advise on moving to the US with international company

[prettylilraindrop 3]

I currently live in the UK and am a UK resident working for a UK company. I work in IT and don't have any formal qualifications for my job and have worked there for around 7 months. The company also have an office in the US. It is a relatively small company, with only around 30 employees in the UK and 12 in the US.

 

My boyfriend lives in the US but not where the US company is based. My boss recently brought up the idea of both me and my boyfriend moving to the US as he would hire me. My long term goal was always to end up living in the US but obviously didn't know there was this opportunity until recently. The company previously has had 2 people who have moved from the UK to the US and I believe their visa was for 5 years. I understand that this was to start off the business in the US. He informed me that this visa expired last year and to renew would be £3000 (I assume £ not $ but not completely sure). They paid £6000 when they initially paid for this the first time around and this allowed the UK workers to reside and work in the US.

 

As the visa has ran out he has informed me they may be renewing this which will allow me to go over as they may also be hiring people here in the UK and moving them to the US as they find it difficult to keep/find staff in the US. Obviously if this was to happen this would be great, however from looking up the visas I am not sure on what visa they had. He explained the visa to be an agreement between the UK and US to allow foreign workers to go over and work for a number of years. I just wondered if anyone was able to advise on what visa this was and a little bit about this?

 

If they don't renew the visa I am thinking about getting and paying for my own work visa to go over, but again am unsure which I would qualify for. I am also considering the fiancee/marriage visas but from what I have read they seem to be more difficult to obtain and also potentially more expensive, but he has said he would offer me a job if I also did go this route instead as he is really happy with how I'm doing in the company.

 

I am basically just looking for advise on this as I am excited about the prospect but still unsure on a lot of things. My boss said he would let me know about the visa so I don't want to bother him with a load of questions so kind of wanted to do my own research to figure it out and decide what I should do. Just to clarify, I am not in any skilled profession at all and have no qualifications but the job does take a lot of training and a long time to pick up.

 

Thanks in advance!

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Sounds like an L visa, transfer of manager. It should be the company paying for the visa, not you by the way.

https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/l-1a-intracompany-transferee-executive-or-manager

 

You can't just get yourself a work visa, a work visa needs sponsorship and as you have no formal qualification that would be a highly unlikely route.

Edited May 7, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[VNN 147]

For IT, I would assume it is H-1B visa/ L (for management level). If your company does not sponsor for your working Visa for some reason, you cannot apply it for yourself. However, if cost is a concern and you are willing to pay for it - it can be a private discussion.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by VNN

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Just now, VNN said:

For IT, I would assume it is H-1B visa. If your company does not sponsor for your working Visa for some reason, you cannot apply it for yourself. However, if cost is a concern and you are willing to pay for it - it can be a private discussion.

 

 

It is a UK company sending people temporarily to the US, sounds more like an L visa. Also, H1 visa requires qualifications which OP does not have.

[prettylilraindrop 3]

Just now, SusieQQQ said:

Sounds like an L visa, transfer of manager.

You can't just get yourself a work visa, a work visa needs sponsorship and as you have no formal qualification that would be a highly unlikely route.

Thanks for this. However maybe I didn't make it clear. The two people who originally transferred aren't in managerial positions, one of them has the same role as me and it appeared as though whatever visa they had allowed UK citizens to transfer over to the US, therefore allowing multiple people to do so on the same visa situation, as it is difficult to hire people in the US

[prettylilraindrop 3]

3 minutes ago, VNN said:

For IT, I would assume it is H-1B visa/ L (for management level). If your company does not sponsor for your working Visa for some reason, you cannot apply it for yourself. However, if cost is a concern and you are willing to pay for it - it can be a private discussion.

 

 

Thank you for this. Yes I believe they would sposor me they are just not sure on paying the £3000 as they are unsure if they will hire other workers and can't do it just for me. That's why I was wondering if they don't renew this whether there is another option just for me if they sponsor me, as I assumed the £3000 visa was for multiple employees and not just one?

[VNN 147]

Just now, prettylilraindrop said:

Thank you for this. Yes I believe they would sposor me they are just not sure on paying the £3000 as they are unsure if they will hire other workers and can't do it just for me. That's why I was wondering if they don't renew this whether there is another option just for me if they sponsor me, as I assumed the £3000 visa was for multiple employees and not just one?

To be sure which type of visa, I suggest you to somehow ask the ones who received the visa.

