notacrime

I absolutely agree with fatbrit. This is discrimination. You should report it because that is the right thing to do.

People on this board who are such sticklers when it comes to immigration law yet are excusing the illegal behavior of this company are quite simply hypocrites.

JAJ

Have you gone back to them and explained that you will be relocating to that region anyway and as a green card holder, will have the same work rights as a U.S. citizen?

meauxna

I feel the need to add that based on other posts, this person has an Immigrant Visa, not a Green Card. He has not yet been admitted to Permanent Residency.

I realize this doesn't change anything for your post, JAJ.

Steerpike

I guess I have a different take from everyone else .

It may be illegal to SAY it (to put it in words), or to be caught 'doing' it, but I'm sure many employers feel that way - a variation on the flag-waving mentality - and act on it.

This particular employer was honest about it and at least saved you some time by not falsely encouraging you.

If it were race-based I'd be outraged but as it is, I'd focus on having a more positive attitude towards the country I'm planning to move to; don't make your first action in the US be a lawsuit!

I'd also say that being a Brit generally gets you a lot of PREFERENTIAL treatment - Americans love the Brits; they tend to assume we are smart, honest, well educated, know everything there is to know about history, etc etc ... so if we are going to complain about discrimination let's give up all the positive discrimination we enjoy!

(now I'm going to duck and run on this one ... I'm not being terribly serious ... )

Xebedee

Actually, I think you are correct. On nearly all points.
The overall proportion of total American companies who hire foreigners from England must be very, very small. That they mostly deal with foreign workers from Mexico, Puerto Rico, etc. sort of skews the American view just a tad.

As for the Americans loving the Brits, you make a valid point about "preferential treatment" but its also my twitchy conclusion that this is more a case of them being fascinated with the difference. Unless you are somewhere like SF, Boston, NYC or LA (etc) you are going to run into an enormous (and very unfortunate) amount of cultural ignorance (perhaps lack of knowledge is a better term).
Now as to wether someone from England will thrive better in a cosmopolitan place (like you are in) or somewhere off the beaten track is entirely down to the person. - and another subject entirely.

Ho hum.

Deedee13

"Unless you are somewhere like SF, Boston, NYC or LA (etc) you are going to run into an enormous (and very unfortunate) amount of cultural ignorance (perhaps lack of knowledge is a better term). "

last week i had to get my hair cut... sitting in the chair, she was snipping away. Asked where are you from? I replied UK, she snips some more, and deathly quiet, conversation has ended, and then pipes up... is that near England? GASP!!

Rete

Which is all well and good, but the man is living in Scotland and will not be coming to the US for weeks yet. If they are hiring and there are applicants who are already within the US and with the right to work, it would make perfect sense that his application for employment would be given the lowest priority.

While their language in their email to him is wrong, it might well be that the person responding was trying to say that they were only accepting applications from people living in the US rather than a foreigner who, for all they know, does not have the right to work when living here and thus needs the employer to sponsor them for a work visa.

I would think an email back to them about their choice of language would be far more appropriate then sueing them and I would direct it to the HR department and to the CEO.

ironporer

Don;t take it personally...they probably just wanted someone who spoke Proper American

Bob

They were still breaking the law.

All they had to do was either say "Thank you but we will not be taking your application further" without an explanation or just like most companies and had just ignored him.

Sure most companies don't want to hire people who aren't living in the country, but only someone stupid would open themselves/company up for a law suit.

Rete

Quote the rest of my post, Bob. I didn't say I agreed with their choice of language; just the opposite.

Deedee13

choice of language or not "we are not hiring non US Citizens" is quite a statement to make in error or not. Especially in a country THAT WANTS CHANGE! "We are not hiring non US Residents" would have been the phrase we would all hope and pray they wanted to use but what if they didnt make a mistake?

I agree with Bob is anyone really that stupid?

notacrime

I didn't see anyone saying the OP should sue, just that they should report the firm to the equal employment commission.

cluedweasel

This doesn't apply to the whole country though. In my neck of the woods, more than a few people are openly hostile to anyone who sounds a bot different, including Brits.
On Friday night at one of the local supermarkets, while waiting at the checkout and chatting to the people in front of me (who were from the Bay Area and visiting), my shopping trolley was pulled out of my hands and swung across the floor (it turned over and all my shopping went everywhere) by some gentleman who insisted I left "his" country by the quickest possible means.

Rete

Right - should have been filed a complaint.

Rete

We do?

Ahhh yes, you say, with tongue in cheek.