neilcad

Hello all

Me and my wife would love to relocate to Florida, we used to have family there and love the area and way of life so much. My wife is in the last year of a degree in radiography and when qualified we would like to find a job in Florida that would grant us a H1b Visa

Really i wanted some stories from you guys who have already done or are in the process of doing this

the main thing i would like to know are how you went about finding employment with h1b sponsor and did you look for this from UK, or travel to the US to look?

intersested in hearing all your storied as the more real life information i can get will surely help me and others wanting to take this route

Sorry for the long winded first post

Neil

lisa67

My Oh was head hunted.He'd presented papers at conferences in the US and was quite well known in his field so "they" came looking for him.
Good Luck

ian-mstm

Just so you know, if your wife does somehow manage to find an employer willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa, you will get a derivative H-4 visa... and never be allowed to work. Mind you, perhaps that appeals to you!

Have you read this yet: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulaski_Simplified? It may be a real eye-opener for you!

Ian

nettlebed

Well, so long as the OP is on the H-4. Circumstances might change...

Edited to add: I met my (now) wife, and we decided to marry, so I asked my company to transfer me on an H-1B, since that was WAY easier than the K-1 or K-3 options.

neilcad

I realise getting a job offer is going to be the hard part of this, being on a h-4 I will not be able to work which is fine as we have a 7 year old daughter, but am I right in thinking we can apply for greencards when my wife starts work, and in time I would be able to work?

Noorah101

If the company who sponsors your wife is willing to sponsor you guys for the green cards, yes. You can't do it on your own, the company does it.

Rene

SarahG

My OH applied for jobs from the UK. Found a company willing to hire him and go through the paperwork and costs to employ a non US citizen. They ended up waiting 3 years before he got the visa. We have been here a year and they have now agreed to sponsor us for GC. I am on a H4 and I enjoyed it to begin with but now it is starting to get on my nerves. I miss earning my own money and spending time with grown ups. Am now getting involved with volunteering at kids school. (My kids are 5 and 7)

Duncan Roberts

But they don't have to if they don't want to.

md95065

Like many others, I didn't go looking for employment it was offered to me ...

davidw76

Arrived on F1 student visa August 1999.

After 2 semesters (May 2000) applied for several silicon valley jobs as "optional practical training" which you can do on an F1 visa after a "year" of study.

Began work in May 2000 and company switched me to H1B after a few months.

Total cost including flights, tuition, living expenses, etc. until I started working was about 20,000 USD

Note that this was height of dot com boom so finding a job was easy... Dot com crash led to loss of job and immediate return to UK

AdobePinon

I was here on an F-1, and talked directly to the people who ended up hiring me.

henryh

I spent my third year of university in the USA on a J-1 exchange program. Towards the end of my final year back in the UK, I went out to visit friends made during that year. One of them had just been recruited by my current employer and suggested that they hire me as well. Filed H-1B and started the following October 1st.

oicur0t

I'm woking for a company in the UK that has offices around the world. They offered a transfer to the US. That could be the easier route, although the medical profession might be slightly different.

lisa67

on an H1B? why not an L1??

oicur0t

Yes, why not indeed! (I had not been working there a year)

I Believe may visa may change at some point to allow my partner to work. The embassy official advised we could do this relatively easily.