Job transfer to USA
Discussion
Viper_Larry said:
I have an opportunity to move my current role from the UK to Santa Clara, CA. Anyone got some good web links on where to find information on how easy this is for Green card, wife working, etc?
I know, I'm being lazy, but PH is better than Google
Unless the business is sorting all that out for you, forget it.I know, I'm being lazy, but PH is better than Google
At our comapny, we have a deot to set the visa etc up for the staff and wives.
Doing it yourself is almost impossible.
Get this thread transferred to the US subforum, there's a lot of us who've done this and can help you.
In short, your company has to sponsor you for an L-1 visa. If you're going as a manager, it's an L-1A. As a skilled professional, it would be an L-1B.
Your wife would be able to work immediately, under her L-2 visa, which she would be granted as the wife of an L-1 visa holder.
In short, your company has to sponsor you for an L-1 visa. If you're going as a manager, it's an L-1A. As a skilled professional, it would be an L-1B.
Your wife would be able to work immediately, under her L-2 visa, which she would be granted as the wife of an L-1 visa holder.
You won't be able to get a green card (permanent residency) immediately.
You get the L-1 as an employment based dual intent visa, which can be valid for up to 7 years, depending on type and renewals.
The L-1 is a visa for inter company transfers.
The company has to sponsor you for this. It's not overly expensive, but convoluted. If it's a large multinational company, then as above they will probably have a department that handles international moves, who will know what to do.
They will also likely have a blanket L-1 approval in place, which makes things slightly easier.
If you want to make the move permanent, once over there, you get the comedy of the residency process, which your company will also have to sponsor you for, and is quite protracted, though not unbearably so.
You get the L-1 as an employment based dual intent visa, which can be valid for up to 7 years, depending on type and renewals.
The L-1 is a visa for inter company transfers.
The company has to sponsor you for this. It's not overly expensive, but convoluted. If it's a large multinational company, then as above they will probably have a department that handles international moves, who will know what to do.
They will also likely have a blanket L-1 approval in place, which makes things slightly easier.
If you want to make the move permanent, once over there, you get the comedy of the residency process, which your company will also have to sponsor you for, and is quite protracted, though not unbearably so.
Make sure you understand your company's visa policies. My company bring people over on L1s and switch them for H1s when they get here. That's because the L1B will not cover you until you get a green card even after extension but the H will. However, your wife will not be able to work on an H.
Also, everyone will tell you differing times to get a green card. The reality is that if you come over as a skilled worker L1B, and assuming your company applies for the card in the same manner, expect to wait 7 years before you have a card. Managers can get them within a year. Getting married to a US citizen ( not really an option for you) will get you a green card in less than 6 months.
Learn the process of visas and green cards and stay on top of it. It is your job to drive it. The lawers will not do so.
Also, you will get very pissed off with the visa process at some point. Expect it and try to move on. That's the voice of experience having worked on my own and several others immigration.
Also, everyone will tell you differing times to get a green card. The reality is that if you come over as a skilled worker L1B, and assuming your company applies for the card in the same manner, expect to wait 7 years before you have a card. Managers can get them within a year. Getting married to a US citizen ( not really an option for you) will get you a green card in less than 6 months.
Learn the process of visas and green cards and stay on top of it. It is your job to drive it. The lawers will not do so.
Also, you will get very pissed off with the visa process at some point. Expect it and try to move on. That's the voice of experience having worked on my own and several others immigration.
Good luck! I almost did the same but got cold feet in the end. I semi lived out in Santa Clara for about 4 months last year. First stayed at the Holiday Inn in San Jose, near to SJC which meant taking the 101 to Walsh Ave in Santa Clara. It was a nightmare, so I switched to a different hotel that meant I just needed to drive down Lafayette St under the 101 instead, and that was much better.
