Help Needed
 

Hi everyone..

Very sorry if this information has been asked for before ( i'm sure it has ).

Basically, Myself, wife and my son of 5 really want to emmergrate to Florida ( Sarasota / Tampa area ).

The research that I have done so far has led me to believe that I will need something called the H1B Visa ( as I have worked in IT for the last 18 years ). In order for me to be able to apply for this visa, I need a US company to offer me a job with sponsorship.
If this was to happen, exactly what do I need to do to apply and how much will it cost, also, exactly what does the US company have to do and how much does it cost them?
.
Also, assuming that I get the visa, how long does it last?. Is it easy to apply for it again if still in same employment?. How long do you have to wait before you can apply for a green card?. Again, how long does this take and cost, as I don't really want to buy a house while still on a visa.
Assuming that I eventually got the green card, does that mean that my wife and son will automatically get residency?.

Sorry for all the questions, but i'm finding it all a bit confusing.

Thanks guys.

Regards

Michael

Why Tampa / Sarasota area? ever been?

Hi Michael

Im going to leave the more technical questions regarding cost etc to those who can answer it more eloquently than myself (ie, in such a way as you would understand it all ;) ) and I'll tell you something of what I know regarding the job search/visa.

Firstly, you need to arm yourself with a bagload of patience and perseverance because in the current climate this could take a while. We've been looking for an H1-B sponsored job for almost a year now and by that I mean hours and hours each and every day. The market is slowly picking up but I suspect it could take a while yet.

Secondly, to adress your questions (in part). You need to secure a job offer that meets certain criteria........same wage as a US employee would get etc. etc. Once you have the offer your employer will put the application in for your visa. They will also provide details of steps taken to try and fill the vacancy with a US citizen. Assuming that is approved you will be sent the paperwork so you can go to the US consulate in London to (hopefully) pick up your visa. The costs I believe are met by the sponsoring company and the process can be "premium processed" so ineffect it would take only 15 days to get a decision back to your employer. If any of that information is incorrect now, someone will surely correct me. I've stopped looking so closely at all the visa information and concentrated on trying to find a job :D

If you get an H1-B visa your wife and son can recieve an H4 (apply at the same time) they can then live and study in the US but not work.

This is currently the best visa to enter on in my opinion as you do not have to prove you intend to return to your home country and you can apply for a green card fairly soon...as opposed to some other visas.

Sorry that wasn't all the detail you required, just thought Id throw a few lines your way as I wait to go out on the school run.

Im doing as you're doing only I want to go to Dallas Texas, right now though Id go anywhere!!

Good luck....will watch your progress with interest.


BSG

Thanks..

Thats shed some light. I've got a couple of interested companies already ( having sent my CV to about 200 US companies ) so hopefully something will come off.

Hope all goes well with your search.

Regards

Michael

Want to move to Sarasota / Tampa as i have a couple of contacts who live there. Yes i have been and its beautiful.

oh wow! I'm impressed!

Came rushing back because I forgot to tell you to get your CV "americanised". Someone on these forums helped us do this and also to translate my husband qualifications. The response since we did this has been very good, still rejections but "nice" ones (keep you on file, etc. etc.)..sounds like you don't need this advice though :D

My husbands asking if you fancy swapping CV's;) you've got about ten years more experience than he has!

Good luck!

Ha Ha...

They probably won't lead to much, but least its positive.

I've also had nices replies....sort of...no jobs but have you tried these companies..sort of thing.

Am very determined to move there...only a matter of time..

I'm a believer of " if you want sometying bad enough, it WILL happen"..

Ohhhh we want it badly enough....badly enough to have already packed up everything and moved into temp accomodation so that when everything falls into place.....we're off! :D

Race you!!!!!;)

Last one to "land" gets the beers in!!

I am a believer that if you want to move to the USA you have to be patient and let it happen.

Most of us are here through work or circumstance, not many of us have just upsticks and moved because we felt like it.

Look beyond Florida, get the visa first and THEN in time look around to find out where you want to settle down. You cannot be picky with regards H1B visa's because they're not giving them out in droves.

Blue..

haha..I wish you all the luck..it WILL happen for you...by the way, don't suppose you have a copy of the format used to change your CV into resume do you?.

Manc.

Its not a desision that I have taken lightly, i didn't just wake up and think..I'd like to move to the US.
I have a good job in I.T., a nice house, 2 cars, and a 5 year old boy. I have given this a lot of though...
Both myself and my wife think that it would be a much nicer place, climate..etc.. to bring up our son in Florida.

I know its going to be hard and a long slog, but other people do it..why not us.

We didn't recieve a format as such but off the top of my head the advice we got was to shorten the CV to one page, max one and a half. Take out any "minor" qualifications such as SCOTVEC etc cos Americans don't know what they are, put in only your degree. Obviously, change the name to Resume rather than CV and put on your CV that you require H1-B sponsorship and a bit about why you want to live and work in that area (geographical)

My hubby stopped putting that he required H1-B sponsorship in his email, he put it instead in his RESUME.....the idea being, that way the resume gets read and the content might just sway a prospective employer who would otherwise have dismissed it based on the H1-B requirement.

I'll check through my files and see what else I can dig up. Feel free to drop me a PM if you wish and we can talk further.

For the record, this isn't a whim for us either, we've spent the last five years plus working towards this goal....we'll get there!!

Florida is a terrible place.. But I will give it another 30 years just in case its gets better...

hahah nice one Ray..:)

Yes, you do have to prove that you do not intend to permanently stay in the US when applying for your visa. It is a non-immigrant visa, and therefore you are supposed to go back home when the visa expires. You have to show you still have ties to your own country. They are normally issued for 3 years and can be extended for another 3. My husband is an H1-b and has just started the GC process and we've been told it will take about 5 years to get it.

LOL, even after 4 years i'm still not sure.
But I will stick it out and see how things go. ;)

Re: Help Needed
 

<<snip>>

If you head over to the US Visas forum, you'll find all you need to know (and more) about the H1B.

I note that you have a son. I would urge you to do a lot of research now about schools and the cost of education for your son. That's as important as you getting an an HI-B! I'm not kidding, either.




NC Penguin