# Where to start?



## Steven_1337 (Aug 30, 2015)

Hello everybody,

I was hoping to gain some advice from some of you. I'm 25 years old and have lived in the UK since birth, I have a degree in Computing and my current job allows me to work from home which has been great. 

I have spoken to my employer and he's more than happy for me to move country despite the time changes, it was one of the perks of the job (not looking to change employer). I've tried to do some research into moving to the US and always get stumped at the employee situation, I can find information about being accepted if you have a job offer or if your employer is based in the US however I can't find much information about moving if my employer is based in the UK.

I'm hoping to move this time next year thus giving me time to save and sort out any paperwork, I'm sure it's not an easy process but I'm willing to put the work in. I literally have no knowledge on this subject, I do not know anyone who has moved country and none of my family live abroad so any advice on where to start or what to look out for would be fantastic. 

Would anyone be so kind to share their moving from the UK to US story with me? What to be aware of, the perks and downsides etc. If anyone reading this has been in the same situation as me with experience I would love to hear from you, thank you for taking the time to read. :fingerscrossed:

All the best,
Steven.


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

there is no visa available .. for the purpose you suggest 


Pick a visa 


There are basically NINE ways that you can get a visa to live and work in the US: 

(1) Marriage (or engagement in anticipation of marriage) to a US citizen. 

(2) You have skills that are in short supply in the US e.g. scientific or medical training. A degree is normally a must. Or you have superior specialist skills with at least 12 years experience. (H visas)applications next received on 1st April 2014

(3) You have an Employer who is willing to transfer you - but even the employer has to make a good case for you - so you have to be a manager unless you fall under category (2) above.(L visas)

(4) You may get a Green card in the diversity lottery (UK citizens, except N.Ireland, are not generally eligible unless you, your spouse or parents were born abroad or held a different citizenship.

(5)You own or buy business (does not get you permanent resident status i.e. no green card)You must be a national of a qualifying Treaty countries. The business must have a minimum value of around $150k (more the better) bearing in mind you will need somewhere to live and with any startup business you will need at least 2 years living money as back up. So a figure of $350k would be a nearer minimum (E-2 visas)

(6)You are an "investor" i.e. you have at least US $1m in assets to bring with you. half of that in a few areas. And your background will be investigated to the hilt. (EB-5 visas)

(7)You have a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister and no further) who is an US citizen who would sponsor you, approx time this take 2-12 years?

(8.The R1 visa is available to foreign members of religious denominations, having bona fide non-profit religious organizations in the U.S., for entering the U.S. to carry on the activities of a minister or religious worker as a profession, occupation or vocation

(9)THE UNUSUAL You are in a position to claim refugee status/political asylum. or You get a member of Congress to sponsor a private bill with legislation that applies just to you. 
The S visa issued to persons who assist US law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes and terrorist activities such as money laundering and organized crime


Recruitment agent will not take you seriously if you are not already in the US. Writing for jobs is really a waste of time; likewise US employers have no idea what foreign qualification are or mean (except Degrees) it may pay you to get your qualification translated into a US equivalent, there are Companies that do this (World Education Services - International Credential Evaluation Expertise) .. 
But if you are getting a visa under (2) above then you need a job offer before you can get the visa. Your Employer will be your sponsor this will cost them upward of $5k. So you can see you have to be offering something really special to get considered They may also have to prove to the Dept of labor that there is no American who can do the job if the position is to be permanent ©
DO NOT USE VISA CONSULTANTS


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

In order to move to the US to work you either:

- get transferred from the UK to a sister company in the US. The sister company needs to be a 'part" of the UK operation . Transfer visa is an L1A or B

OR

- obtain a job where the new employer will sponsor you for a work visa. Not easy to do but plenty of people have done it. The employer will usually have to sponsor you for an H1B visa which has a limited number available each year.

Your degree in computing is of great help - you now need to start networking, looking at jobs in trade magazines, even contacting companies directly.

You need the visa before you can move.


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## Steven_1337 (Aug 30, 2015)

Ouch, I thought this may be rather difficult. Thank you for providing this information, it's of great help. 

My current company doesn't have a sister company based in the US  So I guess that rules that out. I have many industry recognised qualifications that would help me in getting a job sponsor however I really don't want to move away from my current job,. At the moment I guess my current job is more important to me than leaving the country (yes, I love my job). I would love to have the best of both worlds and be able to continue with my current career and also move to the US but I see this will be really hard to do as it currently stands. 

My employer did hint at the idea of me opening up another office and expanding to a US market/customer base, but we're a long way off that yet.

