Have ya'll told your boss about your US immigration??

[dukeandduchess 141]

I worked at the same company for 4 years. Despite being horrible & dysfunctional, I gave them like 10 months notice. I told them we were applying before we sent in the application. When it came down to actually leaving it was kind of up in the air (husband didn't have a FT job until right before I left) so they were constantly asking me. I ended up giving 3 weeks notice. I felt kind of obligated to give more notice because I was a manager.

[canada_socks 97]

My employer knew just after I applied for my K1. I was very close to my store owner/operator and could tell them anything. I was also an assistant manager so I wasn't worried about my hours getting cut. My employer was very supportive of me and just asked what the process was like and what we had to do and asked if there was anything they could do to help etc.

I had a hard time telling my manager though (the restaurant manager, who worked just above me). Her and I were super close as managers and became friends outside of work as well. I had a hard time telling her and put it off for as long as I could. I finally had to tell her when I got my interview date because I needed the time off to go to Montreal. I also had to tell her about my upcoming surgery (a month after my interview), so I started with that lol! It was really hard. She was not surprised though, and was also very supportive and happy for me. She was sad about me leaving because we worked so well together (both total opposite management types, but it worked for us). I told her in April of 2011, took 6 weeks off in June/July for surgery (but came in once a week to do scheduling and other office work to help out), came back for August and worked until Labour Day. I moved at the end of September, so she had 5 months notice.

My employers were super awesome and supportive about the whole thing. I am more than grateful for that!

[zentaco 28]

My boss has known my intent since I started working there last year as an external contractor, but I had assumed it was going to be a temporary job (things happened and now I'm in office as a temporary full-time worker, would have been hired if not for the overhanging "leaving the country" thing). Not all employers will get upset but it probably depends on the type of people you're working for. I might actually keep working for them from the states if I can, lol.

[girlwithquestions 2]

My boss told me on Friday that he's going to expand his company to the States and wants me to be a part of his project. He asked me if I will bail...I said no...:*( ...what should I do...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

My boss told me on Friday that he's going to expand his company to the States and wants me to be a part of his project. He asked me if I will bail...I said no...:*( ...what should I do...

I don't know if we have enough information to give you some good advice. Does your boss know about your intended move to the US or not? Is he advising you that the company is expanding into the US because he knows you are moving there and perhaps hopes you will continue to work for him after their expansion? Is he asking you to help with the planned expansion because he knows you are moving to the US? Are you planning on bailing even if he wants you to work in the US?

If he doesn't know your plans that you will be moving to the US and he is expecting you to remain in Canada and help him deal with the expansion (it seems he has need for your involvement) then I think you do owe it to him to explain your circumstances. If his expansion is dependent upon you being in your position in Canada, your 'bailing' could end up causing him a great deal of financial hardship and perhaps compromise his business.

If you wish to help him after he expands to the US, then you need to let him know what your ability to work in the US will be - that you won't be able to work until after you have work authorization - and give him some time frame. If you don't intend to continue to work for him at all,then you do need to let him know. Leaving him in the lurch will definitely burn some bridges that you may later find you want or need to use.

You may find out that the expansion will open doors for you in getting a job in the US - but if you plan to leave your employer and he is depending upon you to stay enough to ask you if you are staying, then you need to be honest with him so he can plan accordingly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To answer the general question, should you or should you not tell your employer, I think a lot of it depends on your circumstances and your employer. You should plan on giving sufficient notice to allow him/her to replace you and make your own plans accordingly. That is the responsible approach. Whether you tell him or her before you know when you are leaving, again, that depends on your relationship with your employer and the type of work you provide.

I did tell my employer when we filed the initial petition and also let him know that I did not have a time line but would give him sufficient notice when I did so that he could advertise, hire and train a replacement. He was very supportive, although both he and his wife let me know that they would rather I remained in Canada and continued to work for him, and when I had my interview and knew I got the visa I gave him 6 weeks confirmed notice. I had let him know that the interview was coming so that the day I got my visa he was able to advertise and start accepting applications for my replacement. I ended up with a 2 week training overlap with the woman who took over for me and I remained accessible by email and by phone if there were any issues that came up after I left. They ended up having a very nice going away party for me and my employer and his wife have both visited me here in the US several times when in the area or passing through. I have a standing invitation to visit them and stay with them whenever I return to Canada.

If I had done anything less, I know he would have felt betrayed and I would have felt like I had treated him very poorly indeed. My own integrity required me to be forthright and I have never regretted it.

Edited July 28, 2012 by Kathryn41

[lilacvioletiris 11]

My DH had been talking about his impending marriage to me, a U.S. citizen, but he had left the "where are you living" up in the air until after he had his approved visa. He told his boss that he would be leaving 7 weeks later to join me in the U.S. He figured he didn't want to burn a bridge at his job, if for some reason, he had been denied at his interview. We were approved for our K-1 visa, then he gave notice.

[girlwithquestions 2]

I don't know if we have enough information to give you some good advice. Does your boss know about your intended move to the US or not? Is he advising you that the company is expanding into the US because he knows you are moving there and perhaps hopes you will continue to work for him after their expansion? Is he asking you to help with the planned expansion because he knows you are moving to the US? Are you planning on bailing even if he wants you to work in the US?

If he doesn't know your plans that you will be moving to the US and he is expecting you to remain in Canada and help him deal with the expansion (it seems he has need for your involvement) then I think you do owe it to him to explain your circumstances. If his expansion is dependent upon you being in your position in Canada, your 'bailing' could end up causing him a great deal of financial hardship and perhaps compromise his business.

