Working in New York

Author
Discussion

htrowsoc

Original Poster:

603 posts

194 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
quotequote all
I would love to give working in the USA a try, ideally New York. What are the visa requirements out there for British passport holders?

toohuge

3,434 posts

216 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
Very, very difficult....

The easiest route to legal work status in the US is through an inter company exchange with a company / organisation that you are already employed with here in the UK and then transfer across.

Obtaining a visa from a private company is very, very difficult and is generally unheard of for your average joe.... Furthermore, any US company will have to sponsor your application and this is a time consuming and relatively difficult process. In essence, you will not find a company in the US that will be willing to sponsor your visa. Remember too, that whilst the US speaks English, it is a very different culture to here and the immigration system specifically states that you must make the case that there is not a US citizen capable of performing the job that the applicant is planning on fulfilling.

Depending on your education background and your professional history, you may qualify under some of the EB visas, however the category for person of exceptional talent lists such examples as nobel prize winner or similar. - I don't mean to burst your bubble smile

On the other end of the spectrum, there are some visa classifications for seasonal workers.... or those from certain countries, however I do not think that you will qualify under any of those, unless you want to pick oranges for a while.

If you have considerable means (and I don't mean to judge you but...your profile states that you are saving for a hot hatch) there are some visas available for investors that will create businesses and jobs etc. but I do not think you would qualify under those.

There are 3 things that may be solution for you....

1) If you have the time to, apply for a camp of america position or similar to get you over there and do some networking and see what you can achieve

2) find a nice American girl and get married.....

3) Get a job (easier said than done) with a company that has offices out here in the US and then see if you can transfer over.

Chris

Matt Harper

6,618 posts

201 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
The visa requirements have little to do with holding a British passport.

You may not 'work' in the US without an employment based visa, unless you are a legal permanent resident or a US citizen.

The most usual employment based visas are L1(A and B) intra-company transfers for managers and specialists of non-US businesses that create US entities, H1-B in-demand degree-level skills and expertise not readily available in the local market and O1exceptional talent in academia, science, sports, entertainment etc.

Employment based visas are sponsored by the employer - not the beneficiary - so you need to find an employer who can demonstrate to USCIS and DoL that they need you and who is prepared to pay the many thousands of dollars and manage the mountain of paperwork required to sponsor a petition on your behalf.

Outside of employment (which is most definitely the most tortuous and difficult route), your options are via close family sponsorship (can take many years), investment ("substantial" for an E2 investment in a US business that must employ USC's - $500,000 for an EB-5 Green card) - or marriage to a USC.

Kinky

39,556 posts

269 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
But if you are Irish ...... wink

soi6

121 posts

113 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
shame we don't keep the same rules in the UK

And correct. other than having a funky Diplomatic passport .NOTHING beats a IRISH passport .

hidetheelephants

24,352 posts

193 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
Kinky said:
But if you are Irish ...... wink
Got any Irish relatives?

Don

28,377 posts

284 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
toohuge said:
3) Get a job (easier said than done) with a company that has offices out here in the US and then see if you can transfer over.
This is how I did it. I actually worked for a UK company and was paid in UK pounds in the UK. The site I worked at was in New Jersey!

I didn't even have need a Visa as, technically, I wasn't employed in the US at any time. And I was working for the US Government!

You can't just go to America and hope to find work...


croyde

22,898 posts

230 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
My Grandad was Irish. Would that help.

It does make me laugh that the UK does seem to be at the bottom of the list of people allowed to live and work in the US, unless you are loaded. Meanwhile they seem quite happy to let people in from countries they are at 'war' with.

Went to NYC recently and I just could not believe that the yellow cab drivers appeared to have spent less time in the States then I have biggrin

Matt Harper

6,618 posts

201 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
Other than the diversity visa lottery, I don't see what difference being Irish makes.
Most of the Paddys in NYC and Boston who are working menial jobs (bars, waiting tables, laboring etc) are here illegally.

hidetheelephants

24,352 posts

193 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
Other than the diversity visa lottery, I don't see what difference being Irish makes.
Most of the Paddys in NYC and Boston who are working menial jobs (bars, waiting tables, laboring etc) are here illegally.
Hasn't Obama just declared an amnesty?

davepoth

29,395 posts

199 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
Other than the diversity visa lottery, I don't see what difference being Irish makes.
Most of the Paddys in NYC and Boston who are working menial jobs (bars, waiting tables, laboring etc) are here illegally.
https://www.dfa.ie/travel/visas/us-ireland-visa-ar...

That's the difference.

Croyde, you can get Irish citizenship if your grandpa was born in Ireland.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_countr...


croyde

22,898 posts

230 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
quotequote all
Cheers Dave Oi moight be lookin inta dat biggrin

Matt Harper

6,618 posts

201 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
davepoth said:
https://www.dfa.ie/travel/visas/us-ireland-visa-ar...

That's the difference.

Croyde, you can get Irish citizenship if your grandpa was born in Ireland.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_countr...
Interesting - thank you for that - not sure how that modification of a J visa would be applicable for anything other than a graduate placement for a year or less though - and it requires a sponsor, willing to pay (filing/b-ground check/admin etc) for a beneficiary to be there 12 months max. Hardly makes sense - though that should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever had to deal with USCIS, I suppose.

Lynchie999

3,422 posts

153 months

Tuesday 25th November 2014
quotequote all
croyde said:
Cheers Dave Oi moight be lookin inta dat biggrin
me too.. haha.. ace! (look at me name << )

croyde

22,898 posts

230 months

Tuesday 25th November 2014
quotequote all
To be sure... biggrin

Actually it looks like not only would I have to be an Irish citizen but I would also have to turn back time as their agreement seems to be for students and graduates.

Bloody youngsters, don't know they are born biggrin

Frybywire

468 posts

196 months

Wednesday 26th November 2014
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
I don't see what difference being Irish makes.
The Irish are liked aboard. smile

Elroy Blue

8,688 posts

192 months

Wednesday 26th November 2014
quotequote all
Get Mexican citizenship, jump over the fence and work in a laundry for a few years. Get a nice US girl pregnant and you're sorted.

htrowsoc

Original Poster:

603 posts

194 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
toohuge said:
Very, very difficult....

The easiest route to legal work status in the US is through an inter company exchange with a company / organisation that you are already employed with here in the UK and then transfer across.

Obtaining a visa from a private company is very, very difficult and is generally unheard of for your average joe.... Furthermore, any US company will have to sponsor your application and this is a time consuming and relatively difficult process. In essence, you will not find a company in the US that will be willing to sponsor your visa. Remember too, that whilst the US speaks English, it is a very different culture to here and the immigration system specifically states that you must make the case that there is not a US citizen capable of performing the job that the applicant is planning on fulfilling.

Depending on your education background and your professional history, you may qualify under some of the EB visas, however the category for person of exceptional talent lists such examples as nobel prize winner or similar. - I don't mean to burst your bubble smile

On the other end of the spectrum, there are some visa classifications for seasonal workers.... or those from certain countries, however I do not think that you will qualify under any of those, unless you want to pick oranges for a while.

If you have considerable means (and I don't mean to judge you but...your profile states that you are saving for a hot hatch) there are some visas available for investors that will create businesses and jobs etc. but I do not think you would qualify under those.

There are 3 things that may be solution for you....

1) If you have the time to, apply for a camp of america position or similar to get you over there and do some networking and see what you can achieve

2) find a nice American girl and get married.....

3) Get a job (easier said than done) with a company that has offices out here in the US and then see if you can transfer over.

Chris
Thanks Chris, some really great feedback there. Sounds a lot more difficult than I expected!