*shucks* 

Is there a type of visa that will let me continue to work with my current company for a limited amount of time? If moving permanently isn't an option for me right now, I'd love to visit whilst continuing to work for my company for a lengthy amount of time at least. Thank you for your quick responses, at least I know for the mean time that I have to put my hopes of moving permanently to the US aside.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Generally speaking, you are considered to be working in whatever country you are physically located in while doing the work. Which means that you will definitely be "working in the US" under the situation you describe.

To work in the US requires a work permit, which requires that you have a US employer to sponsor your visa application (basically, by getting work authorization to hire a foreigner). If your current employer has a US branch office and is willing to transfer you to that branch, then that branch office can sponsor your visa application. But otherwise, you don't have any basis on which you could claim a "work visa". Most of the other visa categories specifically prohibit working while living in the US.
Cheers,
Bev


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Steven_1337 said:


> I would love to have the best of both worlds and be able to continue with my current career and also move to the US.


What is 'the best' that the US has to offer you? What makes it that you would like to live there?


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Steven_1337 said:


> Is there a type of visa that will let me continue to work with my current company for a limited amount of time? If moving permanently isn't an option for me right now, I'd love to visit whilst continuing to work for my company for a lengthy amount of time at least. Thank you for your quick responses, at least I know for the mean time that I have to put my hopes of moving permanently to the US aside.



No. No visiting and working.


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## Steven_1337 (Aug 30, 2015)

Many thanks for your help good people.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Another fairly common situation is when your employer is willing to send you to the United States for education or training of some kind. That could be a management program at a business school, an advanced degree, an internship/residency of some kind (e.g. conducted by a U.S. IT company in your field, perhaps to produce a publication or product enhancement for your company's benefit), etc.

Do any of those possibilities apply?

If you fall in love with an American and decide to marry, he or she -- either gender works now, as long as the marriage is genuine -- can sponsor you for immigration to the United States provided he/she (or another qualified sponsor) meet a minimum financial threshold.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

BBCWatcher said:


> Another fairly common situation is when your employer is willing to send you to the United States for education or training of some kind. That could be a management program at a business school, an advanced degree, an internship/residency of some kind (e.g. conducted by a U.S. IT company in your field, perhaps to produce a publication or product enhancement for your company's benefit), etc.
> 
> Do any of those possibilities apply?
> 
> If you fall in love with an American and decide to marry, he or she -- either gender works now, as long as the marriage is genuine -- can sponsor you for immigration to the United States provided he/she (or another qualified sponsor) meet a minimum financial threshold.


OP's objective is to take the current job and work it in the U.S.


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## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

Bevdeforges said:


> Generally speaking, you are considered to be working in whatever country you are physically located in while doing the work.


This may be true in the US but definitely not true everywhere. If the employer is in the UK, payment is being made in the UK and and the work product consumed in the UK, it does not seem to matter where, exactly, the person doing the work happens to be situated. They would be working in the UK. By this definition, someone on vacation in the US that decides to check their email or return a work related phone call could be in violation.

The purpose of being restrictive about issuing work visas would seem to me to be protecting US citizens from having expats come to the US and take US jobs away from citizens. But that is not the case in this situation. The OP already has a job in the UK but it is one he can do from anywhere as long as he has an internet connection.

Now, to get a visa to live permanently in the US he would still need to fit into one of the nine visa categories. But, why could he not come on a 90 day tourist visa and continue to do the same work he has been doing in the UK for years?


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

dwwhiteside said:


> This may be true in the US but definitely not true everywhere. If the employer is in the UK, payment is being made in the UK and and the work product consumed in the UK, it does not seem to matter where, exactly, the person doing the work happens to be situated. They would be working in the UK. By this definition, someone on vacation in the US that decides to check their email or return a work related phone call could be in violation.
> 
> The purpose of being restrictive about issuing work visas would seem to me to be protecting US citizens from having expats come to the US and take US jobs away from citizens. But that is not the case in this situation. The OP already has a job in the UK but it is one he can do from anywhere as long as he has an internet connection.
> 
> Now, to get a visa to live permanently in the US he would still need to fit into one of the nine visa categories. But, why could he not come on a 90 day tourist visa and continue to do the same work he has been doing in the UK for years?


These are your personal opinions. The U.S. sees it as products/services being produced in the U.S. Thus visa required.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

twostep said:


> OP's objective is to take the current job and work it in the U.S.


Yes, and both my suggestions are entirely consistent with that objective, even narrowly drawn -- or at least reasonably could be.

Training, education, internships, and residencies -- one-time and/or recurrent -- are entirely consistent with many jobs, in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. That's _particularly_ true with so-called "knowledge workers," a category the original poster likely falls into because the work is possible from any physical location.

Let's provide all possible options, and those are possible options.


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## Steven_1337 (Aug 30, 2015)

Thank you for all the input so far, I will explore some options and see what's best further down the line.


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