be to work for an American company with a UK office. Once you have the nesseccary experience, apply for a job in one of their US offices.

If you're not British, you may be able to apply for a green card.
 
it's easy just log on to most websites and they are giving them greencards away. Or failing that I usually get the chance to enter the USA green card lottery (whatever that is :p ) once per week.

So endless possibilities to get in right from your PC internet browser.
 
jas72 said:
it's easy just log on to most websites and they are giving them greencards away. Or failing that I usually get the chance to enter the USA green card lottery (whatever that is :p ) once per week.

So endless possibilities to get in right from your PC internet browser.
Click to expand...

erm fail?
 
Once you get Visa issues etc sorted, though, what's the best way of going about moving out there? Are there any websites that effectively do recruitment for the USA, but are UK based? Can you apply directly to a USA job, or would that cause problems with interviews etc? Or is it best to move out there and hope that you don't run out of money before getting a job?

Sorry for the thread hijack, but this is something that I've been looking at as well. Hopefully the answers will be helpful to the OP too!
 
jas72 said:
it's easy just log on to most websites and they are giving them greencards away. Or failing that I usually get the chance to enter the USA green card lottery (whatever that is :p ) once per week.
Click to expand...

1. What websites would those be?

2. The Green Card Lottery is done once a year, and you can only submit one application. Also, the UK has not been on the list of accepted countries for some years now due to immigration quotas.
 
manic111 said:
Once you get Visa issues etc sorted, though, what's the best way of going about moving out there?
Click to expand...

It's a chicken and egg situation. You need to have a reason for moving (i.e. an offer for work or study) before you can get a visa. You can't just go over there and start looking for a job. You won't be allowed into the states on a holiday visa without a return flight booked.

I don't want to sound too negative but if you applied to a US company, what unique skills do you have? What can you do that no American can do?

As I said, it's a lot easier if you work for an international company and apply for an internal transfer. You'll already have the skills that the company is looking for and it'll make the process a whole lot easier.

The other option is to go via Canada. Canada has a points system and is a lot easier to get into than the US for British citizens.
 
Your only realistic option is to work with a multinational company then get sequestered over to New York.

Thought of an internship? (Mountbatten do year internships out there..)
 
I'd say your best off to start saving some money now, then look for a job at a company.

Some bigger companies (Such as Microsoft) will do interviews by phone, then fly you out for an in person interview. If you get the job, they will sort everything out for your working green card. Then you move over and get a place to live and get set up.

You can work there while the green card is going through approval if I remember correctly.
 
Slim to none I'd say your chances are - sorry just being realistic.
Although I moved here about 2 years ago :D
 
Unless you're very highly skilled it's probably not going to happen any time soon. With most companies downsizing and looking to save money every way they can, they won't go to the expense of transferring foreign workers over here when there are plenty of unemployed citizens searching for work.
 
I might apply for the green card lottery as i'm eligible because I was born in N.I. It takes a few years anyway from what i've heard and it'd be interesting to do if I get bored of life here and get news that i've been accepted.

Or I could find myself a hot American girl.
 
Mate your very unlikely to get into the USA at all, I have gone through the process and didn't get it. It is a complete lottery if your applying for the H1B visa for working out there. When i did it there were around 60,000 visas available and 150,000+ people applying!!!

There is a forum that has any and all info you need and thats http://britishexpats.com/forum. Go on there and have a good search. Bascially if your going the H1B route you have to find a company willing to employ you and willing to pay around £3000 for applying for the H1b (which they will loose if you don't get the visa) Then its a waiting game really.

The other option is the L visa which is where you work for a company that has offices in both the UK and US. You work for 1 year in the UK office then you can apply for the L visa through the company and get into the US.

The easiest way though is to just marry an american girl lol.
 
I worked in New Hapmshire USA for a year. I enjoyed it but I would not want to work in the US again. Without some kind of sponsorship or internal transfer you're unlikely to get a job. No on eis interested in sponsoring stranger abroad and they're more likely to hire American people.

- Ethic is too much work work work
- 10 days holiday a year and they normally don't want you to take them together (you see why so many of the don't even bother with passports?).

etc etc
 
The firm would have to be willing to take you on using a H1B visa. With things like TARP, these visas are near impossible to get for the finance sector.

In addition, as mentioned the work ethic of people at good firms in NY is on a whole different level. Without a high powered CV you have very little chance of beating Ivy Leaguers and others from top schools like MIT/Caltech/Stanford etc.

Your best chance would be to work for a firm in London with a NY office and hope to get a temporary placement or something.

I was looking at this for a careers in investment banking, and while IT isn't as competitive I think some points are relevant. US universities have very good links with all firms and do their best to effectively reserve places at top firms. The whole higher education system at the top 20-30 universities is a machine to create graduates for the best firms. (This is what the former head of global recruitment at Credut Suisse told me)

edit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:H1b_demographics.jpg

UK is the second highest recipient of h1b visas.
 
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Realistically - unless you're some kind of genius in your field, or you can invest $500K into a company - it ain't gonna happen!

I spent ages looking into it and it's a total bitch.

The "easiest" way, as someone has already said, is to marry someone..... but you still have to jump through 101 hoops.
 
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