Working Visa for the U.S

MrMarvelous

MrMarvelous

MrMarvelous

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Hey guys, wondering if anyone who's gone over from the U.K to the U.S on either a temporary or permanent working Visa could help me.

A friend of mine lives in Canton, Georgia. He has a pretty well paid job (I.T manager at the local Best Buy) and lives in a gated apartment community that's in a pretty well off and new area which i'd me moving into for accommodation. I'd like to try the U.S out on a 6 month working Visa as i'm getting sick of the U.K. I'm a mechanical engineer with a good lot of qualifications, had a wee look at the jobs there on indeed.com and there isn't (so far) much engineering related stuff. My friend has offered to try and get me a job where he works but nothing is guaranteed to be as good money as what i'm on here in the U.K but it will be enough to live/go out etc..

So here's the main questions, how would I start to get the ball rolling? I'm assuming i'd have to apply at the U.S Embassy in London for a working Visa but would I need a sponsor i.e him or a company? My C.V is done but basically I have no clue on what to do next.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
I'm pretty sure you need to have a job offer from the US first unless you happen to be on the list of professions that they have a shortage of. On top of that if they offer you a job they need to demonstrate they looked for US based candidates first and failed to find any.
 
be prepared for a very very difficult time... I'm really highly qualified in my field, and I've looked into it a few times, including work transfers, but it's not straightforward at all, takes a very long time..

The advice I got a couple of years ago from a professional overseas recruiter, was to go to Canada first, then go to the USA from there - as it's a lot easier... but that was a couple of years ago.
 
I'd ideally like to go to Canada anyway as I hear it's better than the U.S. the only reason I want to apply to the U.S now is because a friend lives there and he'd be able to show me the ropes.

If I did decided to start applying in Canada, would it be easier than the U.S?
 
MickeyFinns said:
I'm pretty sure you need to have a job offer from the US first unless you happen to be on the list of professions that they have a shortage of. On top of that if they offer you a job they need to demonstrate they looked for US based candidates first and failed to find any.
Click to expand...

The way they normally get round this is to advertise the job with low wages and no-one from the US applies. You might be able to use that as a way in, then switch to another company once you're there that pay better.
 
MrMarvelous said:
Hey guys, wondering if anyone who's gone over from the U.K to the U.S on either a temporary or permanent working Visa could help me.

A friend of mine lives in Canton, Georgia. He has a pretty well paid job (I.T manager at the local Best Buy) and lives in a gated apartment community that's in a pretty well off and new area which i'd me moving into for accommodation. I'd like to try the U.S out on a 6 month working Visa as i'm getting sick of the U.K. I'm a mechanical engineer with a good lot of qualifications, had a wee look at the jobs there on indeed.com and there isn't (so far) much engineering related stuff. My friend has offered to try and get me a job where he works but nothing is guaranteed to be as good money as what i'm on here in the U.K but it will be enough to live/go out etc..

So here's the main questions, how would I start to get the ball rolling? I'm assuming i'd have to apply at the U.S Embassy in London for a working Visa but would I need a sponsor i.e him or a company? My C.V is done but basically I have no clue on what to do next.

Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...


You need to get a job offer and get your future employer to sponsor a visa and do the paper work. H1-B skilled working visa tend to fill up first so check the deadline and the current acceptance rate.

You will need a Bacheor degree or 5 years experience in a field that the US deems skilled, which is pretty much anything beyond stacking shelves. So with you rmech eng degree you meet all the requirements.


My advice is to apply for a load of jobs, make a good covering letter explaining your situation, and make arrangements to be in he US for interviews. The latter point is import, you need to book like 3 months in the summer to be in the US and ask to meet HR or set up face to face interviews while you are over there. Companies will be much less likely to hire you if they can only interview you over the phone and they wont want to pay for a trans-Atlantic flight, but if you are based in the US then you should get some invites.
 
MickeyFinns said:
. On top of that if they offer you a job they need to demonstrate they looked for US based candidates first and failed to find any.
Click to expand...

This is false, there is absolutely no requirement that they have search for a US citizen and ailed. I don't know where these myths come from. The only requirement form the employer's side is the job must be available and advertised to US citizens, e.g. they can't only advertize the job in the UK or make being a UK citizen a requirement, as long as the job gets advertised on a US website then all criteria are met.
 
Screeeech said:
be prepared for a very very difficult time... I'm really highly qualified in my field, and I've looked into it a few times, including work transfers, but it's not straightforward at all, takes a very long time..

The advice I got a couple of years ago from a professional overseas recruiter, was to go to Canada first, then go to the USA from there - as it's a lot easier... but that was a couple of years ago.
Click to expand...

Took me about 2 months form sending the attorney my paperwork to the visa arriving in the post, my employer did pay the extra for expedited handling but that doesn't change things drastically.
 
mrbazmondo said:
The way they normally get round this is to advertise the job with low wages and no-one from the US applies. You might be able to use that as a way in, then switch to another company once you're there that pay better.
Click to expand...

