Progressing from j2 to any work visa

[Sigf 0]

I am currently on a j2 that runs out in December. I have a work authorization card that runs out in November. I've just been offered a job with a company in tucson and would like to stay. Can anyone give me an overview of my options, costs, etc? I'd like to stay in the us permanently but I'm not sure this company would be willing to do the leg work of sponsoring me. That's not to say they wouldnt sign the right forms but I'd have to pay for it myself.

At advice would me a massive help as I'm flying blind right now....

[Boiler 45,318]

Work Visa would be handled by the Employers Lawyer.

So the first thing the Company that offered you a job would be would be to discuss the situation and options with their Lawyer.

Most of the costs are required to be paid for by the Employer.

Did you mean J1 not J2?

[aaron2020 11,651]

What kind of job is it?

For a foreigner to get a US job, the employer must get a US Dept. of Labor certification that no US person could be found to fill the position (ie favor your citizens for jobs before allowing the employer to bring in foreign labor).

The cost is $5000. The employer bears the cost. If you are paying $5000 for a job, it would look suspicious.

[martin gerv 0]

I agree that the employer has to carry the burden of the visa by law. Note that they may want to trick you to take on the prevailing wage rather than a comparable salary in that city for that job title to exploit your needs (maybe). to check real H salaries and not prevailing wage, go to http://www.thesalarypeople.com they list every approved H salary from 2008 to know, and you should be in the mean or median of their data to have a good job offer. Look up your firm there (just enter the name and leave job and city blank). If it doesnt show up they NEVER sponsored a visa before and are likely to not know what they are doing. If they did you see their data there, what they sponsored and for how much...

Note, the moment you switch your visa category you CANNOT go to Mexico or Canada to renew your visa stamp. You have to go back to your native country wherever that is. That is THE thing that screwed me up switching from J to H, and I almost went to Matamoros, MX to renew the visa stamp likely to have been stranded there. People *may* tell you it is OK but would you take the chance? By law it is not allowed to renew outside your home country if you switch visa categories, so just remember this!