H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

Hello all and thanks for taking time to read my thread..

I have just gone 30 years old and I have been told by many family members and clients that I should try and get a job in the US. I have studied in IT from leaving school and have over 12 years experience in all aspects of the IT industry.

I need a little help off you guys to point me in the right direction of what is required and how I go about looking for jobs as all the sites I find require money from you to search the jobs section.

I wish to find a Job via the H1B visa program but don't know where to start to find companies who actually support the H1B program?

Also is there a cut off age to apply for a job using the H1B program. Also the US is that big I don't have a clue where would be the best place to start looking for a job.


Any information would be great!

Thanks in advance

Tom

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

30 million Indians are looking for that Job as well ...in the same place

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

And several million Americans/permanent residents/work authorized visa holders who are already in the US.

Best options, get specialized in something niche that US employers will be very interested in, get on linked in and network, find an international company who have offices in the UK and USA, work for them for a while and see if you can get transferred. It doesn't sound like you have a degree which will probably seriously hurt any application you make for a job.

As for where to look, I just saw a list of the top 7 cities the other day. Probably won't help you but here's the link. http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news...cities-it-jobs

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

Forgive me, but is this something you actually want to do? From what you've written, it seems as though your motivation is purely external.


Is there anything specific that you're particularly good at? Do you have any certifications that support your experience? I have almost 30 years experience in IT and even though I have an MS degree in IT (and working on a PhD), I don't have any certifications... so employers are still shy to employ!


Well, for starters... there are no lists of companies willing to sponsor you for an H-1B visa. If you happen to find a web site that will provide you with a list in exchange for some $$, don't fall into the trap. There are no lists. As with all things in IT, you need to network; you need to become known in your area of expertise; and you need to be in the US! If that means a 90-day trip to the US on the VWP to do some job hunting, that's what you're going to need to do.

I'll caution you though... in the current economic climate, IT pros are a dime a dozen and there are, literally, thousands of unemployed IT pros in the US who don't need sponsoring and can start work tomorrow if asked.


No.


The US is 40 times the size of the entire UK!


Don't look for a specific location... look for companies. Many folks will want to live in California or Florida because they believe the media hype about how great those states are... but there are jobs all over the US.

Ian

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

Just to clarify something - the H1B visa is not a 'program' as such, and there are no companies that 'support' it, as such. The H1B is merely a type of visa that allows someone to come and work for a specific employer for up to six years at a time. The H1B will be petitioned for by an employer if they want to employ a non-US person. Any employer can petition for an H1B if they find a suitable person for employment (and want to take the trouble to apply for the visa).

The challenge for you is to find an employer willing to 1) offer you a job and 2) take the time and expense to petition for the visa. As you know there is a recession on here so it is a employers market right now. The visa requires some expense on the part of the employer, and you cannot begin work until October 1 this year, so there are some disincentives for them to hire someone who requires an H1B, to put it mildly. As someone who is not based here, does not have a knowledge of the US IT market, and has no US based job experience or education, you are also going to be at a disadvantage in jobseeking here regardless of the visa issues.

To overcome the above you'd likely need specialist and/or exceptional skills and history to get anywhere. In the absence of these you may be better off working your way towards an intercompany transfer from a UK corporation or considering postgrad study in the US.

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

Yes, you need a clear personal reason to come. People in the UK usually have a very idealized picture of life in the US.

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

Most US jobs are worse than their UK/European equivalents. Wages have stagnated over the years, health care is expensive, paid holidays are few, as is paid sick leave and often employers don't help you with retirement savings. Unless you have a top job or something like a research or university appointment I would not move to the US as the average worker is poorly treated.

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

My advice, having done this is..... DON'T.

If you want to work in IT (as I do), there are many IT-related jobs in the UK and Europe where you will find more modern working conditions and more notice of your skills as an individual rather than the pieces of paper you have.

Americans tend to be very hung-up on qualifications in a way that the UK isn't. Everyone but everyone has a degree/diploma/certificate in something, and that sets their status. But, it doesn't mean that they are any good, so what you have in IT here is a lot of (on paper) very well qualified people that are totally hopeless.

Unfortunately, the recent influx from China and India is also bringing that same academic-prize culture - they also don't quite understand that even if you haven't got a single O-level, you may actually be competent or better than them. They have also brought (IMHO) a much-more hierarchical structure from their position-based cultures which is at odds with both the US West-Coast and UK "flat-structure" mentalities. But, they are very, very well qualified.

This is not sour grapes - I am very well qualified in both the UK and US sense, but half the people around me with PhDs would not have got past the first interview stage in the UK for the type of job that they are doing. The culture is VERY different...

One major issue in IT here is the NIH (Not Invented Here) syndrome. The American work culture is very insular, and rarely looks outside it's borders for direction. That means that if you want to influence a US-based IT company from outside the US, you will find that very, very hard to do.

So, you have a choice:

- work in IT in the UK/EU, but don't expect to be able to have much clout in the grand scheme of things (unless you work for an EU-domiciled IT company) or;

- work in IT in the US, but go back about 20 years in terms of working style, and probably still not have much clout unless you have significant status.

Frankly, if you are just starting out in IT, I would stay put right now....

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

If you've got niche skills that are in demand, you might have a shot, if you work for a company with a US presence and have niche internal knowledge you might work a transfer, other wise you're competing with the dime a dozen crown, who probably have masters as well as the experience.

If you're serious about this, you'll want to brush up your past contacts as you'll need to document 12 years of career progression of skills etc to make up for no degree.

Finding a job, just like anything else, network.

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

IT in the US: Unpaid overtime, you'll do a lot of it.

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

Personally I'd say stay in the UK, in the USA you usually start out with less holidays (2 weeks paid vacation), 24 hours on call, less salary, and more overtime... forget about a company car.. and I am talking about the big financial and blue chip firms too..

If its experience your looking for then give it a go, but for the money and lifestyle in IT, the UK has it better...

How do I know? I'm an IT Security Consultant with 16 years in...

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

+1 for everything you said! And very well put too..

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

No all IT jobs have a lot of unpaid overtime, but I think those jobs are the exception to the rule. Luckily I'm about to start one of those exceptions!

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

How did this influx happen given the limited work visas?

Surely there must be differences in the work culture for IT people working in Silicon Valley vs. Wall Street? No? Another American stereotype?

Re: H1B Visa - Wanting to move to USA and work in the IT industry
 

No idea. But there has been a lot of investment in these countries by the US.

Could one be linked to the other ?