Great America was rubbish, and there's not a right lot to do in SJ over the weekends, I spent most of them either in Baylands Park or drove down to Pismo Beach, Santa Barbera or LA. Yosemite was quite cool. That might have been because I was staying in business hotels, I'd imagine if you're living out there it'd be a bit different. I absolutely loved the North Beach area of San Francisco, I had one of those nights there where a stripper on the street stole my mates room card but I bought it back with a slice of pizza and got a free dance. And there were some very cool blues/jazz clubs.
Valley Fair is also addictive, and I liked sitting out on Santana Row watching the world go by.
Great America was rubbish, and there's not a right lot to do in SJ over the weekends, I spent most of them either in Baylands Park or drove down to Pismo Beach, Santa Barbera or LA. Yosemite was quite cool. That might have been because I was staying in business hotels, I'd imagine if you're living out there it'd be a bit different. I absolutely loved the North Beach area of San Francisco, I had one of those nights there where a stripper on the street stole my mates room card but I bought it back with a slice of pizza and got a free dance. And there were some very cool blues/jazz clubs.
Valley Fair is also addictive, and I liked sitting out on Santana Row watching the world go by.
h0b0 said:
Make sure you understand your company's visa policies. My company bring people over on L1s and switch them for H1s when they get here. That's because the L1B will not cover you until you get a green card even after extension but the H will. However, your wife will not be able to work on an H.
Also, everyone will tell you differing times to get a green card. The reality is that if you come over as a skilled worker L1B, and assuming your company applies for the card in the same manner, expect to wait 7 years before you have a card. Managers can get them within a year. Getting married to a US citizen ( not really an option for you) will get you a green card in less than 6 months.
Learn the process of visas and green cards and stay on top of it. It is your job to drive it. The lawers will not do so.
Also, you will get very pissed off with the visa process at some point. Expect it and try to move on. That's the voice of experience having worked on my own and several others immigration.
<scratches head, looks up dates>Also, everyone will tell you differing times to get a green card. The reality is that if you come over as a skilled worker L1B, and assuming your company applies for the card in the same manner, expect to wait 7 years before you have a card. Managers can get them within a year. Getting married to a US citizen ( not really an option for you) will get you a green card in less than 6 months.
Learn the process of visas and green cards and stay on top of it. It is your job to drive it. The lawers will not do so.
Also, you will get very pissed off with the visa process at some point. Expect it and try to move on. That's the voice of experience having worked on my own and several others immigration.
2 years 4 months from my first call with the lawyers about it, to recipt of green card, on an L1-B.
10 months from the PERM being filed to receipt of green card.
And yes, I managed it within the one extension allowed on an L1-B, though it was within a year of expiry.
So, not ALWAYS true, but a GOOD guideline. If you can arrange to come over in a supervisory role, it makes it a lot simpler than as a skilled employee.
Moral of the story - as above, learn your company policy, get things agreed in writing, get started on it immediately.
The type of visa you enter the US doesn't necessarily impact the manner in which you apply for a green card. Also, you don't need to have people reporting to you to be a manager. You can be an account manager and they will let it go through.
For non manager green cards they are currently reviewing applications from 2009. Until a few years ago they were clearing applications slower than they received them. Now it's a little faster. But, if you applied for your green card in 2011 you should still expect a 2 year wait.
I have a close friend who went for his green card through marriage. The immigration lost his paper work internally. He wasn't allowed to reapply because the system said he was in process but they couldn't proceed until the paper work was found. He involved his senator and they finally restarted the process.
The most important thing is to keep on top of it.
For non manager green cards they are currently reviewing applications from 2009. Until a few years ago they were clearing applications slower than they received them. Now it's a little faster. But, if you applied for your green card in 2011 you should still expect a 2 year wait.
I have a close friend who went for his green card through marriage. The immigration lost his paper work internally. He wasn't allowed to reapply because the system said he was in process but they couldn't proceed until the paper work was found. He involved his senator and they finally restarted the process.
The most important thing is to keep on top of it.
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