Hi,

I just wondering if anyone might be able to help me with some information on finding a job in the USA.

I currently live in England with my wife, who is a US citizen. We both have jobs here, but are wanting to move to the USA within the next year or so. We plan on applying for a marriage based visa in order to move over, so I won't need to find a job to sponsor my visa.

The main issue with us moving back over is that it would make it much easier on us if one of us had a job lined up in the USA before we came over.

Does anyone have any advice on the best way to find a job in the states while out of the country? Perhaps a recruitment consultant might work?

I am a civil engineer with a masters degree and 5 years experience while my wife has a social work qualification but is currently working as a receptionist in the UK. We are very flexible about where we want to go, pretty much anywhere in the USA would be great as my wife wants to be nearer to her family.

We will have some savings before we move over, but if we can get jobs lined up before moving over it would allow us to use our savings for a deposit on a house rather than for living on!

Any advice you could give us on job hunting would be much appreciated!

Thank you,

Networking.

Perhaps. Might be worth a try, nothing to lose if it doesn't work.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to job hunt from outside the USA. But networking seems to be the biggest method of finding a job, anywhere. If you end up posting a resume online somewhere, make sure it's a US-style one, with US spelling. Use a US address and US contact information. If the employer thinks you need sponsoring, your resume will most likely end up right in the trash without being looked at.

Rene

Unlike most professions, experienced Civil Engineers are definitely in great demand and there are jobs in local government for CE's too (some not that well paid, which is why they are going begging).

But you absolutely must get a P.E. license (sic). As you are doubtless aware (or will be soon!) every State has different requirements for a P.E. license. They vary enormously. Some have pretty good comity, other have next to none. Some states make it easy for foreigners, some make it next to impossible.

Having a P.E. license, even if it is for the "wrong" State will open lots of doors.

I am a Brit and am in the USA on a L1A visa working for a very large global engineering company which is always on the look out for talented people. I have sent you a private message. Also try looking on LinkedIn website.

You won't meed a job sponsor but your wife will need to sponsor you and meet income requirements.
So someone will need a job.

Or, they have the option of using assets or a joint sponsor.

Rene

I'd definitely look into the use of assets to alleviate the potential need for a co-sponsor.

Social work over here might also require a state license and IIRC often requires a college degree, so that would need looking into.

I would suggest you pick an actual location you would prefer to live in and then get looking online, linkedin is a good starting point, your wifes family and their friends if you want to live close to them would be of benefit.

Yes - that is probably the single best chance that you have.

Start searching for anyone and everyone that you know from high school, university, work, colleagues, clients etc and look for any of them who might happen to now be living and working in the US and reconnect with them.

Thanks for the advice guys, ill definitely have a look at LinkedIn, never used it before but it sounds like it might be useful.

My first option is to see if I could transfer my job through my current company, but I'm not sure if this will be possible.

In terms of sponsorship, I think we will have to use my wife's dad as a co-sponsor, as I don't think we will have enough in terms of assets to sponsor ourselves. If one of us has a job offer can that be used as proof that you can support yourselves on the visa application?

Do any of you have a rough idea of how long a marriage visa takes to process after applying? I've heard varying estimates ranging from a couple of months up to a year!

Thanks again!

USCIS is going to look at your current income in the US so the promise of a job doesn't count. However if, say, your wife gets a job and works over in the US and then sponsors you, that counts. If she earns less than 125% of the poverty level for your size of family, you can still make up the difference with either assets at 3x the difference (as you are married) or by having your wife's dad being a co-sponsor.

That's fine, this is possible.

The job offer can be used as proof of intent to domicile in the USA, but future income cannot be used on the I-864 affidavit of support. For the I-864, only *current* income can be counted.

If the I-130 is filed directly to London, you're looking at about 6 to 8 months.

Rene

TimNiceBut - The problem is however that my wife is in the UK with me at the moment, and so at the point of applying for the visa, neither of us would be working in the USA.

I don't fully understand the visa application process yet, but I think in this case we would have to use her dad as a co-sponsor?

You have a couple of options:

1) Your wife moves over to the US, gets a job, sponsors you from there
2) You have assets 3x poverty guidelines, she sponsors you from the UK
3) You don't have enough assets, then you need a co-sponsor

1) is probably the easiest and it also means that you'd actually have something to live on after the move.

Tim meant that your wife could move to the USA ahead of you, secure employment, and then be able to sponsor you.

If your wife doesn't want to move to the USA ahead of you, and you don't have enough in assets, then the only other option is to use a Joint Sponsor. It does not have to be a family member, although it could be, if you want.

It's best to start using correct terminology, so when you start doing more research you won't be confused...the correct term is Joint Sponsor (not co-sponsor).

Rene