This always tends to be a person’s first question and was indeed mine when searching for a full time role where a company would willing sponsor my visa as well.
As I said in earlier posts, this is not easy and there are things you need to consider as far as job interviews are concerned as well but today I will just focus on the places you can search to find a position rather than the actual appication, resumes, interviews and other important factors about US Job Hunting.
Today I will really focus on the H1B visa and E3 visas, as things vary slightly when you are talking about H2B visa, J1 visa and L1 visas and they need a different explanation and context which I promise I will talk about as well in the future.
The H1B and E3 visas are in many ways just like a job hunt you would do in your home countries with online and offline resources, referrals/word of mouth, head hunters/recruiters and internal transfers. The only fundamental difference being that unlike regular job hunting in your home country, you have to convince a company twice;
1. To Hire You
2. To Sponsor You
Often the more difficult part is part 2 as many companies will reject you from the outset based on the fact you are not a US Citizen or resident able to work without sponsorship. So it is my advice to be honest from the outset in your resumes and cover letters as there is nothing worse as getting far down a process only for them to discover they need to sponsor you and then exclude you crushing your hopes in the process. (I will talk about the best ways I think to do this in a future post)
By far internal transfer offers and word of mouth are the best as chances are you have already achieved the second part of the convincing already as people in charge are aware that sponsoring you is part of the package. Also as with applying at home, it probably means you are coming highly recommended, and thus seen to be less risky therby increasing your generalhiring chances.
The only tips I have hear are to keep your eyes and ears open at the company you work at if they have a US office or the stakeholder companies you deal with and also talking constantly to your management, colleagues and HR people. Otherwise try and join as many networking and business groups that Americans are a part of in your area. Rotary groups usually attract expat US people as do religious and cultural organizations. Similarly tap every relative or friend you may have with any connection to the US as well. Online groups like LinkedIn can help to a limited degree as well but usually in conjunction with another suggestion above.
If you are at a certain level and/or you are of high ability in your field of expertise, head hunters and recruiters may come knocking. They are a big part of US work life in all industries and for almost all levels of career probably bar entry level positions. If you are in a position where you think you have these sort of abilities or even if you haven’t, it can’t hurt to contact head hunters and recruiters in the US directly describing your expertise and unique selling points. REMEMBER this is the US, Sell Sell Sell Yourself!!
There are many job sites all over the place and many good ones catering to specific fields but my favourite and I think by far the best ones covering all fields are;
1. Monster.com
2. LinkedIn.com
3. Craigslist.org
These sites are the easiest to use and apply from, have the least SPAM and crap to your email and have constant stream of positions every day. There is another site call TheLadders.com for positions only with salaries above $100K USD that you have to pay to see the jobs so would recommend if you are in this sphere.
The other sites Career Builder has so much spam that fill your email with and the jobs and site ease of use is very frustrating and limited I believe. Yahoo Hot Jobs and Google Jobs just don’t have the volume of roles although are fairly easy to use and then all the big newspapers in the country have their own offerings.
In general my advice is to stay focused on niche industry segment and apply like crazy with the 3 sites I mention. If you spread yourself across many industry segments like I initally did you get lost and you get little return. By focussing, you almost own and industry and know all about it and every position and company that may be in a hiring phase putting you at great advantag for every company you apply too. I only did this much later in my search and it was only then I started to get a flood of interview instead of just a trickle here and there and actually get some traction.
I hope this helps….and Happy Hunting 🙂
CJ
What can you expect from the interview with an American Company? How are they different to the interviews with Australian companies? Are there any guideines on how to prepare for the interview?
Hi Alex,
Interviews I will extensively cover in the future but in short they are not that different a process to what you are used to for the most part with initial phone screening interviews coupled with face to face ones covering the same types of topics. In US culture salary talk is a big part of the interview process so be prepared for that.
Thanks,
CJ
Hi,
In Australia it’s almost impossible to hire one without a face-to-face interview! How would that possible that a Company in US employs me without seeing me and not only that but even sponsor me!!!???