 

However, I think you will not be able to get one by yourself. I am not sure about your company budget, generally speaking cost of 3k or even 10k per skilled employee does not mean much if they cannot find one in US.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

10 minutes ago, prettylilraindrop said:

Thanks for this. However maybe I didn't make it clear. The two people who originally transferred aren't in managerial positions, one of them has the same role as me and it appeared as though whatever visa they had allowed UK citizens to transfer over to the US, therefore allowing multiple people to do so on the same visa situation, as it is difficult to hire people in the US

Well then I admit to being flummoxed, if it's not L1 and it certainly can't be H1 for you as that requires a degree.  I am not aware of any other work visas that might be applicable - certainly not an O, P or R.

(The multiple people almost makes it sound like L1 blanket , discussed further down the link I posted earlier, but that really doesn't sound like it's applicable to your company at all.)

There is a list of temporary worker visas down the side of the page I linked before, perhaps browse that and see if anything sounds like what your boss is describing?

Edited May 7, 2019 by SusieQQQ

[Mrsjackson 300]

I’m perplexed as well if you say the other two were not in managerial positions. You have no formal qualifications and have worked at the company only 7 months? Sounds like the company could easily fulfil the position here with an American. Companies can transfer managers when they have skills/expertise/a certain amount of knowledge about the company that cannot easily be acquired by just any American. Normally a manager has to have been in that position (or maybe just with the company?) for 5 years. 

 

It doesn’t sound like you qualify for a company transfer to the US. 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

1 hour ago, prettylilraindrop said:

If they don't renew the visa I am thinking about getting and paying for my own work visa to go over, but again am unsure which I would qualify for. 

I don't think that will happen. A company must apply for it and pay for the costs. 

 

 

1 hour ago, prettylilraindrop said:

. I am also considering the fiancee/marriage visas but from what I have read they seem to be more difficult to obtain and also potentially more expensive, 

This is an easy visa to get but not fast. You apply for it yourself and pay the costs. I don't think a fiancé visa  (another option) will suit you because you want to work immediately when you arrive. 

 

Costs. Note some are in $$ and others in ££. The parentheses are just abbreviation of who you pay for the different bits of it.

$535 Spouse Petition (USCIS)

$325 visa fee (NVC)

$120 affidavit of support review (NVC)

£45 police certificate (ACRO)

£330 medical (In London) pay at the appointment

$30 or $0 (Courier) home delivery or pick up at depot

$220 Immigrant fee after you get the visa (USCIS ELIS)

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Wuozopo

[kris&me 572]

successful work visas are usually handled by a competent US attorney that the company keeps on retainere 

it was a $10,000 fee my neighbor's company paid to bring him and then renew his visa later 

 

your company may be able to do it on their own but without qualifications for the job and a USC bf ,  your chances of approval are slim 

don't be discourage by this 

marry and apply the CR1 route (12 to 14 months)

green card to work comes in about a month

[Wuozopo 4,293]

On a spouse visa, you do not have to wait on the greencard to arrive before working. Your passport will be stamped at entry showing you are a permanent resident and legal to work in the US immediately. You'll need to go get your Social Security number before you can get paid. The employer needs it. 

[SalishSea 17,827]

1 hour ago, VNN said:

For IT, I would assume it is H-1B visa/ L (for management level). If your company does not sponsor for your working Visa for some reason, you cannot apply it for yourself. However, if cost is a concern and you are willing to pay for it - it can be a private discussion.

 

 

HIB requires a baccalaureate degree at the very least.

[Boiler 45,486]

Sounds like a L1B, could be an E2.

 

One of the requirements of an L is that you need to have worked for them for a year.

 

3,000 whatever would be cheap as the main expense would be Legal costs, so in the context of a Company move not a lot.

 

Your only other realistic option would be the Marriage route, takes much longer and a L has the advantage that they pay and pick up your relocation costs and you have a job and benefits from Day1.

[JFH 12,190]

Whoever told you that fiancé or marriage visas are harder to get than work visas has no idea what they are talking about so stop listening to them. Fiancé and marriage visas are by far the easiest to get. Provided that the relationship is genuine and the intending immigrant is not inadmissible due to criminal background or other specific factors, you are pretty much guaranteed to be granted a visa. 

 

Work visas, on the other hand, have a multitude of requirements that rule out most of the people that want them. Many people dream of living here, very few will achieve that through work. Note also that most work visas are for a set period of time. Some do allow you to become permanent residents after a certain time frame but only if the employer spends even more money on that process, and there's no requirement on the employer's part to do so. 

 

To be honest, I'd be surprised that a small company of the size you mention would be in a position to send employees overseas like that. The £3000 you mention is just the start of the costs for the employer. If they are worth their salt they will also pay your moving costs, transporting of pets, hotel accommodation until you find a place, furnishings, help with getting a vehicle, etc, etc. 

 

Where is your boyfriend? You said he lives on the USA but you also said the employer suggested you both move to the USA.