# FY2014 H-1B Job Hunt on Visa Waiver Program



## grayfox (Dec 1, 2012)

Hi, 

I am a French citizen, MSEE, currently employed as Software Engineering Consultant in France. I plan to quit my job and move to the US in January using the 90-day VWP. My goal is to get a job offer by April for FY2014. 

I know that some people don't come to that and get hired from abroad (paid inter-continental round-trips for interviews, etc.), but I guess this is really exceptionnal. I want to play safe and get a lot of interviews in order to be sure to go back to France with a FY2014 H-1B sponsorship. I don't want to scare employers away at application time (with a european physical address). So, I will be in California during my job search which is my preferred location. 

So, when do you think I should go exactly, considering the 90-day max. duration of stay of the VWP ? 
I am trying to figure out the best balance between:
- not too early, because I can only start working by October 1st, 2013 
- not too late, because the H-1B quota may run out very early, so staying until May might be a waste 

My original plan was: from early February to early May. But I am currently thinking of: mid-January to mid-April. In the second case, I am also thinking of an additional VWP stay (I would have to pay for a second round-trip from France, but if the H-1B quota runs out at the same rate as last year, I would have 2 more months, until mid-June, to find a job!). But it would start to get expensive and I am afraid of being denied at the second entrance in the US (even though it is legal, it is at the discretion of the border agent). 

I would really appreciate any input to my situation.


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## mamasue (Oct 7, 2008)

Hi Grayfox,
Firstly, you cannot MOVE to the US on a VWP. The VWP is purely for tourism.
There's nothing to stop you looking for sponsors for a job in the US...What you can't do is work on a VWP.
What you cannot do is come on a tourist visa and stay here to work.
You should look through the stickies at the top of the page for guidelines on working in the US.


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## grayfox (Dec 1, 2012)

mamasue said:


> Hi Grayfox,
> Firstly, you cannot MOVE to the US on a VWP. The VWP is purely for tourism.
> There's nothing to stop you looking for sponsors for a job in the US...What you can't do is work on a VWP.
> What you cannot do is come on a tourist visa and stay here to work.
> You should look through the stickies at the top of the page for guidelines on working in the US.


Don't worry. I am well aware of everything you said. I spent one year in the US as J-1 student, and I pretty familiar with administrative immigration matters (I know that I obviously can't work on VWP ; I also know that I CAN look for a job as an attorney told me; and as I said, I will stay 90 days only so I used the word "move" but I mean that I will "go" to the US in January). I am not looking for "administrative / legal" advice, but for H-1B job hunting advice (especially about the timeline) while on VWP, perhaps experiences of people who did this before, etc.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I'd plan my timing a little differently if I were you.

Rather than blow out all your VWP 90 days at once, you should start your job hunting right now from where you are. Send out your CV with a cover letter stating that you are planning on visiting the US in the near future and that you would like to discuss job possibilities face to face when you are in town. 

To have any hope of getting an employer interested in hiring you, you are going to have to state your visa status (which is that you need employer sponsorship for a visa) and frankly, no one is going to hire you (or sponsor you for a visa) unless they have met with you face to face at least once.

Don't schedule any trip to the US until you have at least one employer responding positively to your CV and letter. The most likely response will be something like "When are you going to be in the area?" or "Please contact us/me when you are in the area." That's when you book your flights to go to wherever the job/interview is for a week or two, no more.

Sponsoring someone for an H1B visa is an expensive process for most employers. They won't even talk to you unless they have a position they want to fill and something about your CV convinces them you might be worth the hassle and expense. By saying that you'll be "in the area" (presumably on vacation or something similar) you've just eliminated the need for them to fly you in for an interview. If you don't get a positive response from anyone, you save yourself the price of the trip until such time as some employer has a position and some real interest in you.

But finding a sponsor between now and April is a huge long-shot. I used a plan something like this to find a job in Europe (admittedly a few years ago) and it took me a good 18 months of pretty intensive job-hunting (hanging onto my "day job" all that time). I lucked out because I found a really good international headhunter along the way, and she did quite a bit of the work for me, presenting me to potential employers. But I wouldn't have found her if I hadn't done several months of the background work myself. (And no, I can't give you her name - she has to be at least 85 by now and I would expect she has retired.)
Cheers,
Bev


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## grayfox (Dec 1, 2012)

Thank you for your answer. I understand your point of view. Of course, I am already starting to look for a job from here. But the idea is that (hopefully) I should be getting a few job interview requests by the time I land in the US, about 2 months from now. Last year, I got 3 job interviews who turned into 3 job offers within 45 days (yes, I got them, but actually decided to go back to Europe at that time). So, I am pretty confident as to get at least 1 job offer within 90 days. Also, I plan to attend some specific career fairs, call a selection recruiters and managers who personally met me last year, and perhaps do some networking.

The airplane ticket will be very cheap at this time of the year (~500 EUR), I have many housing options from friends I made last year, and I don't care for cheap hostels. So, I won't be "loosing" money by going over there for 3 months. Plus, my current job doesn't pay much and my apartment is very expensive, so I am not really making money right now. But above all, I hate my current job, and don't see ANY point in keeping it while job hunting.

My goal is to be sure to get an H-1B for FY2014, which is why I want to do this trip and do a full-time local job search saying that "I'm in the area". I already have a US phone number and a US physical address (my old one = my roommate's one, or my friend's one). I just have to say in my current cover letters that I am currently working as consultant in France and will be "back in the area" on the date of my flight ticket (the one I am trying to figure out - sometime between mid-January and mid-February).

Regarding the cost of H-1B sponsorship, I don't believe it is an issue for tech companies in California. They sponsor so many people that it seems almost automated. And when they give new grads $10k of relocation package and $90k of annual salary, I don't think they care for $5k of H-1B.

Regarding the 90-day limit, it is for the duration of every single trip. The counter is reset to 0 whenever the person go back to Europe. The yearly limit is 180 days, which would allow another 90 days for some potential other trip(s). But in any case, my goal is definitely FY2014 so any interview beyond the day H-1B cap is reached is pointless, and that was June 11 for FY2013.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Obviously, you are going to contact those companies who offered you a job last time around. Just be sure to have a "plan B" - it always seems as if the one time you're counting on having multiple offers, nothing pans out. Not saying it will happen, just that if you're prepared for it, you may never have to resort to your "plan B."

Good luck with your job hunting.
Cheers,
Bev


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## IgorUkr (Jul 13, 2018)

Hi Grayfox,

would be fantastic to hear how did your job search panned out. Can you share (publicly or privately) your story? 
I am looking to do a similar leap to what you've done.


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