Hi SR,
You are correct it is difficult to get any sort of job anywhere with a face to face interview of some sort and that is the challenge facing everyone. As I document in this post; https://visacoach.org/2009/03/18/e3-visa-jobs/ among others, you often have to be prepared to fly to the US and thus need to plan accordingly your whole applying and scheduling process. This is the chance most of have taken in one form or another to achieve their goal.
CJ
Hi Chris
What profession do you work in? Did you do your interviews in the US? And would you happen to know if US employers are open to Skype interviews?
I’ve read a little about the Employment Authorisation Document. Can you get one of these while you’re waiting for your e3 visa to be processed, so you can start working straight away?
Cheers
A
Hi Alicia,
There are jobs available for sponsorship in just about every professional field you can think of, it is just basically more effort to find ones in certain fields. The IT sector and professional consulting tend to be the biggest if you look at the largest E-3 visa employers from last year; https://visacoach.org/2009/06/07/e3-visa-employer-database-list/. (this is also reflected in the top overall visa sponsors of last year which is mainly H1B visa sponsors).
I and almost all the people I am aware of had face to face interviews and usually multiple in the US with the employer who finally sponsored them. I have only heard of once a Skype interview and that was for a J1 visa internship position. Look you have to look at it this way, if an employer is comparing you to other candidates, it immediately puts you at a lower peg than them if you are only available via Skype versus them being face to face. It means that your experience and value proposition has to be so much better than theirs and so unique that most employers would want to go down the Skype route. Of course I couldn’t possibly speak for every US employer but my guess is mostly NO for all and that would be no different to employers all over the world.
The EAD is only required for the E3 Visa dependent so in other words spouse. The E3 visa holder can begin work immediately upon entering the US where as the dependent must file with the USCIS after arriving in the US and receive approval prior to starting work. (this approval can take up to 3 months)
Good Luck,
CJ
Hi Chris,
I couldn’t get what u meant by “sell yourself” how should I do that? Are there any specific strategies that I can take to convince someone to sponsor me? Are there chances in the human resources field ?
After working for five years, is there a chance I can apply for the Green Card or for the American Citizenship? Is it possible with an e3 Visa?
Greetings
One more thing: which visa do I have to apply for, in order to have the American citizenship after 5 years? Or the green card?
Hi Anonymous,
Sell yourself essentially means convince a HR person and company that hiring you is a must and worth the extra expense and hassle compared to hiring a local. In the US business culture, selling plays a big part so this becomes key in the whole finding a position process. You can work in the HR field but it obviously more difficult as there are a lot of locals competing with you and also that you have to be aware of US HR practices, culture and norms etc. which are different to elsewhere. For example US HR departments are often responsible for healthcare which is quite different to other parts of the world.
As far as green card or a citizenship is concerned, definitely read our posts on that on the site for major details. However in short, no visa guarantees citizenship or a green card. If you are sponsored and apply for the most common work visa, the H-1B visa, it is up to your company to apply/sponsor your green card on your behalf. You cannot initiate the process. The Green Card processing times are very long as well for one to be available so for a lot of people 5 years is a very optimistic timeline. In the normal course of event, after you have a green card, you can apply for citizenship 4 years after that.
Good Luck,
CJ
Hi CJ,
I’m in love with your blog!!! Any idea of any media companies that sponsor talented Junior Journalists? What would you suggest for someone who is just starting out in the field: E3 or try get through on J1.
Love your work,
Sheree.
Hi Sheree,
Thanks for the kind words.
I don’t have any specific recommendations other than say checking out these two posts; E3 Visa Employer Database and Top 100 Companies that sponsor US Visas. Journalism is a tough field to get into right now even for experienced and decorated professionals due to the downturn in the industry and many companies going bankrupt. There are certainly places to look as I mention in this post with LinkedIn and Craigslist or even contacting recruiters. A lot of the industry online where there is some sort of journalism growth like at the Huffington Post or Examiner.com is going to contract roles or pay per article (advertising revenue from article) which doesn’t work well for sponsoring. I wish you well in your search but certainly look for a media company with a strong online presence like Time or the Wall Street Journal.