If you wish to help him after he expands to the US, then you need to let him know what your ability to work in the US will be - that you won't be able to work until after you have work authorization - and give him some time frame. If you don't intend to continue to work for him at all,then you do need to let him know. Leaving him in the lurch will definitely burn some bridges that you may later find you want or need to use.

You may find out that the expansion will open doors for you in getting a job in the US - but if you plan to leave your employer and he is depending upon you to stay enough to ask you if you are staying, then you need to be honest with him so he can plan accordingly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To answer the general question, should you or should you not tell your employer, I think a lot of it depends on your circumstances and your employer. You should plan on giving sufficient notice to allow him/her to replace you and make your own plans accordingly. That is the responsible approach. Whether you tell him or her before you know when you are leaving, again, that depends on your relationship with your employer and the type of work you provide.

I did tell my employer when we filed the initial petition and also let him know that I did not have a time line but would give him sufficient notice when I did so that he could advertise, hire and train a replacement. He was very supportive, although both he and his wife let me know that they would rather I remained in Canada and continued to work for him, and when I had my interview and knew I got the visa I gave him 6 weeks confirmed notice. I had let him know that the interview was coming so that the day I got my visa he was able to advertise and start accepting applications for my replacement. I ended up with a 2 week training overlap with the woman who took over for me and I remained accessible by email and by phone if there were any issues that came up after I left. They ended up having a very nice going away party for me and my employer and his wife have both visited me here in the US several times when in the area or passing through. I have a standing invitation to visit them and stay with them whenever I return to Canada.

If I had done anything less, I know he would have felt betrayed and I would have felt like I had treated him very poorly indeed. My own integrity required me to be forthright and I have never regretted it.

[/quote

I did not plan to move to the U.S immediately like within a month. I will let them know about that if my visa gets approved and they will have sufficient time to get another one to replace me. My concern is that how will they treat me at work after knowing I am going to leave. As far as I know about my boss, he is really harsh on his employers and "verbally abusive" and another guy I would just name him "shorty", he is really my boss's lapdog...

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I think it depends on the job, I worked in IT in an office setting and people coming and going is not common. I personally told everyone about my little immigration adventure including my boss who was/is beyond just an acquaintance. We talked at one point about me telecommuting although I ended up not doing that in the end.

I had no worries about my boss trying to lay me off or anything...my team was pretty tight knit and keeping secrets wasn't our thing since we'd known each other for so long. She knew tentatively that I would be coming in with my notice providing I was approved at my interview. We started to transition my workload and knowledge once I had an actual interview date because even if I'd had an RFE, it would have been a limited time she had left with me.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

My boss told me on Friday that he's going to expand his company to the States and wants me to be a part of his project. He asked me if I will bail...I said no...:*( ...what should I do...

You seem very conflicted here - as Flames said, look after #1 (aka yourself). If you feel the need to be agreeable in order to get along the last little while, then do so. You don't owe anyone anything and considering that you've mentioned he is verbally abusive, why would you want to continue working for him anyway? Just saying.

If he expands into the US and has a US subsidiary, you cannot work for him right away as a US employer anyway since you will not have US work authorization.

[girlwithquestions 2]

Well, I don't necessarily have to work but time passes faster while working instead of sitting at home and waiting for Canada post to delivery my next packet...

[KTandTommy 31]

At my previous job, I worked for a bunch of nepotistic, self-righteous a-holes, though they didn't seem that way at first. Anyway, they all knew about the process and that I had applied (at the time, Tom - my fiance, was living up here with me, and they even met him). Well, it was all well and good, until they denied me a promotion that I was entitled to because (and I quote) my "priority is the wedding and moving to Florida" ... I called discrimination on them and quit. (It wasn't really a question of a long-term commitment, btw, because I work in Television on contract, and the contracts are short-term)

So now I'm at a new job (that runs from June - October) - I told the producer about the visa from when I had my very first interview for the job, and she hired me anyway (she is someone I worked with before, and had on my facebook, so she knew I was doing this anyway LOL). It's working out fine this time around - probably because she is sane, unlike my previous employers.

[canada_socks 97]

At my previous job, I worked for a bunch of nepotistic, self-righteous a-holes, though they didn't seem that way at first. Anyway, they all knew about the process and that I had applied (at the time, Tom - my fiance, was living up here with me, and they even met him). Well, it was all well and good, until they denied me a promotion that I was entitled to because (and I quote) my "priority is the wedding and moving to Florida" ... I called discrimination on them and quit. (It wasn't really a question of a long-term commitment, btw, because I work in Television on contract, and the contracts are short-term)

WOW! That sucks. My store owner/operator basically knew once we got engaged. They still gave me a promotion and sent me to the next level of management training course. They knew I wasn't leaving right away and they wanted me to be the best I could be while I was there, and to give me a head start in my new life.

[dukeandduchess 141]

Haha - I have a similar story. I asked for a raise because I made the store I ran kick #### (after taking over from a horrible manager) and they literally laughed in my face. "You're not planning to stay." they said in February (right after I applied) even though I promised to stay for the entire YEAR. Oh, and I had worked there for almost 4 years with no raise (except for my promotion). I was told to sell more so I made more money. Then again, they still pay part-time employees 7.00$/hr despite the minimum wage being $9.50 (when I moved) because "they make commission" (although none of my staff ever made close to 9.50$ an hr including their commission except at Christmas).

So glad I'm out of that place.

[KTandTommy 31]

Well, at least I don't feel so badly about my crappy old job now! (No, that's not true, I still have a very sour taste in my mouth from that experience LOL) I'm sorry that you guys got ####ed around too