# Brit wanting to move Stateside



## pj2492 (Jul 7, 2008)

Hi,

I'm Paul, I am 29 years old, married and have a 2yr old son. Apart from using a forum through the Open University this is my first posting.

My Wife and I have been talking for some time about immigrating and it has been a life long dream of mine to work and live in America. However, now that we have made the decision that this is what we want as a family and after a little more research the responses I have had from a couple of Immigration / Relocation companies hasnt been very positive.

I have also spoke to a previous employer in the UK who have offices in the US and although the Branch Manager was very keen to see me based on the credentials on my CV, after speaking with their HR department in the US I was then advised that in order to Interview me I would need to be in a position where I was eligable to work in the USA before being interviewed.

I am a business to business Sales Executive / Account Manager in the IT industry selling both hardware & software solutions with nine years experience. Although my education goes know further than secondary school, I have obtained a number of globally recognised IT Accreditations and just this year I have started an open university degree or at least working towards one on the basis that this would strengthen my application for a work permit / visa. 

Please can anyone offer any advice on how best to approach my application and the sort of timescales I will be looking at?

Can anybody advise me whether it would be worth my while at this stage contacting prospective employers to see if they would sponsor me?

Would it increase my chances if I could work on a self employed basis for a US company selling their product / service?

I am so sorry for the long winded introduction and if I havent bored you off by now I would appreciate any advice as the Immigration / relocation companies dont seem to want to know if you dont have a masters equivalent degree.

Many thanks,


Paul


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

pj2492 said:


> I have also spoke to a previous employer in the UK who have offices in the US and although the Branch Manager was very keen to see me based on the credentials on my CV, after speaking with their HR department in the US I was then advised that in order to Interview me I would need to be in a position where I was eligable to work in the USA before being interviewed.


This is your best bet. However, the only qualification for a US HR department employee is that they were actually too stupid to do anything else. You need to find a way around the HR department. Research fully the L1 visa so you can sell both yourself and the method of getting you there to the person who actually does the hiring.


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## pj2492 (Jul 7, 2008)

Thanks for your prompt advice. I will look up the L1 visa and try and speak directly to the HR dept.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

The question is not would they sponsor you but can they sponsor you. Do you see anything in your credentials that might entice a potential employer to prove a postion in sales cannot be filled by someone eligible to work in the US, jump through the hoops of visa sponsorship and hold a position for several months hoping the inevitable lottery will draw your lot? Be realistic. Did you notice that one of the larger banks closed their doors last night and let 7.500 go; mostly on the West Coast? You may be great at what you are doing but HR hit the nail on the head. They put the monkey on your back.

Fat - you are as charming as always.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

pj2492 said:


> Thanks for your prompt advice. I will look up the L1 visa and try and speak directly to the HR dept.


My guess is that HR will blow you off. You need someone in the company to tell HR not to blow you off. Side step them if you can.


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## pj2492 (Jul 7, 2008)

How would you best approach it?

My ex-employer have offices all of the US so would you suggest contacting a branch office with the view of trying to get a manager to assist by speaking with HR?

Look forward to your comments


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

pj2492 said:


> How would you best approach it?
> 
> My ex-employer have offices all of the US so would you suggest contacting a branch office with the view of trying to get a manager to assist by speaking with HR?
> 
> Look forward to your comments


Yep. HR push the papers (slowly and incompetently) but they don't make hiring and firing decisions. You need a line to whoever makes the hiring decision. Maybe your ex-bosses in the UK have US contacts? Failing that, you'll have to research who makes the actual hiring decisions and approach directly. Try sweet talking whoever picks up the phone if you can't find out by any other means.


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## pj2492 (Jul 7, 2008)

Thanks for that, I'll give it a try.

I'm not a pesimist, however after looking quickly at the L1 Visa criteria on the web I only have another 18 months to secure a job offer as I have to be employed by the sponsoring company for a minimum of twelve months within the last three years.

What are my options should the opporuntity to secure a visa by way of this method pass me by?


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

pj2492 said:


> Thanks for that, I'll give it a try.
> 
> I'm not a pesimist, however after looking quickly at the L1 Visa criteria on the web I only have another 18 months to secure a job offer as I have to be employed by the sponsoring company for a minimum of twelve months within the last three years.
> 
> What are my options should the opporuntity to secure a visa by way of this method pass me by?


You're going with your main opportunity now. Beyond that, the field is bleak. Don't take no for an answer. Be cheeky, be devious. You don't even work for them at the moment and you haven't got a visa. The worse that can happen is you don't work for them, you haven't got a visa, and your phone bill is a little higher.


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## pj2492 (Jul 7, 2008)

Just another thought. Would it not be possible to approach either my ex- employer or any other organisation in the industry in which I work and propose to work for them on self emplyed basis. As I would not be taking a position with the employer I would not be filling a position that could be filled by a US Citizen?


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

pj2492 said:


> Just another thought. Would it not be possible to approach either my ex- employer or any other organisation in the industry in which I work and propose to work for them on self emplyed basis. As I would not be taking a position with the employer I would not be filling a position that could be filled by a US Citizen?


Sure -- as long as you're not working or living in the US. To do that, you need a suitable status.


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## pj2492 (Jul 7, 2008)

I take it that this isnt a realistic option and wouldnt open up any other visa options for me?


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

pj2492 said:


> I take it that this isnt a realistic option and wouldnt open up any other visa options for me?


You want to be self-employed, you're looking at a green card (the L1 is a first step) or something really horrible like an E2 -- don't go there!

For the L1, they merely need to prove you have specialist company knowledge they need.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Not to rain on your parade, but getting an L1 visa is not as simple as contacting a former employer and getting them to sponsor you. International companies don't have unlimited L1 visas to hand round to the staff and they do pay for the privilege of transferring people (usually "executives") to the US.

Besides the technical requirements of the L1 visa, there are the internal policies of the employer to consider. Many large international companies reserve overseas assignments and transfers for long-time employees with specialized experience. And, for the L1, there is the expectation that most transfers will be of "executive level" staff - so that a university degree is more or less expected, even if not written into the regulations. (And for many jobs in the US, a university degree is a minimum qualification these days.)

Long term, to improve your chances of being eligible for a transfer to the US, you want to get involved with as many international projects as possible. Volunteer to play host when there are US visitors in town so that you get to know them and the US operations and they know of your interest in relocating. It's a huge risk for anyone to ask to "import" a foreigner for any job in the US, so most hiring managers won't go out on a limb unless they know you and your work and that you're capable of doing well in the job.
Cheers,
Bev


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## pj2492 (Jul 7, 2008)

Thanks Bev,

I appreciate that most L1 Visas are offered at executive level and to people holding a degree. After looking at the vacancies board on my ex-employers website it does highlight that the criteria for application is a degree or relevent experience of which I have nine years.

I have been told that, and also read that if you dont have a university degree, a route to a visa is by way of work experience and for every three years of work counts towards one year of doing a degree (4yrs required = 12 years work experience). How realistic are my chances of securing employment by going down this route?

Or would you still recommend continuing my home based study towards a degree qualificaiton and does it matter what my degree is in?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I wouldn't hold any particular employer to that "3 years experience = 1 year of university" equivalence. It sounds like a rule of thumb and may well work for some jobs and some employers, but it's not universally accepted.

It sure won't hurt to continue with your distance learning degree. Once you have it (to be honest, the subject matter doesn't really matter unless you go into a field where certification is involved) you have one less roadblock to finding a job in the US. I've been involved in hiring situations in the US where the first thing they do is throw away any resumé/CV that does not include a college degree.

Right now is not a great time to be looking to transfer over to the US. Between the upcoming elections and the general economic "meltdown" (favorite word for the press these days), employers are not anxious to take on new employees, much less folks from overseas. 

What I'd advise is to polish up your "international skills" as I mentioned before (or even look into changing jobs now to work for a larger, more international company where you are and get some exposure to the US market and business scene) and take a look at the situation in a year's time. By then we'll have some idea where the new administration in Washington is heading on immigration (maybe even lightening things up a bit?) and perhaps the economic situation may have bottomed out or given us a clue where it's headed.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ChungyUK (Feb 27, 2008)

I want to move to the US one day in the future...but what i understand is that you stand a better chance if you get a transfer from your company. Is there any other way?


