Letter from prospective employer at interview?

[TimHorsburgh 0]

Hi everyone,

I am due to have my K-3 interview in London on November 1st, and firstly, would appreicate it if anyoen could give me some quick tips on what to take with me on the day.

Also, and here's where things get a bit complicated.... i am actually here in the US visiting my wife, and have been since September (having been barely asked any questions at the airport - I got an immigration official who was more concerned with making jokes than asking me about why i was here). During this time, I sent my resume to a prospective employer who has since interviewed me, and decided that he will employ me if my visa application is succesful. Since then, he has been introducing me to people at the production company (he is a film and tv producer), allowing me to sit-in on meetings, and also giving me (unpaid) research work to do - basically an unpaid internship in all but name.

Now, with my interview pending, he has kindly offered to write a letter stating that he woudl like to employ me in the future. However, I am unsure of the legality of what I have been doing, and at this stage I don't want to further jeopardise my application.

So, do people think the letter of recommendation will help or hinder my case? Do you have any suggestions of how it might be best to word it, or has anyone done anything like this before?

Thanks

[Slithytoves 0]

I'm no expert on the interview process, but if your case is straightforward and clean, and since it isn't necessary to provide this sort of information at the interview, I'd skip it.

For the record, though, I used to work in Human Resources at a University and we dealt with this sort of thing regularly. You can legally interview and be offered a job here on a tourist visa, but you cannot perform any work while you're here visiting. If you decide to present a letter, simply state in your visa interview that you had connections and the job interview happened very informally. No need to complicate things by saying you've sat in on any meetings, though actually it isn't illegal as long as you're not getting paid.

Congratulations on your new job! That's a lucky break - and an enviable one.

Alice

Edited October 18, 2006 by Slithytoves

[Yodrak 7]

TimHorsburgh,

See 9 FAM 40.41 9 (Public Charge) Notes, N4.6-2f(1).

Did your future employer really give you unpaid research work to do, or did you start doing some research on your own to prepare yourself to 'hit the ground running'?

Yodrak

Hi everyone,

I am due to have my K-3 interview in London on November 1st, and firstly, would appreicate it if anyoen could give me some quick tips on what to take with me on the day.

Also, and here's where things get a bit complicated.... i am actually here in the US visiting my wife, and have been since September (having been barely asked any questions at the airport - I got an immigration official who was more concerned with making jokes than asking me about why i was here). During this time, I sent my resume to a prospective employer who has since interviewed me, and decided that he will employ me if my visa application is succesful. Since then, he has been introducing me to people at the production company (he is a film and tv producer), allowing me to sit-in on meetings, and also giving me (unpaid) research work to do - basically an unpaid internship in all but name.

Now, with my interview pending, he has kindly offered to write a letter stating that he woudl like to employ me in the future. However, I am unsure of the legality of what I have been doing, and at this stage I don't want to further jeopardise my application.

So, do people think the letter of recommendation will help or hinder my case? Do you have any suggestions of how it might be best to word it, or has anyone done anything like this before?

Thanks

Edited October 18, 2006 by Yodrak

[TimHorsburgh 0]

Yodrak,

How can I access where the law/regulation you quoted?

I don't really know what you mean - are you making a subtle joke/hint? If you are, those things don't translate so well when one is so nervous about flunking the interview!

That definitely would be a good way to word things though....

TimHorsburgh,

See 9 FAM 40.41 9 (Public Charge) Notes, N4.6-2f(1).

Did your future employer really give you unpaid research work to do, or did you start doing some research on your own to prepare yourself to 'hit the ground running'?

Yodrak

[Yodrak 7]

TimHorsburgh,

The Foreign Affairs Manual - FAM - provides guidance to DoS employees on how to interpret and apply the law in the performance of their duties. It can be found via the US Department of State web site, or you can enter the section I reference into the search field on Google.

I see that I threw an extraneous '9' in there, which I've removed in the quote section of this post. It should be 9 FAM 40.41, no '9' following that. I appologize for the error.

Yodrak

Yodrak,

How can I access where the law/regulation you quoted?

.....

TimHorsburgh,

See 9 FAM 40.41 (Public Charge) Notes, N4.6-2f(1).

Did your future employer really give you unpaid research work to do, or did you start doing some research on your own to prepare yourself to 'hit the ground running'?

Yodrak