Good Luck,
CJ
Thanks so much for the response, i really appreciate it. A friend of mine recently launched a company, and she offered to sponsor me, but the are still getting on their feet financially so i don’t know if that would work??? Do you think getting a J1 and trying to get sponsorship from there would be better?
Thanks again CJ
Sheree
Hello there
It is quite interesting you discuss. I am interested in a remote position. As a foreigner I have less chances but I try to anyway. the question is… Is it real to be hired as a remote IT specialist? How you think? My current location is out the US and I can hardly come face to face for an intervew. But IT world is a greate thing remember the video chats etc. Is it real to get sponsorship and how to get it in the most easiest way. I mean the work by Internet…
the work I provide is can be done absolutly remotedly (IT sphere) but I’ve never worked in the US. I am looking some advice it is possible to work like that. And the way it is possible. Please comment
Thanks
Hi Sheree,
New companies are tougher when applying for LCA with the Department of Labor as there is no history to them but certainly not denied immediately as if you read the comments on a few of the posts here, others have followed that similar path. A J1 visa program doesn’t have a Department of Labor certification but if it is under the Internship or Professional Career Training programs, then if it is the first time this company has hosted a J1 visa person, then there may be some proofs required for the sponsor organization like CIEE or InterExchange. With the 12 month J1 visa Work and Travel program for Australians this is not required as you don’t have to nominate and employer prior but this is only for current students and recent grads.
Good Luck,
CJ
Hi Vicky,
A remote contract position is certainly possible although not sure why you would necessarily want it. In general the only reasons, a US company tends to offshore IT requirements is for cost reasons, which is why so much goes to places like India or for an extremely specialized skill that someone may have. However in that instance I am sure the company would usually prefer (as I am sure the worker too normally) to have the worker onsite where possible.
I don’t think it is impossible but I think it would be hard to convince a company as to the value of it all if you are expecting a decent salary. I mean you can go to sites like rentacoder.com or elance.com and find remote adhoc IT project work.
Good Luck,
CJ
Hi, e3visa
I know about Elance and many other one-project based services. But I am talking about a real hired position which gives salary per month or week. It is a really pretty hard to find. The reason I am looking for a contract position is… it is more than hard to explain here in my country my bank account income. In the case I cannot show my work contract bank can block my account as a rule… They all demand me to show them my money come from etc. Elance is greate but I need a stability and have no taxes paying problems. If I do a $5000 project I’ll have to pay taxes in the US and in my country personally. If I want to present my services as a personal business the law makes to to take a license. I don’t want to beсome an entrepreneur but to be hired by a work contract. That’s why Elance is not good as for me. Unfortunately Elance is good only for the US citizens. Maybe I wrong but I haven’t seen any contract DBA wanted there. But maybe the situation is changed but I am quite disappointed with it.
Can you advise something else please?
Hi Vicky,
Those sites you mention and I mentioned earlier are good for all levels of work for people all over the world. Obviously the more lucrative the project, the more competitive it becomes and the more your reputation becomes important and of course there is less of these roles. However this site is for helping people who want to move to the US to live, work and/or study and the Immigration issues they face. Maybe some of the IT tech forums would be a better place for you to find the type of roles and information you seem to be search for.
CJ
Hi, e3visa
Thank you for your comments. The most bad thing in Elance it is PayPal system which is much strictly limited in my country. I am located in Russia for now and here PayPal doesn’t allow its clients to convert money balance into cash. I like Elance for its clear services and abilities but PayPal russia allows just to get money on your balance but never put it in cash with some bank or so… You just can take your credit card go to PayPal and put your money to pp account and then you can pay some Internet eBay or so. How you think why Elance or getafreelancer.com they don’t implement webmoney or something like this? It is not fair that everybody can work with such kind of web services except Russia IMHO. How you think is it a internet commercial discrimination?
