Fibrown1982

Hi all

I am looking to move to Florida from UK with my husband and young daughter.

I am an accounts Receivable Manager and just received my MCICM qualification.

I have started approaching employers with advertised vacancies to see if they would consider sponsorship. My question is: what is the best process? Do I need to get an agency that specialises in relocation? Is applying for jobs the best route for now or should I be requesting a visa first?

I have tried to find out if I am eligible and struggling so any help to determine this would be appreciated.

any help appreciated

fiona

christmasoompa

Hi, welcome to BE.

Generally you can't apply for a visa yourself, you'll need a sponsoring employer (no need for an agency though). Start here and have a look at all of the possible visa routes, so you can see if any fit. https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulas...ork_in_the_USA

What does your husband do, is his job something that may lead to a visa? Either of you work for a multi-national company with offices in the US?

Fibrown1982

Thanks for your reply. He is a bus driver although if I can’t get a visa he could retrain as a plumber.

I do work for a company in the UK with offices in the US but they don’t have current vacancies in US.

Am I best to reach out to employers advertising and see if they are willing to sponsor?

destone

Given your circumstances your best bet is L-1B. (Perhaps L-1A at a stretch if you can demonstrate that your position is executive/managerial and not specialized knowledge. L-1A has an important benefit over L-1B as it pertains to green cards). This, amongst other requirements, would require your current employer to transfer you from the UK to the US office .

Your second best bet is H-1B but you need to wait till next year and find a willing employer who will sponsor you. It is a lottery and so H-1B is not guaranteed. Your spouse will also not be able to work until you obtain labor certification (takes a long time and a willing employer) which would allow for H-4 EAD.

christmasoompa

No visas for plumbers or bus drivers unfortunately, so you're the best bet. I don't know how in demand your skills are and whether a company would be prepared to wait for you and spend quite a bit of money on getting you a visa, so you may be better off trying to transfer with your current employer if you can? Even if they don't have current vacancies it's likely to be quicker than any other route (the H1-B mentioned above would be a start date of October 2022 at the earliest, and that's if you are lucky in the lottery). I'd start with that personally and see if a transfer would be possible, if you're senior/specialised enough.

Best of luck.

Fibrown1982

Thank you. If my work aren’t prepared to transfer I suppose it could be an option to find alternative employer in the Uk who has US offices and then request transfer

christmasoompa

Absolutely. And you can always job hunt in the US in the meantime, you may get lucky and find an employer prepared to sponsor your visa (I've no idea of the likelihood of that with your job - not sure what an accounts receivable manager is tbh!).

I see you asked about Oz originally, the US is likely to be much tougher to get to. Another option if you're after North America is Canada maybe? Much easier than the US to get a visa for so could be another option to explore?

robtuck

Accounts Receivable - gets the company's invoices paid!

Your best bet, assuming you are good at your job and think your employer would be keen to retain your skills and knowledge, would be the L1 transfers. They do not need a current job in the USA today, they would simply create a position that you would be the best person to fill on a transfer. It is costly for your employer, hence referencing your current value to them, but is likely your easiest path to the USA. The next question would be where are they based in the USA? It is not impossible to transfer on a work from home but your employer is more likely going to be supportive if you are moving to a location where they have offices.

destone

Bear in mind that you must work for the new employer abroad (i.e. in the UK) for a minimum of one year before you become eligible for the "transfer" L1 visa.

Fibrown1982

Thank you. I am open to different areas. I love Florida but open to other areas.

I would like a better work life balance and be somewhere with a better lifestyle. I want my 6 year old to have a good life and opportunities.

I know my qualification is recognised in Australia. I originally enquired about AUS as my company is there also.

The only thing I am concerned about with AUS is that isn’t so easy or affordable for family to visit.

robtuck

You've just stirred the hornets nest by bringing-up "better lifestyle", it was bad enough you mentioned Florida to begin with. Pop a metal hat on..................

robtuck

Did a quick search and your qualifications suggest L1B would be very possible, and if you hold a true Managerial/Senior level role, L1A probable as well - for those reading, it's Bachelors level educationally and requires a minimum of 5 years experience as well, some of which looks quite Senior. I think you have a path if you can sit down with your employer and make the case for how this will benefit you as an individual, your family, and more importantly for them, how it will spur you on to greater achievements in the workplace - which in your line of work means more bills being paid on time essentially.

Onto the personal stuff - Better Lifestyle is very subjective. You are going to get a lot of well meaning feedback now about how you need to be careful - the grass is not always greener, sometimes it is artificial turf.

Some obvious stuff is cheaper, but some less obvious stuff takes all those savings away for you. Generally speaking, initially, you'll probably wash out equal when it comes to how "well off" your family would be. In my experience, what happens from there is down to you, much more so than than the UK - the American Dream bit is sort of true, those that go after can do a little better. You'll see low cost TV's and then pay a fortune on car insurance. Petrol will make you laugh, then you'll fill your car up again after a couple of trips to the supermarket. And so on.

Rather than get too hung on that, I'll give you my personal story. L1A transfer to Georgia, just south of Atlanta - I'm a person that likes the heat, the weather if you like, and I still love this location even though our house took a direct hit from a Tornado a couple of weeks ago. That feeling of being on holiday still exists, even 4 1/2 years later and regardless of how busy or fraught the work day has been. There are some things that are still odd to me, some cultural stuff that doesn't sit as well with my personal views, but I'd still tell you that my life feels better than the one I had in the UK. I chose wisely, I think, in terms of location - I can get to the UK easily and anywhere in the USA thanks to Atlanta airport. I can drive down to even more heat in Florida whenever I want, I can just chill out on the deck and share my blood with the local Mosquitos - over time, you learn to just become their friends.

It is very different, but for me, the positives more than outweigh the negatives. Missing family is of course the biggest issue, but even for them a trip to see us is now a big thing rather than when they used to pop in while I was out and I'd find my washing up done. We make the time feel better when we are together.

Overall, I love it here, but here can be very different - it is a big Country. Take the time to find the right place, do it for the right reasons, have a pathway, and it can be great fun.

Olly_

I would do some further research if you think the USA is going to give you a better work life balance - for example have you seen how little vacation time most people get?

scrubbedexpat099

Realistically a transfer is likely to be your best bet, not an obvious job for someone to want to go through the immigration process for a new hire and this is both lengthy and expensive.

robtuck

Not necessarily - a well qualified and experienced Manager/Senior in such a profession can be worth their weight in gold and demand 6 figure salaries. Given her company has a presence in at least three countries, it seems probable the Receivables will be quite high, so having good people in these roles would certainly help keep the Balance Sheet healthy and bad debt under control.