tht

I put Google in to the link i shared as a generic employer…

It won’t be Google the OP said his employer is applying for a blanket L… I would be more than shocked if Google did not still have a blanket L…

SanDiegogirl

Who me?... good grief, no. Went through my L-1A many years ago.

SanDiegogirl

Oh OK.... thought the OP has input Google as his employer, which would have surprised me no end, looking at the questions he is asking.

Olly_

This comes up quite a lot because websites don't explain it very well - basically it's not really discussed here because it pretty much only helps Indian and Chinese citizens.

It only applies when you have an approved immigrant petition (to get a green card) but you can't apply for adjustment of status because your priority date isn't current. There is no other circumstance where a H-4 holder would be eligible for an EAD.

Somebody born in the UK would generally not need a H-4 EAD because there isn't a decade+ line before they can apply to adjust status and as soon as you do apply you can get an EAD as part of the AoS process.

christmasoompa

As above, this could be disastrous, depending on where you're going to and from. For our move, hubby is getting a cost of living adjustment, plus things like housing, cars, schooling paid for, that's their standard expat package. But then we are moving to Boston, so not a cheap area, if we were going to Oklahoma or Missisippi it would be very different!

SanDiegogirl

You have not negotiated and/or been offered a relocation package?

Depending on where you are going it is 'usually' standard to get an increase in UK salary to compensate for high cost areas (California/New York comes to mind) plus the fact you will be paying for health insurance of several hundred dollars a month.. The package might also include a couple of months accommodation/car rental paid for my employer, and maybe a lump sum to pay for incidentals when moving. Also, some have a clause in their contract which states what happens if the job goes pear shaped. Will the company ship you home?

If the company approached YOU to move then you would be in a better position to negotiate.

tariqbutt

Im moving to Los Angeles which isnt any better.
The company I work for is new to this though. They were still a startup 2 years ago, but expanded rapidly the last 2 years but they dont have much experience "relocating" someone. I requested to be relocated as my sister is a US citizen based in LA.

My H1B has now been approved (as of Friday).
I got independent advice from an external lawyer yesterday and she suggested I push for the H1B over the L1B due to the ability to move jobs (she said this flexibility will be a huge advantage for me). She also said that my employer will have had to specify a salary with the H1B already and that will work to my advantage over the L1B (given I had not negotiated salary). She suggested L1B salaries can be significantly less than H1Bs.

(I am moving from london, uk, so my current salary isnt terrible, but it could do with a bump to be in line with LA salaries)

tariqbutt

Speaking of relocation packages, does anyone have any suggestions of some basic things I should be asking for?
Also how much time would one usually take off between finishing in one country and moving to the other? Just asking so I know what I should be requesting.

SanDiegogirl

I've already given you some examples of what a relocation package would include.
Basically, you need to know what your company is willing to provide for you when you first move, (accommodation, car rental, money for incidentals), costs for shipping furniture, flights over plus any conditions for if the job does not pan out.

SanDiegogirl

Don't see why an H-1B is a huge advantage over an L-1 visa, since, while you can move to another employer with an H-1B visa theoretically, you still need the new employer to apply for a new H-1B for you. Also the H-1B visa goes through the Department of Labour verification process.
Anyway if your company has approved the H-1b then it is what it is.

christmasoompa

Ours is very generous, and an expat package for a well known company, so a lot of this may not be applicable if yours is a permanent move.

But if it helps our package includes a 40' container, flights (including business class back once a year - and if our eldest is at uni in the UK, extra flights for her), cars, accommodation (we can add to it if we want a bigger house, but don't get anything back if we choose smaller - we have to pay utility bills), cost of living adjustment (not taxable), full medical cover, school fees paid (only for children at crucial ages - which ours are, it wouldn't be given to somebody with primary school aged children for example), car hire for 2 weeks (both ways), furniture rental for 2 months if needed, tax returns done for us, an extra week's holiday for the move (both ways) and a lump sum to cover incidentals (again, both ways). We also get a week's 'familiarisation trip', which we're still waiting to do over a year later thanks to Covid!

All of the above are pretty standard for executive expat packages, we have several friends who've moved to places like NYC and Singapore, and been given the same at other household name companies, but if it's a smaller company then you might be lucky just to get shipping, visas and flights. And if you've requested the move, you may not be able to ask for much, if they had asked you to transfer then you'd be in a stronger position. But you might as well try, if you don't ask, you don't get!

tariqbutt

The lawyer I spoke to yesterday said the new employer does _not_ need to go through the process again. I confirmed this with a friend of mine who said he moved job every year of his H1B until he finally landed at Facebook who got his green card,

While this is not needed for an L1A, it is needed for an L1B. Thus for me this would be the same in both L1B/H1B cases.

tariqbutt

That is helpful thank you.

Yeah I dont really fit into the "executive expat" category.The request to move very much came from me. And I dont intend to come back to the UK (Im not from here and I have no family here. I do have family in the US).

I have moved countries many times in the past but ive always done it by resigning from a job in one country and accepting a job (as a local) in the next. It never occurred to me in the past to ask a company to relocate me since I usually just booked a flight and started work the following week. Im relatively early in my career though.

christmasoompa

In which case, the one thing that needs to be absolutely top of your list is sponsorship for a 'green card' then IMO.

SanDiegogirl

Your friend makes it sound as though he just moved jobs without any 'transfering' of his visa - the following article states this is not the case:

https://usvisagroup.com/changing-jobs-h-1b-visa/