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

ChungyUK said:


> I want to move to the US one day in the future...but what i understand is that you stand a better chance if you get a transfer from your company. Is there any other way?


Plenty....but you don't give us much to work with!

Here's one: become an established and published researcher in the field of nanotechnology and file for an EB with an NIW. You'll have a green card on arrival.


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## ChungyUK (Feb 27, 2008)

huh? OK then thanks for the information


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## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

Fatbrit said:


> Plenty....but you don't give us much to work with!
> 
> Here's one: become an established and published researcher in the field of nanotechnology and file for an EB with an NIW. You'll have a green card on arrival.


come on Fatbrit that's not fair. Biotech is just as acceptable as nanotechnology for the EB  

Unfortunately Chung, the situation is not great for you. You can't move over to the US on your own skills (Australia may be an option though) and unless you have an employer sponsor who's willing to go through the time and expense of sponsoring you for a intra-company transfer visa which may or may not be successful, you don't have a lot of options. I'm not even sure if Brits are eligible for the Green Card lottery... I can't remember. 

Fatbrit kind of has a point about the nanotech thing. If you get a PhD and are hired as a professor by a university (they are currently exempt from the H1B cap) your odds are much better.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Tiffani said:


> I'm not even sure if Brits are eligible for the Green Card lottery... I can't remember.


Eligibility for the "Green Card lottery" is based on the chargeability of your birthplace.


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Except for Northeren Ireland, citizens of the UK are not eligible for the lottery.

The lottery is only available for countries that have had less than 50,000 immigrants total over the previous five years. It's called the diversity lottery, and the idea is that if we already have a lot of people from your country, we don't want you.

You'd be much better off looking at Australia or Canada.


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## RICHNTRISH (Jun 4, 2008)

Fatbrit said:


> Here's one: become an established and published researcher in the field of nanotechnology and file for an EB with an NIW. You'll have a green card on arrival.


Oh great now you tell us !


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## ChungyUK (Feb 27, 2008)

Australia? Not interested in Australia in the slightest so why would I wanna go there. I'm only interested in the US....i know there must be a way but bother not go into as you'll only tell me off. Anyway Canada sounds like a better option.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

ChungyUK said:


> Australia? Not interested in Australia in the slightest so why would I wanna go there. I'm only interested in the US....i know there must be a way but bother not go into as you'll only tell me off. Anyway Canada sounds like a better option.


Oh, where there's a will there's a way, no doubt. It's just that right now is a particularly bad time to be trying to get into the US unless you have an employer who can transfer you. The standard green card option (getting a parent, child or sibling to sponsor you) is open - but once you have all your papers in place, it can be a LONG wait (measured in terms of years).

If you're absolutely fixated on the US, wait a year or so and see which way things go once there is a new administration in the White House. No guarantees, but it's kind of unlikely it can get much harder to get in. (I know, "famous last words"  )
Cheers,
Bev


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

synthia said:


> Except for Northeren Ireland, citizens of the UK are not eligible for the lottery.


Citizenship has nothing to do with it.


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## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

ChungyUK said:


> Australia? Not interested in Australia in the slightest so why would I wanna go there. I'm only interested in the US....i know there must be a way but bother not go into as you'll only tell me off. Anyway Canada sounds like a better option.


The unfortunate truth is that it's simply really really hard to get into the US. Australia has methods of immigration based on one's own abilities which is why I brought it up (now who's telling who off??? geez)

The sad reality is that America is a pipe dream for most people. It's not impossible, but it's extremely, extremely difficult without specific qualifications (or unless you happen to be born there).

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you would find out sooner or later. If your ultimate goal is truly to live in the US, I would highly recommend getting a PhD (seriously). It just depends on how hard you're willing to work for what you want.


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

ChungyUK - I'm simply pointing out that you are more likely to be able to emigrate to Australia, while your chances of getting into the US are extremely small.


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