Getting sponsored for a work permit

popecatapetal

I've started looking at moving to America to live close to some very good friends, and am somewhat stuck.

I've been trying to work out how to get a H1B visa, but I can't imagine a scenario where an American employer who was trying to fill a position would be willing to wait 6 months for the paperwork to go through.

If one is in Ireland, and not eligible to go over on a J1 visa to find work, how does one convince employers to consider them? Are American employers willing to conduct interviews by phone/Skype?

I'm hoping I've missed something very obvious, because the way I am imagining it to work at the moment does not seem particularly plausible.

silja

If you have rare qualifications or experience then yes, they can do a Skype interview and then fly you over for a second, in-person interview (you can interview and do general business meetings on the visa waiver, but not start work), and then they will wait. Bigger employers who regularly take on foreign workers are used to the H1B cycle..

popecatapetal

silja wrote: »

Bigger employers who regularly take on foreign workers are used to the H1B cycle..

Would smaller local businesses ever be in a position to do the same thing? Or would it just be the big multi-nationals? As in, would there be any point replying to job ads in the area I'm hoping to move to?

I'm a science graduate without much experience in my field, and I've only really worked in call centres over here - not exactly a hugely under-staffed area in the States, I'm guessing - so it's unlikely that I'll be in enough demand for anyone to go to any great lengths to hire me.

Should I just put it out of my mind as an unrealistic dream?

ProudDUB

popecatapetal wrote: »

Would smaller local businesses ever be in a position to do the same thing? Or would it just be the big multi-nationals?

That's a bit like asking how long is a piece of string really. The visa sponsorship process can be a long, costly & complicated one. The larger multinationals would have the legal departments and very deep pockets that are needed to absorb the costs and effort required to complete it. Smaller, local businesses would tend not to. That is not to say that it never, ever happens. If you had a very unique and specialized skill that is in high demand and short supply in the US, all kinds of companies would be willing to do whatever it takes to get you over there. But if you don't, finding a company to sponsor you for a visa is always going to be a very long shot.

Unfortunately you are not missing anything obvious. Short of winning a green card in the diversity lottery, getting a long term work visa to the US is next to impossible. Unless you can get your employer to do it for you, or you are closely related/married/engaged to a US citizen, there is not a whole lot else that you can do really.

InTheTrees

popecatapetal wrote: »

Would smaller local businesses ever be in a position to do the same thing? Or would it just be the big multi-nationals? As in, would there be any point replying to job ads in the area I'm hoping to move to?

I have no experience but my guess would be that any company big enough to have a legal department would be a good guide. That doesn't necessarily mean they're "multi-nationals".

As stated above its going to take them some time and resources to do the paperwork so you'd have to be really worth it to them.

iusedtoknow

popecatapetal wrote: »

Would smaller local businesses ever be in a position to do the same thing? Or would it just be the big multi-nationals? As in, would there be any point replying to job ads in the area I'm hoping to move to?

I'm a science graduate without much experience in my field, and I've only really worked in call centres over here - not exactly a hugely under-staffed area in the States, I'm guessing - so it's unlikely that I'll be in enough demand for anyone to go to any great lengths to hire me.

Should I just put it out of my mind as an unrealistic dream?

I am over here on L1-a. I worked with the European part of the company for 2 years, with 6 years experience before that in total in a pretty specialized field in IT working with multinationals. .

I interviewed for an internal job in June 2012.
I got the job, and started working with the lawyers in middle July, cleared for application to the embassy in mid-august, Interview and approval September 1st, entered the country on September 26th.

I saw the bill, between application fees and legal costs, it came in around 9000 USD.

Are you a PHD? In research? I know that my company is crying out for post-docs, and they are pretty much willing to move heaven and earth to get them here and working on the 25 drugs they have in the pipeline. I had a look on my companies careers portal, there are currently 250 positions for post-docs. I personally know 4 that moved over from the UK in the last 3 months.

To be honest, I think your best bet is to think of this as the long term, try and get into your industry in Europe with a multinational (think outside of Ireland) and work on building experience, and go for a job that has the prospect of transferring. Also, particularly in science, PHD's will make you pretty much a shoein for international work, especially in the states.

323

popecatapetal wrote: »

I've started looking at moving to America to live close to some very good friends, and am somewhat stuck.

I've been trying to work out how to get a H1B visa, but I can't imagine a scenario where an American employer who was trying to fill a position would be willing to wait 6 months for the paperwork to go through.

Realistically would be much longer than 6 months.
Had a few H1B's in the past, used to take about 2 months. But the obama administration slashed the quota so the available number is used up very quickly nowadays. You must wait till next April to apply, for issue around October, if successful. Many people I know in industry over there vary pissed about it as cannot get personnel so strange as may seem many are prepared to wait as they cannot get qualified/experienced engineering and technical personnel over there.

iusedtoknow wrote: »

I am over here on L1-a. I worked with the European part of the company for 2 years, with 6 years experience before that in total in a pretty specialized field in IT working with multinationals. .

I interviewed for an internal job in June 2012.
I got the job, and started working with the lawyers in middle July, cleared for application to the embassy in mid-august, Interview and approval September 1st, entered the country on September 26th.

I saw the bill, between application fees and legal costs, it came in around 9000 USD.

Are you a PHD? In research? I know that my company is crying out for post-docs, and they are pretty much willing to move heaven and earth to get them here and working on the 25 drugs they have in the pipeline. I had a look on my companies careers portal, there are currently 250 positions for post-docs. I personally know 4 that moved over from the UK in the last 3 months.

To be honest, I think your best bet is to think of this as the long term, try and get into your industry in Europe with a multinational (think outside of Ireland) and work on building experience, and go for a job that has the prospect of transferring. Also, particularly in science, PHD's will make you pretty much a shoein for international work, especially in the states.

Fully agree with above, good advice.
May/May not be applicable but was not aware until recently that time worked for a American company as a contractor/consultant also qualifies towards time with that company for an L1 application.

popecatapetal wrote: »

Should I just put it out of my mind as an unrealistic dream?

No.

With the present shakeup of immigration laws taking place over there at the moment, possibility of the E3 or something very like it for Ireland is looking promising.

duck_77

Obama has not changed the H1B cap - it has been 65,000 since 2004 (temp lift from 2000-2004).

It would actually be increased in the new immigration bill (in its current form) but the DV lottery would be removed.

The E3 is a big change for Ireland as the provisions are different than the one available to Australian citizens.

InTheTrees

duck_77 wrote: »

but the DV lottery would be removed.

:eek:

That doesn't sound like a good thing does it?

iusedtoknow

InTheTrees wrote: »

:eek:

That doesn't sound like a good thing does it?

Not really, but from what I have read the thinking is that it doesn't actually benefit the economy in any way as the majority of people that win the lottery come in and do relatively low level jobs.

The long term benefits of the lottery seem to be lost on congress. The new immigration bill is trying to make policy more economically driven than anything else.