Can multiple companies sponsor one person? (H1B)

[Coraliine 1]

My bf is Dutch and I'm American and we're looking to move to the US. He's a Sr. Sys Admin with over 10 years of experience and a degree (not a university degree, but some sort of Dutch specialty school you go to after high school graduation.. I believe it's considered the same as a BA). We're looking at places to move in the US because my career options are limited (yay video games!).

I was wondering if it's possible to have multiple companies put in bids for a single person for an H1B. We have two options to live in.. New York City and Austin, Texas - because they both have a lot of industry for us. Is it possible for him to have companies in both locations try to get him an H1B or do we have to decide on a single company to petition for him?

[Ortolan 381]

Probably be a good idea if he actually had a job offer first? That will help you pick.

[Coraliine 1]

Well he's talking to (read: interviewing with) a few companies already. But if we have to choose just one company we need to rule out one of the cities. So still.. need to know if it's possible.

[milimelo 4,478]

H1B visa numbers are snapped up in days when the submission opens in April each year. Even then, the earliest he could come to the US would be October 2015.

Have you considered a much easier step in the form of either K-1 visa or getting married and filing for spousal visa - CR-1?

[Coraliine 1]

H1B visa numbers are snapped up in days when the submission opens in April each year. Even then, the earliest he could come to the US would be October 2015.

Have you considered a much easier step in the form of either K-1 visa or getting married and filing for spousal visa - CR-1?

Yeah, we have considered it, but the H1B would get us to the US faster and since I have to start paying off student loans in August, we need faster. A marriage visa would take about a year to process.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Yeah, we have considered it, but the H1B would get us to the US faster and since I have to start paying off student loans in August, we need faster. A marriage visa would take about a year to process.

You want faster, not need. Insure everyone here feels that they need their SO here faster. My advice would be get the job offer first, then worry about which city to live.

[Coraliine 1]

How can we worry about a job offer first without worrying about which city? Most companies are located in one area.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

You can't get the h1b without a legit job offer. By all means do the interview process. It'll be just under a year before he gets to you anyway as he will be there October 2015

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Ok so your BF gets two companies willing to sponsor him. Company A and Company B. Both submit a petition for an H1B visa.

Both come through (YAY)

He accepts company A. How is company B going to react after they spent thousands of dollars on his visa sponsorship only to have him decline the job when its done?

Good luck

[Boiler 45,500]

Much easier quicker etc to get a transfer with his existing employer.

[milimelo 4,478]

Yeah, we have considered it, but the H1B would get us to the US faster and since I have to start paying off student loans in August, we need faster. A marriage visa would take about a year to process.

Let's be realistic - H1B even if filed on time in April is not a guaranteed thing. You can have a perfect application with a perfect employer and not get that 1 of 65000 numbers.

By now you could've gotten married and submitted your petition and be in line for processing - by April mostly at the finish time with at least USCIS and then you can move to the US ahead of spouse to start working and paying off student loans.

Or, you can apply for fiance visa, those are going fairly fast these days...

[Coraliine 1]

@Canadian_Wife:

Well, I don't really know, nor is that entirely my problem. I just wanted to know if it was a possibility and if it was sometimes done. Because there are situations where it isn't possible to enter things twice (Diversity Visa, for instance). I hadn't read it anywhere, but I couldn't find anyone saying that it was allowed, either. I wasn't sure if there was a way for the costs for one person to be split by multiple companies, or anything like that.

@Boiler:

From what I've read to get a transfer you need to be with your employer for a minimum of one year. That's not really a possibility for us, at the moment.

@Milimelo:

Getting married right now is absolutely not an option. I receive loans from the government in the US for school and until I graduate in February I cannot get married. It's also not an option because I would need my parents to co-sponsor the visa (since I have not lived in the US for over three years now), and they wouldn't be willing to do that if we got married. They're a bit old school and my father is a politician in our area. It would ruin his career (which is just starting to really pick up) if it came out that his daughter married a foreigner so he could get a visa (even if we have been in a relationship for two years already), and that my dad co-sponsored the entire process.

And we're not ready to get married. And before anyone says, "I don't understand why people say they want to wait to get married": that's fine. You may not understand. But, unlike you, I view marriage as a serious thing and want to be absolutely 100% sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with someone. While I do very much love my boyfriend and am quite sure that I do want this, I'm not emotionally or financially ready to make that leap.

Fiance visa is also not an option because I cannot support him for however long it will take to get a visa that allows him to become employed. I cannot live with any friends or family for reduced rent. My family is located in New York and I'm most likely going to be across country for my job (I work in video games and the two major areas are Southern California and Austin, Texas). I'm going into an entry level position with nearly $100,000 in student loans I have to start paying off in August. Fully supporting someone who won't have health insurance (can't be covered by me since we wouldn't be married) isn't really a viable option for an entry level position in the gaming industry (or any industry that I can enter with my degree).

I know nothing is guaranteed with any visa. We're weighing all of our options at the moment and trying to decide what is best for us. The H1B visa is, theoretically, the best option - if he can get a company to sponsor him and he gets lucky enough to get a visa. He's already applied for the Diversity Lottery for the next year, though we know how long and difficult that process is, as a precaution. We haven't ruled out getting married, but it's our last resort because I do not think I can get anyone to co-sponsor a visa for him.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Coraliine

[Boiler 45,500]

It is very unusual but I have come across someone who had 2 H1bs at the same time.

I have never heard of someone being petitioned by 2 companies at the same time but if he is that good I do not see why not.

Could also look at an O1.

Anyway the sort of thing he should be discussing in interviews.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Boiler

[Elizabeth+Fred 35]

Although it is *possible* to have more than one H1B application pending, it is highly unlikely to happen.

Why?

Well, cost, mostly. H1B's are sponsored by the future employer. So, you interview for a position, and

then, once you get the job, they start on the paperwork for the H1B. That will cost them quite a bit of

money right off, a fair bit of time, and, as others have already pointed out, there is no guarantee they

will be awarded an H1B visa number from the available pool, as these go *fast* once the ball starts

running end of April. Many employers don't want to deal with that 'stuff', and so either won't hire your

fiance, or he gets a (firm) job offer but with the clause that he will have to handle the immigrations

procedure himself. Which is very difficult without a sponsor.

So, although this IS possible (thousands of H1B's each year, soo..) it's not an easy thing to get done,

let alone finding TWO companies willing to do that for him. As someone already stated, even IF you'd

get one or two such companies, they could file no sooner than Mar/April, and then things get rolling at

the end of October next year.

Personally, I think your shortest route would be a K-1 fiance visa to allow him to get there fast and then

take it from there, but you already explained how this would cause too many problems for now. That

kinda leaves us with no other (real) options, I'm afraid...

He can contact me if he wants to- I am an ICT specialist as well (network design engineer), and may

have some pointers for him...

Good luck!