Rog.Dodge

I am about to finish a job i have had in the US (from the UK) for over 4 years on a H1B Visa. I really want to stay (we had started the Green Card process with this company but obviously this will stop now my job is over). It's very clear companies here are very reluctant to take on new employees who need sponsorship due to the time (mostly) but also the cost. Are there any secrets or easier routes to getting a job here under these circumstances? Would it be easier to move into an education institution - is the Visa process easier as they prefer the diversity of international lecturers? I am at the senior/exec level in my roles. The two here have been President and General Manager. Anyone looking to break into the UK market would be an obvious business to approach - anyone know how I might discover these businesses? Any thoughts gratefully received!!

cautiousjon

What is your chosen field? Are you IT/tech? How long do you have before you lose your current job?

By far the best way to get a new job is to be referred, which means that you need to get out and meet new people if you don't already have a good network.

With regards to visa sponsorship, I don't think that will be an issue if you find a decent company. I have quite a few friends who are software engineers on H1B visas, mostly living in the tech hubs like southern California (Bay Area, LA, San Diego), Seattle, Austin, etc. If their experience is anything to go by, companies still seem to be willing to hire people with H1Bs if the candidate is (very) good. I have friends who work for large tech companies (Apple, Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc), as well as successful startups (Uber, Lookout, Square [pre-IPO], etc).

Another way to find a new job is to join a website like www.hired.com, which specializes in tech recruiting. I joined the website and received a fair bit of interest from recruiters. Every startup that I spoke to would have sponsored an H1B renewal if I had been offered a job (if I had an H1B, which I don't).

Some suggestions:
- Ask people that you know for referrals to other companies
- Attend local meetups in your area in your chosen field to meet like-minded people to build out your network
- Join specialist recruiting websites like www.hired.com and https://angel.co/

Also, I have been told that it can take around two weeks for an H1B transfer to take place, so even if you are successful and get a new job, you will need to keep that in mind.

Rog.Dodge

Hey thanks for the response. Sadly, I'm really in general management. I have some specific knowledge and experience in the products and market in which I've worked while being in the US but nothing you would really call specialist. I will certainly follow up on the sites you suggested.

Your note about 2 weeks to transfer is intriguing in that it sounds like they don't need to go through the arduous process that a company needs to the first time around. I gather you can't simply truly transfer a H1B, but the process does really seem like that. Should a potential employer be put off by this process? If it's only two weeks that an amazingly quick for a US type process like this!

Thanks again for your input.

Roger

cautiousjon

The way that my friends phrase it is just like a visa transfer. The new company apparently files some sort of petition to USCIS to get the visa assigned to them, and you are then able to remain in status on your H1B.

Rog.Dodge

Sounds good! Thanks again for your replies. Appreciated

lndn2nbca

I've been involved with two H1B transfers from another company to my company. It costs the company about $2100 (most of which I think were legal fees paid to a specialist, rather than USCIS costs, not certain) and about 2-3 weeks. It's way easier than original sponsorship.

Rog.Dodge

Thanks - that's good to know. Now I have to worry about getting the Green Card process moving before my six years is up (but I gather I can add on the time that I have been out of the country). Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Very comforting to know it's relatively straight-forward