How did you get a visa?
 

This is a pretty general enquiry to all those luck enough to gain visas to live and work in America....

To those who have gone in on work visas how did you obtain your visas and what industry/job do you work in?

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Worked for a UK-based software/tech company, they transferred me to the US on an L1-B, then switched to an L1-A (as it should have been an L1-A to begin with). Received my GC and have since moved on.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Is your field of work/job in a specialist subject?

The reason I ask is I am getting a lot of people say you would only be accepted for a visa based on these requirements?

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

We're not in the US as we have no interest in moving there, but hubby is headhunted regularly for jobs there and we could move if we wanted to. So if it helps at all, he's in the energy industry at director level, with a degree and a masters.

HTH.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Applied to a job with a British Company who hold E2 status, got the job, visited the embassy, got on the plane.

Not a permanent solution to living here, but I'm enjoying the 5 years I have got

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

E2 status?

could you please expand on what you posted as its very basic?

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

L1-B visa, as a technical professional in oil and gas.

I have an undergraduate degree and masters in my field from the UK, and when I transferred had 14 years experience.

I was going to move to the US to marry my now wife, who is a US citizen anyway, but transferring with the company provided financial security and was quicker. I now have my green card (US permanent residency) through marriage.

There are quite a few exceptions, but as a general rule, most large multinationals will tend to transfer specialists and senior managers. I personally doubt getting an undergraduate finance degree with get you into that group within a few years.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Thanks so much for your answer.....

This is a 10 year plan, our daughter is 1, and ideally I would like to move when she finishes primary school

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

I worked for a small UK-based company (originally a startup). I had knowledge of the company and its products/services that would not have been obtainable by an outsider. I also managed teams of individuals within the firm.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

It was a very basic answer because it was a pretty basic situation.

E-2 is a visa type. A British company that holds E-2 status in the US can employ British people and they get an E-2 Treaty Visa. It lasts for 5 years, but you have to remain employed by that company.

The reality is that once you are here, you learn about other E2 companies, and then you can move to a different company if you need/want to.

The whole process from accepting the offer to getting the visa took about 3 weeks.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Wow! that quick?

Once you are over there are you then able to apply for a more permanent visa?

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Strictly speaking no. The E-2 visa neither helps nor hinders you getting a Green Card. You still have to qualify like everyone else. The E-2 is extendable though for as long as the company holds E2 status and you are employed.

It is not a permanent solution.

That being said though in my particular situation, the company after three years, put you through the EB process, which can (if successful) give you permanent residency

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Hint: Google is your friend! :)

Ian

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Go take a look in your other thread where I talked about an E-2 visa. :)

BTW my wife is a USC, so I am not on a work visa.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Hubby is a partner (retired now but still a partner) of one the world's largest accountancy companies. His career is in IT not accountancy. He came to the US on a L1a visa...I had a the spouse L2 visa which came with permission to work.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Worked in Biotech IT in Spain. Parent company took over a biotech firm in the US. They needed my skills, I wanted to move. So they sponsored us for L1b/L2 visa. 4 years later to the day of my job offer coming through...our green cards were approved.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

I worked for a small company in the UK, who did business with companies in the USA in the glass industry. I would assist with start ups, and one company offered me a job. That was in 1977, and I started working for them in 1978.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Marriage to my now ex-wife. Divorced after just over a year in the US (3 years married).

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Moved from the UK on a R1 Visa in 2001.

Self petitioned for GC in 2003. GC received in 2005.

Became a citizen in 2010.

Moved back to the UK in 2015.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

I have a degree in Animation and ran my own freelance business for 5 years after graduating. I was approached by a US non profit association looking for a certain type of animation for their video and wanted to replicate something similar to what I had on my website. Worked with them freelance from the U.K. . They loved my work and offered to take me on as an intern/trainee in their design department.

I was sponsored for a J1 moved to the US for a one year training plan.
They extended the training plan to 18 months. Impressed with my training and work ethic.

Towards the end of my internship I was offered a job and they sponsored me for an H1b visa, I was very fortunate to intern with a non profit as they are H1b cap exempt and were able to file at any time.

I currently work for this associations publications department as a graphic designer and digital content creator.

No perminant plans in my future, but enjoying my time here.