Absolute rubbish:rolleyes:


It is illegal for a US employer to employ a foreign citizen with a visa and pay anything less than the local average for that job. There are very explcit rules that makes that highly illegal in order to preserve US wages. One of the biggest parts of the visa process if having the employer prove that they are paying you equal or more than any local
 
best bet is to work for a multinational company over here and then look at transferring across to their US office
 
dowie said:
best bet is to work for a multinational company over here and then look at transferring across to their US office
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That can be quite slow.

A GF of a colleague started looking for a job in the US this summer. She spent 3 months of the tourist visa over here and in the end got a job and is now in the visa process.
 
MrMarvelous said:
I'd ideally like to go to Canada anyway as I hear it's better than the U.S. the only reason I want to apply to the U.S now is because a friend lives there and he'd be able to show me the ropes.

If I did decided to start applying in Canada, would it be easier than the U.S?
Click to expand...

Yes. How old are you?
 
dowie said:
best bet is to work for a multinational company over here and then look at transferring across to their US office
Click to expand...

That's true I did it, had an L1B intercompany transfer visa though in the end I didn't really use it cause I went to the US and then within a month got sent to South Korea cause none of the yanks like to travel.

The salary rules someone quoted are true and for engineers it can be even harder if you are going to require PE (professional engineer) status (think of it as a bar exam for engineers its fairly tough especially if its been a few years since you took real exams).

I'd much rather work in SE-Asia, korea or japan than in the US anyway.
 
dowie said:
best bet is to work for a multinational company over here and then look at transferring across to their US office
Click to expand...

I've already considered this a while ago but living in Derbyshire there really isn't much here in terms on multinational companies apart from Rolls Royce. Two of my friends work there who tried to go abroad ages ago and they wouldn't let them. They've also made a lot of people redundant recently.

D.P. said:
That can be quite slow.

A GF of a colleague started looking for a job in the US this summer. She spent 3 months of the tourist visa over here and in the end got a job and is now in the visa process.
Click to expand...

So would my best bet be to pay out of my own pocket for a tourist visa and while i'm there try and make some contacts/connections? Would that be legal?

-westy- said:
Yes. How old are you?
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I'm 27.
 
MrMarvelous said:
I've already considered this a while ago but living in Derbyshire there really isn't much here in terms on multinational companies apart from Rolls Royce. Two of my friends work there who tried to go abroad ages ago and they wouldn't let them. They've also made a lot of people redundant recently.



So would my best bet be to pay out of my own pocket for a tourist visa and while i'm there try and make some contacts/connections? Would that be legal?



I'm 27.
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There is no real tourist visa anymore, there is a tourist visa visa waiver that you sign on the plane.ppi, mo cost. You just need to allocate some time in the US to vist companies, meet face to face with the relevant people and be available fore interviews so when you apply for jobs you can state you are in the US and availalable to travel for interviews and personal discussions in person. They won't fly you over from the UK for an interview but they will liekly fly you from within the US.

Technically the tourist visit waiver forbids you from seeking employment. I understand that to meen you can't work in the Us while on a tourist visa but seeking employment with a residence visa is permissible. Indeed, otherse it would be impossible yet hundred of thousands do this each year. The only point being when you land in the US and immigration asks about the purpose of your fist, don't say to find a job, just tell them you are traveling.
Immigration is worried about illegal t ep workers, people sneaking in on a 90 day rousting waiver and working in McDonald's and never leaving. They aren't at all worried about people seeking a skilled visa sponsorship.



Some other things about thr visa process- tech company can never charge you for the visa, deduct salary or remove benefits as compensation. They have to treat you as equal or better than a Us citizen and cover all expenses related to the visa themselves. Salaries have to be equal or greater than the American employees. There must be no incentive to higher a foreigner beyond the fact that you are good for the job at hand. Since it more expensive to hire a foreigner then you will likely only get a job if the local workforce is inadequate. This happens in some field quite regulars, e.g, in software there is a massive shortage of good engineers. You have to put things in perespectivr, a good skilled worker in the US commands around 75-130K USD per year depending on field and experience (more specialized and senior position in the 90-250k + range). An h1b visa with all the legal work runs around 4-7K (the visa itself is more like 1-2k), so is pretty meaningless compared to hiring an American anyway.

I don't know what you CV Looks like what skill at you have, how the us workforce in your fild compares but there is good chance of getting spjsership if you are in an appropriate field and out in some perseverance in applications. I was lucky, submitted about 15 applications, got 2 interviews and 1 job offer, vida no issue at all.
I turnd my 3 months trip to the US info a holiday and scheduled interviews and visits between vacation trips to Yellowstone, the gulf coast, etc.

If you are in a position to quit you job and go to the us for 3 months the the worst comes to the worst afterwards you have no job offer but have travelled around the us for some time. You might realize that is enough America for you, or if it really sets a desire alight you can book another 3 month stint and try again.
 
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