And one more thing… It is quite interesting how foreigner people can pay taxes if they work by Elance of some another service?
Would you advise me some forum where I can ask more questions concerning the said please?
Hi Vicky,
Try the warrior forum (warriorforum.com) as a resource.
Good Luck,
CJ
Thank you, e3visa
How exactly does the H1B visa application work? My current company (I’m on F1 OPT) expires in July, and IF I were to pay up the cost of a H1B visa, my company has agreed to petition one for me. However, I cannot seem to get a breakdown of the cost. I’m confused
Hi Rad,
There are many posts on this site as to how the H1B application process works but basically your employer files a petition with the USCIS after April 1, 2010. Prior to that you need a Labor Condition Application approval from the Department of Labor for your role, the employer and the salary you are being paid. Technically your employer has to pay all costs related to your H1B visa application, although many companies try to make their foreign employees pay at the back end. The H1B visa costs can be found here; https://visacoach.org/2009/01/27/how-much-does-it-cost-to-get-your-e3-or-h1b-visa/
Good Luck,
CJ
Thanks CJ.
Hi CJ,
you mentioned employment by a 3rd party staffing company is illegal for the j1 visa prospect.
Does this mean the staffing company acts as the employer charging the real employer example 10.00 per hour(ex: DisneyWorld) and paying the j1 student 7.25 per hour?
This sounds like a scam to me even if the staffing company partners with a sponsor.
Must the job be secured originally thru one of the State Dept. Official j1 sponsoring companies you mentioned? ie; CIEE
Thank you WC
Is this legal, or must you go thru an appointed sponsor ie; CIEE for a job?
Can anyone just partner with a sponsor and do this scam.
Thanks WC
Hi William,
That is essentially how staffing companies or agencies work in terms of charging. It is certainly not illegal as a practice in the US for US workers but there can be issues with the J1 visa sponsorship for foreigners with this setup. Each J1 visa sponsor enforces this differently and again for larger well known employers there is usually more leeway as it is a common practice as thus probably more legitimate.
You don’t have to secure the job via a J1 visa sponsor but you do need them to sponsor your visa and thus approve the employer regardless if you found them yourself.
It is not a SCAM but there are SCAMMERS out there who do abuse this practice and prey on foreigners so that is why this is regulated as far as the J1 visa is concerned. Read this post for more info on find Work and Travel jobs on the J1 visa (https://visacoach.org/2010/03/02/j1-visa-how-to-find-a-us-work-travel-job/)
Good Luck,
CJ
Thank you CJ but is it o.k. for the private company here to say they are the staffing company and almost lease out these people for a profit even if they do the tax withholding etc?
Do you know of anyone doing this now and are you an attorney yourself or have access to someone to answer this question?
WC
Hi William,
Yes I am aware of these companies and have dealt with them at some level before b/c many of the big hotel chains in particular contract out their cleaning to large staffing companies mainly due to the high turnover of staff in that industry and not wanting to necessarily get involved in the HR management of it all. So the hotel pays a contract rate to the agency who then intern pays the staff which in essence is no different to any other 3rd party contractor relationship in any industry. So yes the agency is obliged to do all the tax withholding, etc. if they are indeed a legitimate business and I doubt many of the big name brand hotel chains would want to be involved in any way knowingly or not with agencies that didn’t comply with the law b/c if it was found out not to be the case their brand would rightly get tarnished as well even though they weren’t direct employers.
CJ
CJ, We have an ESL school for post graduate students in South Florida. I would like to speak with you or find out if you would have any interest in working with us by sending alot of these student for post graduate study of English, Toefl, GMAt, GRE and additionally help these students get into Universities here in the U.S. We do issue I-20’s and are SEVIS certified.
Any ideas of partnering with us or suggestions?
WC
Hi e3visa
It is really nice to see you helping people through your blog and imparting your experience and knowledge.kndly let me know what are the chances to get job in marketing field.I am an Indian and is pursuing maters in marketing from London.I want to work in US. Kindly let me know how to find a job with sponser?
