Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

F1 visa and spouse

  • 06-07-2015 9:47pm
    #1
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,661 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Hey there,

    I'm considering applying to a couple of PhD programs in the US for 2016. I understand that I'd need an F1 visa, which is grand. But my question is, can my husband work freely in the States on my visa, or would he need a H-1B visa of his own? Thanks!


Comments

  • #2
    iusedtoknow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭iusedtoknow


    Faith wrote: »
    Hey there,

    I'm considering applying to a couple of PhD programs in the US for 2016. I understand that I'd need an F1 visa, which is grand. But my question is, can my husband work freely in the States on my visa, or would he need a H-1B visa of his own? Thanks!

    Afraid so...He would be on the F2, which is a dependent visa that doesn't allow the person to work.

    The H1-B would need to be sponsored by an employer in the US - he can't apply by himself.


  • #3
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,661 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    iusedtoknow wrote: »
    Afraid so...He would be on the F2, which is a dependent visa that doesn't allow the person to work.

    The H1-B would need to be sponsored by an employer in the US - he can't apply by himself.

    Thanks a million for that. Not the answer I was hoping for, but good to know :(


  • #4
    iusedtoknow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭iusedtoknow


    Faith wrote: »
    Thanks a million for that. Not the answer I was hoping for, but good to know :(

    If he works for a company that has a US office he could also look into the L1 visa - it is an inter-company transfer. The downside is he would need to move to the office location (you can't be a remote worker on this visa)


  • #5
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,661 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    Sadly, he doesn't work in an industry that lends itself to inter-company transfers and the like. A H-1B would be very difficult also, as most employers in his field are small companies and most people just go self-employed. Seems that's that idea out the window!

    Thanks iusedtoknow :)


  • #6
    biddywiddy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 440 ✭✭biddywiddy


    Just a +1 on the H-1B visa. It can be challenging enough to get a company to sponsor you, but even then there's no guarantee.

    There is an annual cap of 85000 H-1B visas for for-profit sponsors, which is split: 20k for people with a Master's or higher from a US institution, and 60k for everyone else (including the Master's people who didn't get selected for the 20k). There's no annual cap for non-profit sponsors, such as universities. In 2015, there were over 230,000 applications for those 85000 visas, so it went to a lottery. Luckily my application was selected (can't believe my luck - I never win anything!), but lots were left disappointed.

    The US is a difficult place to move to and to stay in. I moved here on a J visa, which is now hard to renew since I got married, so I need the H visa to stay here.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement