Experiences of and strategies for finding a visa-sponsoring job

[SimonQ 0]

Hi everyone,

I have some questions regarding your experiences of finding a visa-sponsoring job. I’m currently looking for a job in the Miami area to move together with my girlfriend. I have a business phd and think that I should be qualified for a number of job (though I’m really interested in social media analytics or similar).

My biggest question is related to the timing and the approach of the job search. I know that there is a yearly quota for work visa’s. However, in order to apply for the visa I would need a job offer before that. What are your experiences with this job search? How did you approach it? Are there certain strategies that turnt out to work very well?

I’m happy to hear about tips, anecdotes, useful links, contacts, …. whatever might be useful.

Thanks so much for reading this and for sharing your thoughts!

Simon

[Ontarkie 14,227]

~~Moved to Work Visas, from Finding Work in America ~~

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Quick question, if you were offered a position that would sponsor your work visa, how would your girlfriend come to the US?

Your first step is to apply for jobs that would be willing to sponsor an immigrant. Try the internet, indeed.com, monster.com, careerbuilders

good luck

[SimonQ 0]

@canadian_wife

Thanks for the reply. My girlfriend is a US citizen and already working in Miami. I am already applying for job and will keep doing so. But because of the low response rate I was wondering if I should change strategies and if there is something else I can do to find a job.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Hi everyone,

I have some questions regarding your experiences of finding a visa-sponsoring job. I’m currently looking for a job in the Miami area to move together with my girlfriend. I have a business phd and think that I should be qualified for a number of job (though I’m really interested in social media analytics or similar).

My biggest question is related to the timing and the approach of the job search. I know that there is a yearly quota for work visa’s. However, in order to apply for the visa I would need a job offer before that. What are your experiences with this job search? How did you approach it? Are there certain strategies that turnt out to work very well?

I’m happy to hear about tips, anecdotes, useful links, contacts, …. whatever might be useful.

Thanks so much for reading this and for sharing your thoughts!

Simon

Not to discourage you, but unless you have a very rare set of skills, you are going to have big challenges at best.

In some years the entire quota is spoken for within a few days of the year (the immigration calendar year that is)

Not only that, but also, it would have to be properly demonstrated that no one around here can fill the position -hence the very rare or at least difficult to find skillset

A PhD might make it even more challenging.

Your desire to look into social media analytics might get you that edge: with big data being the current fad around this side of the ocean, there are some demand for data scientists; which could be argued are best fit if a PhD is held by thte candidate.

Now, let's assume you in fact get a job offer, your next challenge is to have the prospective employer wait until your work visa is issued, that can take several weeks/months, though there is an expedite possible --by paying a premium. Not sure how long or whether a company would wait, so we get again to a very rare and hihg demand skillset.

Last but not least, Miami and Florida in general are not the "hottest" area for the kind of post you are looking, unless working remotely is available.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

@canadian_wife

Thanks for the reply. My girlfriend is a US citizen and already working in Miami. I am already applying for job and will keep doing so. But because of the low response rate I was wondering if I should change strategies and if there is something else I can do to find a job.

This changes things. But still the low response is because FLorida is not the area you want to be.

You want to look in the West coast (CA and perhaps Oregon Portland areas) and some of the East coast (like DC and Mass)

[2ndMessiah 184]

How serious is the relationship with your girlfriend?

It is serious enough for her to become your wife?

[SimonQ 0]

Thanks for all the answers already.

@Gosia & Tito I already got the impression that Florida might not be the easiest location; there is however little flexibility there for at least a couple years.

@2ndMessiah That would make things easier. ideally we would wait a little though, and first have the chance to live together for a while.

[Wakow 1]

Shucks thems big words. Though on a serious note, have your girlfriend/fiance more properly at this point, go to a local Job and Family service center with a resume and they can help her submit your application to many local companies that might be in your market of jobs. It is a free service as well at these centers because they are designed to get people working. If they do not have a job posted they can help her find you a job much easier with some better resources they have available. Granted I cannot promise these are experts, but it will get you moving in a better direction.

[2ndMessiah 184]

Is Belgium part of the visa waiver program? Would 3 months be long enough of living together?

[kehills 217]

AFAIK, Belgium is part of the VWP.

OP: are you so far out of school that a postdoc is not applicable? That, or a professorship if you teach, will likely be your best option, and the academic hiring season is starting to get in swing (for a fall 2015 start).

[Boiler 45,525]

Any chance of your Employer transferring you?

[SimonQ 0]

Thanks for all the replies.

@Wakow: Thanks for the excellent idea. I will definitely try this route.

@2ndMessiah: It is, and it's definitely a way of being there for some longer periods of time. Nevertheless, at this point I prefer (if I have a choice) a job-sponsored visa and try to avoid the pressure of a visa-marriage.

@kehills: This is definitely an are

@kehills: This is definitely an area I'm looking into. The market is competitive though and I want to look into all options available :-)

&Boiler: Another interesting idea. So far, my employer (the university) will only transfer me for 3 months a time. I am looking for something more definite in the near future :-)

@kehills: This is definitely an area I'm looking into. The market is competitive though and I want to look into all options available :-)

&Boiler: Another interesting idea. So far, my employer (the university) will only transfer me for 3 months a time. I am looking for something more definite in the near future :-)

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Why wouldn't we help? OP sounds like a hard working man with a specialized skill set. It sounds like exactly what America needs.

Good luck

[angelboo31 5]

@RhettVoe: OP has a PhD. He is highly qualified and can legally work in the US by following the appropriate channels, which he is. I'm not sure how he is taking away a job from a non-American without a PhD. Anyway, America is a capitalist country - if one doesn't have the qualifications and wants the job, go and get qualified.

@OP: An academic institution would be one of the best bets for obtaining a visa-sponsored job. In academia, there is no cap for H1B visas and no deadline to apply - the institution can apply for you anytime during the year.

If you choose to go and work in industry, the H1Bs have a cap of 85,000 for applicants with graduate degrees which, in the past 2 years, have been filled in the first 5 days. USCIS then does a lottery to determine which applications to accept (hope you're lucky). Additionally, the visa application has to be filed on or after April 1st and if approved, you would only be able to work beginning October 1st (assuming you are not already on OPT at the time).