Hi Anonymous,
Sorry for the delay in reply. Thanks for the kind words as well. Your chances are as good as anyone else and the fact that you will have a Master’s Degree may open more opportunities for you as well to people who just have undergraduate degrees. The advice given in this post as well as here for the H1B visa current season should given you the base of knowledge to help you in your search. https://visacoach.org/2010/03/07/h1b-visa-news-march-2010/
Good Luck,
CJ
Hi E3visa,
I am wondering why my job application has been hold by the hosp. where I applied.I was told that the Dept. of Labor is not accepting petitions yet because of global economy. I am a reigstered nurse here in Australia and also in California. I have an active license to both countries.I wanted to know the truth of the matter so I can move on. I applied in southern California and most of the hospitals I rang said almost the same thing.Can you help me?Maria
Hey read ur blog and i do admire your level of professionalism and how you addressed a rep from “that site” which doesnt seem too transparent in their services rendered. I have a question abt Ladders.com, a site you recommended that offered $100k jobs. Would it be a suitable site for one who has a Bachelors Degree in Dietetics? The reason i ask is i dont want to pay to see the offerings but findout its a waste of effort. Overall though i thank you for the posted info which has helped me to know the best route of action to get the ball of potential employment rolling.
Much Respect
DWilson
Hey CJ
First of all I would like to thanks for the awesome blog. Thanks a lot
I just had a question, like m going to apply for the J1 visa thru a nonprofit organization and that to in the technical field for the internship/trainee program. What would you suggest me? Should I go for J1 visa or not and currently m in India (Punjab) and would like to know is there any organization who helps to find the internship/trainee programs for US.
Thanks & Regards
Naveen
Hi CJ
Your blog is really helpful. Thank you for that..
I just completed my MBA and l am in OPT now. My OPT started at 15 Jan 2010 and will expires in 15 jan 2011. I applied for several job from Craiglist but no one called me yet for interview. I have no idea what shall I do. Some of my friend join consultancy for help. Would you please guide me with your response. I am desperate and need your suggestion. I don’t want to go back to and I have no way to stay here after 1 year either.
Sorry, but last question, Where can I find companies who can sponsor H1 as of 2010 or 2011 if available.
Thank you..
YOU ARE THE BEST…
Hi CJ, Kudos for your very informative site…Could you please refer me to a reputable site that gives an idea of hourly ICT contract rates in the US? I am a Snr Project and Change Manager in Aust (15 yrs exp. Masters degree + post grad quals). I am currently earning $100/hr contract in Aust. I am keen to live and work in the US for 2 to 4 years, but don’t want to drop too much money to do so. Any advice appreciated.
hi i have been selected to be J1 to carry out my research work for current Master of technology in Bio-Medical at USA penns, can any one guide how to get Sponsorship ,
i have MSc Bioinformatics Degree too and 2 years working experience in teaching and industry
I am Amina from AFrica, I have diploma in marine engineering, i would like to find an intrenship in USA in any company specialized in maritime industry like maritime transport ,ship management, ship operations.
I would appreciate any advice or help
My best Regards,
Hi Amina,
Read about the J-1 Visa and how to find a US Internship on this site.
Cj
Hello,
How i can apply for job in USA for full time, but i am fresher and i have no any prior experience,
I just want to ask:
If yes… so how can i apply?
If no… why i can’t apply for job in USA?
Hi All,
Greetings for the Day,
We are actively looking to hire IT consultants wishing to work in the United States under the E3 visa program.If anybody is interested please contact me at sandeepm@sarasamerica.com
Do you think my niece who is a computer engineer from the Philippines can be hired here in the US with an entry level position? I am here in the US and I can help with all the expenses/processing fee for her to come here. She is a new computer engineer and is hoping to come work here. Any advise will be appreciated.
Hello,
I dont have a Degree & Currently work as a Clerk in Sri Lanka for about 6 years,I have done 3 short term Diploma`s which have duration of 6 months,What kind of jobs i can apply for & from which websites i can find a job with a sponsor? Please help me.
Thanks