Getting a work permit for America

[stevieb]

Ok,

I am up on redundancy at the moment, and i am looking for a few jobs.. one that has caught my eye is in Washington.

I am trying to make sense of the US immigration service website.. I am completely lost in the various different types of visa...

Ultimately i need one to work there but i also want this to extend, so that my family can be with me..

There is bound to be someone on here that has gone through this... Anyone give any advice???



Thanks

[King Herald]

I have a work visa, but it was sorted by my company mainly. It really is a minefield to get over there legally. I'm pretty sure you need to apply for the job first, and if they want you, they have to jump through all sort of hoops and hurdles, proving that they can't find a local to do the job, etc etc.

If you have some sort of special skill, something that you can really sell to the US employer, they may be prepared to do the work necessary to get you over there, but you can't simply 'get a work permit' and wander over to find a job.

Try contacting the employer, see what they say.

Edited by King Herald on Saturday 31st October 21:32

[GreigM]

Unless you are extraordinarily unique in your skills you've got no chance whatsoever...the lengths the hiring organisation have to go to in order to convince the INS that they can't source a US citizen to fill the job are lengthy.

If you think you meet these criteria of being uniquely skilled then I'd get the company who are hiring you to get a good immigration lawyer.

There's no concept of getting a Visa and then once over there finding a job.

[stevieb]

I am thinking of applying for a green card in advance but i am in the process of completing an appliation for a job in Washington, but putting a lot of effort into it as i want the job!

Edited by stevieb on Saturday 31st October 21:47

[HOGEPH]

Probably be easier to invent a time machine and go back to the turn of the last century when they let anybody in.

[GreigM]

stevieb said:

Without giving my full CV over, I am a specialst Transport Modeller (Planner). Currently have 3 Masters Degrees (2 In Engineering and an MBA) and working for my Ph.d. (Over blooming Qualified that some UK companies reject me as I am over qualified.

I am thinking of applying for a green card in advance but i am in the process of completing an appliation for a job in Washington, but putting a lot of effort into it as i want the job!

To get in using the Priority Workers (EB-1) visa you'd need to prove beyond a doubt that you're internationally recognised and published as being at the top of your field. Have a look here:
http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/ivemploybasedpw.html
and
http://www.shihab.net/lawyer-attorney-1365675.html

I wish you luck, but nothing you've said above would start to get you anywhere close. The fact you currently are not employed in this field would significantly count against you.

[DCS01]

Friends of mine have just had all their and their family's visa's / work permits revoked. Have lived in Florida for the last ten years, own their own business that employs 35 people and has a million dollar turn over.
They have had to move back to the UK and are running the business from here and are trying to start the whole work permit / visa thing from new.
Why were they sent packing, some one in the state department cannot read tax returns and understand tax write offs. The 'profits' from the last couple of years has been plowed back into the business - all legal and accounted for in the tax returns.
State department and IRS don't talk to each other.

[ErnestM]

HOGEPH said:

Probably be easier to invent a time machine and go back to the turn of the last century when they let anybody in.

Come in through Mexico. Nobody appears to be watching. Repeat after me... Dónde está mi tarjeta verde?

[stevieb]

GreigM said:

stevieb said:

Without giving my full CV over, I am a specialst Transport Modeller (Planner). Currently have 3 Masters Degrees (2 In Engineering and an MBA) and working for my Ph.d. (Over blooming Qualified that some UK companies reject me as I am over qualified.

I am thinking of applying for a green card in advance but i am in the process of completing an appliation for a job in Washington, but putting a lot of effort into it as i want the job!

To get in using the Priority Workers (EB-1) visa you'd need to prove beyond a doubt that you're internationally recognised and published as being at the top of your field. Have a look here:
http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/ivemploybasedpw.html
and
http://www.shihab.net/lawyer-attorney-1365675.html

I wish you luck, but nothing you've said above would start to get you anywhere close. The fact you currently are not employed in this field would significantly count against you.

I am still employed at the moment and have been with the same company for 5 years... Its just that the director that has taken over is a complete c**t

Worth a try if not i will try canada..... The process there seems ok...

Just remembered my wife has some family there.. Wonders if that will help

Edited by stevieb on Saturday 31st October 22:15

Edited by stevieb on Sunday 1st November 16:20

[branflakes]

stevieb said:

Just remembered my wife has some family there.. Wonders if that will help

Only if it is her brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter. Even then it'll be difficult.

http://visajourney.com is a good website if you're interested in trying to get a family based visa.

Edited by branflakes on Saturday 31st October 22:42

[Papoo]

Yep, unless you have a job lined up with a company willing to do the process for you, you don't really have a hope. As has been mentioned, employers have to jump through so many hoops to import you, it just isn't worth it.

I'm not sure of the visa type, but if you work for a big international company with offices in the US, that can be fairly straight forward. A mate of mine is here in AZ on an 8 year visa. He's working for the same company as he did in the UK.

You can't get a work permit and head over with the hopes of finding a job. I got a greencard through marriage, which took 10 months from the date of application. A few months into that process, once they decided I may stay until my GC arrives, they sent me a work permit, so I could work during the wait.

Good luck. The whole visa thing is tough, and takes a whole world of advanced planning, should you have a strong desire to move here. Sadly you need the cooperation of an employer, which is the hardest bit.

[GreigM]

stevieb said:

Worth a try if not i will try canada..... The process there seems ok...

Canada is a lot easier and with your qualifications you probably would get in as if I recall they work a simple points system - however I couldn't stand the winters......

