EAD: Some specific employment questions

[SandyKay 5]

Hi VJers!

I'm at the fun stage of waiting for my EAD, and based on current timelines am looking to have it a good chunk before the end of the year. To that end, given my field (software engineering) I'm looking to start applying to positions with a start date of "sometime in January". Employment in the US is a little different to what I'm used to (from the UK), and there's some bits I'd love clarification of. I appreciate that much of this can be Googled, but the information is almost never in the context of an EAD. Insight into any of these points is much appreciated, even if you don't have something for all of them.

• Any former UK-residents with insight into particular pitfalls or surprising differences when it comes to the US employment malarkey?
• W2: what is this? How does it relate to 1099? Are there any caveats with EADs and either of these?
• Should I go in stating that I'm waiting on an EAD, or just not mention it as I believe there are no limitations for it and they should not discriminate anyway?
• For any other software engineers or similar out there, what would you call a "standard" package for someone with a few (3-4ish) years of professional experience? If it matters, I'm in the Jacksonville FL area, so not one of those fancy hotspots but still a decent technology scene.
  • Obviously health insurance is something way more important than I'm used to, is it fairly standard as a job perk (discounted, not fully paid, I would imagine) for software engineers? Is it something that typically becomes available as soon as you start working, or do they require X months of work first?
  • What would you consider a normal salary range for this sort of field? Keep in mind that I have no prior experience with American salary ranges or job descriptions, so while vague is there a ballpark figure? It's an inevitable question at interviews, and I want to make sure I'm on the same page (or at least same chapter!) as the employers.
  • What would you consider a standard amount annual leave (days off per year)? What would you consider "good" annual leave?
• Is the whole recruitment thing over here regarding "X years of experience with Y" similar to the UK, in that you can get away with a bit less rather than it being a hard requirement? Silly question, probably, but I just want to make sure that I'm not wasting my time or theirs.

Sorry for the somewhat eclectic mix of questions, but they're the ones I'm having issues with right now.

Thanks!

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

Hi VJers!

I'm at the fun stage of waiting for my EAD, and based on current timelines am looking to have it a good chunk before the end of the year. To that end, given my field (software engineering) I'm looking to start applying to positions with a start date of "sometime in January". Employment in the US is a little different to what I'm used to (from the UK), and there's some bits I'd love clarification of. I appreciate that much of this can be Googled, but the information is almost never in the context of an EAD. Insight into any of these points is much appreciated, even if you don't have something for all of them.

• Any former UK-residents with insight into particular pitfalls or surprising differences when it comes to the US employment malarkey?
• W2: what is this? How does it relate to 1099? Are there any caveats with EADs and either of these? W2 is what the company will provide to you at the end of the year for filing taxes. It will include annual net/gross salary, wages, taxes paid(federal and state if you have state tax), as well as like social security and medicare payments.
• Should I go in stating that I'm waiting on an EAD, or just not mention it as I believe there are no limitations for it and they should not discriminate anyway? Would assume you don't need to mention it at least until say an interview or if they ask why you can't start until "sometime in January".
• For any other software engineers or similar out there, what would you call a "standard" package for someone with a few (3-4ish) years of professional experience? If it matters, I'm in the Jacksonville FL area, so not one of those fancy hotspots but still a decent technology scene.
  • Obviously health insurance is something way more important than I'm used to, is it fairly standard as a job perk (discounted, not fully paid, I would imagine) for software engineers? Is it something that typically becomes available as soon as you start working, or do they require X months of work first? Depends on the company. If they do offer health insurance, some may allow you to start right away but I think most require 90 days employment first to make sure you will work out at the company before they start paying into it with you. Same goes for your 401K(retirement fund) usually. Check to see also with the 401K is you company will match a certain percentage a month, a lot will match up to 2-3%.
  • What would you consider a normal salary range for this sort of field? Keep in mind that I have no prior experience with American salary ranges or job descriptions, so while vague is there a ballpark figure? It's an inevitable question at interviews, and I want to make sure I'm on the same page (or at least same chapter!) as the employers.
  • What would you consider a standard amount annual leave (days off per year)? What would you consider "good" annual leave? This always varies by company. Usually you would start with say 2 weeks a year vacation(paid or unpaid depending on the company). Then after 3-5 years maybe it will increase to 3 weeks a year. Again all very company specific.
• Is the whole recruitment thing over here regarding "X years of experience with Y" similar to the UK, in that you can get away with a bit less rather than it being a hard requirement? Silly question, probably, but I just want to make sure that I'm not wasting my time or theirs.

Sorry for the somewhat eclectic mix of questions, but they're the ones I'm having issues with right now.

Thanks!

Hope some others can give you better specifics for your area of work and even the local market in your area. Good luck in your job hunting!

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

Obviously health insurance is something way more important than I'm used to, is it fairly standard as a job perk (discounted, not fully paid, I would imagine) for software engineers? Is it something that typically becomes available as soon as you start working, or do they require X months of work first?

I work in the technology field, but not as a software engineer. The answers given by Ben&Zian are pretty good. I will add one thing about your questions on health insurance through a tech organization. The amount that the organization will pay for your health insurance will vary widely. Some major high tech companies might pay your entire premium, or charge some nominal amount like $10/paycheck, that is, if they're insuring only you. If you're also including your spouse and/or children, then it gets a bit pricier.

However, other tech organizations will require you to pay a huge portion of your health insurance premiums. Even as a young person, which you seem to be, it might amount to $400/month, or more. So when you're comparing job offers, consider asking about how much you can expect to pay for your health insurance.

As for when your health insurance starts, it depends on your employer and their health insurance company. In my latest job hop, I had to wait 30 days from start date to be insured. Good luck!

Glassdoor is a good source for average salary info. Probably a much better source than any anecdotal opinion you get here in this forum.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/High-Tech-Salaries-E280871.htm

[yuna628 9,758]

Personally, my husband didn't want to apply to a job he knew he couldn't start working for until he had his authorization in his hands. And I don't know what company would want to give you a guarantee of hiring you, without you having the documents yet. Anything can happen of course, documents can go missing or be delayed. How could an employer have confidence? He had a hard enough time convincing prospective employers what an EAD was compared to a green card. On his resume he made it clear that he was an LPR with work authorization, but he actually didn't get any real interest and bites until he could change it to reflect that he had a green card. Maybe it's just recruiters misunderstandings, or maybe it's just pure ignorance or nervousness on their part.

Like you, he's in software/IT, and he's struggled until recently to find a good company willing to offer him an opportunity that wasn't for a low starting wage or little benefits. He's finally found something after being in the hiring process with a company for over 2 1/2 months. Good pay, nice hours, but no benefits. It's a start at least. Salary range is all over the map depending on the state. We have high unemployment, a lot of government tech jobs that won't be for immigrants, and the rest of the tech market is saturated a bit here. I would say if you have a degree it goes higher, but if you have special tech certifications it is even better. Don't expect to get what you think you should off the bat, and don't get discouraged. I would certainly say always try to find a job that offers a complete benefits package, healthcare is absolutely critical.

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

Russ&Caro added some good points.

There are also a lot of different health plan options you might be able to choose from, dpeending on who your company goes through, so it is important to select the proper coverage for you, and they vary in cost also.

Also just to note, some companies, along with the company they use to source the health insurance through, sometimes only have an "Open window enrollment"(mine does during March every year) so something also to consider and ask about.