I haven't read many design related profession visa routes. Thanks for allowing me to share my journey.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Hi - Thank you for sharing. After reading many other stories of their journey to the US it would seem that my best bet is to gain entry via a job transfer. My plan is to move in 10 years when my daughter finishes primary school, so I am hoping that this is possible

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

hubbie worked in the uk for a large American bank in their it dept. (snr manager in network storage). Transferred to US on an L1A. got a green card - moved jobs :)

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

I see from your other thread you are planning to use accountancy as a route to USA. I have been an accountant for 23 years and have a good CV having occupied a number of senior positions in multinationals. I always wanted to move to the USA (when I was younger, not now, I think the time has passed) and I got close but I never managed to pull it off.

These options do not drop into your lap, although having said that I know a few people that did secure a transfer over. They were all experienced accountants, say 15-20 years in the business, working for multinationals and transferred on the L1 visa to take up senior roles. I cannot think of any newly or recently qualified accountants that moved over.

I think chances of getting a H1b visa are extremely remote. There are plenty of accountants in the U.S., it simply is not a niche enough occupation for any employer to need to go through that process. So yes, I agree a transfer is the best bet, although still far from a sure bet.

Qualifying as an accountant is not easy, these are degree levels exams which you need to pass whilst holding down a full time job. So I would conclude with the advice to only pursue this as a career if it is something you would be happy to do in the UK, not because of a small chance that it would lead to a US visa.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Applied for job.
Accepted job offer.
Company apply for H1b visa. Quota met. Unsuccessful in lottery. (2007)
Company apply for H1b visa. Quota met. Unsuccessful in lottery. (2008)
Company apply for H1b visa. Successful. (2009)
Visa transfer to new company. (2012)
GC process starts 2014.
GC approved 2015.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Initially a K1.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Hi, thank you for your reply.

Accountancy and business - Going back to Uni to get my Ba (Hons) Business Management degree while getting my ACA through the ICAEW student scheme. I realise this is going to be a long process, at least 6 years in education as I have a friend who has just completed hers. Because I am doing a business degree also I am open to what career will follow, whether or not it will predominantly be accounting, I don't know. This is definitely not just to gain entry into the US this is me actively seeking a new career path for myself that I have recently become interested in since starting a new job - its all very exciting!

I now understand how hard it is to get in to the US from my own threads and others, I think my 10 year plan may be a little too ambitious now, but I don't see any harm in asking the questions now just for my own info.

Thanks again for your response

Z

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Hi Sarah, thanks for your reply.

May I ask what job? Sorry to be nosey - its just nice to find out all the different jobs that people have applied for.

How did you apply for the job?

Thanks,

Z

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Software Engineer on an O1.

I'm 24 and have no degree in my field which made the process of getting a visa a bit tricky to say the least.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Oh wow!

But you got in....congratulations!

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

I've been a consultant with a US software company for several years now (indirectly via a UK partner at first, and now directly), working remotely from the UK but covering clients around the world. They sponsored me for a H1B this year - paperwork went in by end of March, selected in the lottery in within a few weeks (mid-April), and the application was approved by UCSIC by the first week of May. Was quite surprised at how quickly it happened given that I have no degree education (but over 16 years of experience in the field).

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Thanks for the response

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

TN route via 12 years of Canadian TWV, Permanent residence and Citizenship, and qualifying under the "Engineer" category of TN.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

This won't help you at all but, since you asked ...

• For several years I worked as a software engineer for a company in the UK which had a business relationship with a small US software company.
• During this time I got to know the founders of the US company. They, apparently, got the idea that I was very good at what I did, and they offered me a job, working for them in the US.
• I had a lot of accrued vacation and used some of it to go and visit the US for 4 weeks to try to decide whether or not I wanted to move there.
• Once I made my decision, the US company and their attorney started the necessary paperwork for an H1-B visa application.
• Since this was back in the "good old days" the whole H1-B visa process took less than 8 weeks (it started at the beginning of December 1986 and I had the visa in my passport before the end of January 1987)

Your mileage may vary (and, if you end up going for a non cap-exempt H1-B visa, your timescale will be massively longer and will almost certainly involve a lottery along the way ...)

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Applied in 1988 for a green card on the basis of husband having family (close family) in the US. Green card approved in 1989 for us all, hubby,me and two kids. Still here 27 years later.

This wouldn't happen now. Family visa's take much longer to get.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Thank you for sharing. I thought the non profits which were h1b exempt were universities and research orgs that are affiliated with them?

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Came over on an H4 visa, applied for a job and got sponsored for an H1B in the next cycle. I work in insurance and had three years' experience when I moved over.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

All non-profits are exempt from the H1B cap.

Rene

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/...c21c060606.pdf

Not quite.

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Is there any way to tell, which companies have E2 status? Can i assume that all British companies would have this facility?

Re: How did you get a visa?
 

Yes.


No.

Ian