[sday12]

GreigM said:

stevieb said:

Worth a try if not i will try canada..... The process there seems ok...

Canada is a lot easier and with your qualifications you probably would get in as if I recall they work a simple points system - however I couldn't stand the Canadians......

EFA

[KimmyM]

Taken my brother over a year to get the permissions to get MARRIED to an American, they've been engaged since August but he's had to sort the process earlier with finacé family just to get it in order... America has got extremely tough these days.. You'd probably be able to get a educational visa and apply to go to a Uni over there but at the moment thats pretty much all they want.

Brothers getting married in July 2010 and only allowed in America on a Visa in February at the earliest. Suppose it's different to your situation but your best off ringing or going down to the American Embasey in London and talking it through with them.

[jeff m]

Relinquishing your Britsh Citizenship would be a start.

And become a Citizen of .......almost any other country. Then apply again.

[BigBen]

jeff m said:

Relinquishing your Britsh Citizenship would be a start.

And become a Citizen of .......almost any other country. Then apply again.

That does certainly appear to be the case. However the reason for this is there is quite a high number of Brits who make the move each year which excludes Britain from the green card lottery scheme, which is open to most other countries.

Ben

[jeff m]

BigBen said:

jeff m said:

Relinquishing your Britsh Citizenship would be a start.

And become a Citizen of .......almost any other country. Then apply again.

That does certainly appear to be the case. However the reason for this is there is quite a high number of Brits who make the move each year which excludes Britain from the green card lottery scheme, which is open to most other countries.

Ben

Ben I think there is little more to it than that, appears to be a long term policy that nobody discusses. I beleive the UK has a similar restriction on US citizens, but both countries are awash with other nationalities.

[Marquis_Rex]

stevieb said:

Ok,

I am up on redundancy at the moment, and i am looking for a few jobs.. one that has caught my eye is in Washington.

I am trying to make sense of the US immigration service website.. I am completely lost in the various different types of visa...

Ultimately i need one to work there but i also want this to extend, so that my family can be with me..

There is bound to be someone on here that has gone through this... Anyone give any advice???



Thanks

It's not a question of you deciding the time is right and now applying for a greencard.
I have a degree and a Masters and 14 years of experience with the automotive industry- and yet it's taken me over 10 years to get here. You'll apply for the job- or post your resume- if it's good- you'll get alot of interest and once they figure out what's involved they'll go silent/lose interest. This happened to me over the last 10 years over and over again. Jobs I was well suited for also. May be hundreds of times- BUt I never gave up.
It's not only the money- but the time involved- it requires that the company concerned have a long term view (which most American companys do not). Alot didnt want to wait my 3 month notice period in Germany.
YOur qualfications will certainly help you-if you find a company interested and willing to get an attorney involved, they will request transcripts of your education. Years ago I tried to do an internal transfer within the company I was at- but I was told had made myself too important to the devlopment of engines by the Chief engineer. I then started to reverse this and move into Diesels- there is more likely to be vacancies in Diesel stuff with no comparable American than in petrol. I also stayed technical: project managers are 10 a penny in America.

I sacrificed alot. I took a pay reduction, my ex fiance Jonna_Rex became a mental/psuedo communist and threw all of her teddies out of the pram last minute so I just went ahead anyway. I took a major position reduction. I ended up workng for a power hungry ignorant prick in South Carolina who had zero experiece but ACTED like he knew stuff. Then the Global crisis hit and at some points I was scared and thought I would have to return back to Europe tail between my legs.

It's all worked out in the end- wonderfully-with a great job now and a great salary (much more than I was ever on in even Germany).

With all the hassle involved you're probably better off inventing that time machine and going back 100 years or so, alternatively you could become a Hindu- who believe in reincarnation end your life and see if you come back born in th land of th free- alot less hassle!

Edited by Marquis_Rex on Sunday 1st November 15:43

[jeff m]

stevieb said:

Ok,

I am up on redundancy at the moment, and i am looking for a few jobs.. one that has caught my eye is in Washington.

I am trying to make sense of the US immigration service website.. I am completely lost in the various different types of visa...

Ultimately i need one to work there but i also want this to extend, so that my family can be with me..

There is bound to be someone on here that has gone through this... Anyone give any advice???



Thanks

Apply for the job, if it's advertised in the UK then the company is aware of the hoops and has probably done it before.
Your concern should be getting the job, getting you an H1 visa or whatever they want to use is their problem.
Some sectors and some companies have a lot less problems than others, flavour of the month etc.
Just give it a go.
What sector or type of job?

[stevieb]

jeff m said:

stevieb said:

Ok,

I am up on redundancy at the moment, and i am looking for a few jobs.. one that has caught my eye is in Washington.

I am trying to make sense of the US immigration service website.. I am completely lost in the various different types of visa...

Ultimately i need one to work there but i also want this to extend, so that my family can be with me..

There is bound to be someone on here that has gone through this... Anyone give any advice???



Thanks

Apply for the job, if it's advertised in the UK then the company is aware of the hoops and has probably done it before.
Your concern should be getting the job, getting you an H1 visa or whatever they want to use is their problem.
Some sectors and some companies have a lot less problems than others, flavour of the month etc.
Just give it a go.
What sector or type of job?

The Job in in the civil engineering sector. The job is a specialist Transport modeller.. The role would involve leading a team of 25 people. The company employs 41000 people worldwide so they are not small, and most lielly are going to have a legal team to assist.

The company i work for will not interview anyone for a job unless they have 2 degrees (Undregraduate and a MSc). The UK was in heavy demand for my sector last year.. and still is if you want to relocated..