SushiRoll

Hi everyone, I am a UK citizen living in UK. I recently was approved for US spouse visa and due to enter USA in April.

Am I legally allowed to apply for and start working a job advertised in the USA now before entering the USA?

Given a lot of companies are working remote this could be feasible (despite time difference).

Do I technically have the right to work in the USA or is that only once I actually enter the country?

Jerseygirl

I have moved your post into a new thread, that way your question will not get lost in the existing one.

steph0scope

You can work immediately that they stamp your passport at the airport upon arrival. I was working within a week of arrival. I was interviewed and offered the job by phone a few weeks beforehand. Anyone can look for and apply for a job at any time, even before the visa is issued. The company can even make an offer of employment before the visa is issued as an offer of employment will have the caveat that you must prove you are eligible to work in the country before you can actually commence employment. The company cannot allow you to perform any work until you have the permission to work (in your case, that will be the endorsed visa) and they have seen said permission.

lizzyq

What visa have you been approved for? Married to a US citizen or a derivative visa of your non-US spouse?

steph0scope

From past posts the OP is the spouse of a USC.

lizzyq

Thanks steph0scope for doing the research and letting the OP know that they will be work authorised just as soon as their visa is endorsed as an I-551 at the airport.

Note to SushiRoll the endorsed visa in you passport is fully valid proof of your legal permanent resident status aka "green card" for one year form being stamped and will be superseded by your plastic I-551 "green card" when that arrives in the mail in due course. You will need your SSN, so if you haven't received that in the mail within 3 weeks of arrival go to you local SSA office to get that accelerated. Good luck with your move!

SushiRoll

Thank you for responses - what I was expecting (will just have to wait until I arrive to start getting some of that USD!). I’ll keep the pin in my applications until a month or 2 before due to arrive in USA.

Out of interest, what is the clearest accurate terminology to include on CVs/applications regarding right to work in my circumstance?

As mentioned it’s a spouse visa (married over 2 years to US citizen).

Is it ‘legal permanent resident’ / ‘Green card holder’ / ‘approved US Spouse Visa’ etc.?

steph0scope

When I started applying I noted on my applications that I would have full work authorization on my own merit and did not require sponsorship or a work permit. I did not go into detail about my personal life. If they thought I was lying about not being eligible to work they perhaps shouldn’t be considering hiring me anyway and I would not want to work for them either.

lizzyq

Your official status will be Permanent Resident, but steph0scopes wording is good because it doesn't assume that the person looking at the application understands what permanent resident means, especially as colloquially the terms "permanent resident", "legal permanent resident", "LPR" and "green card holder" are all used for the same thing. When you get offered and accept a job the employer should use the e-verify system to check your status out as well.

Nutmegger

As lizzieq mentions, an employer will give you USCIS Form I-9 to complete, where you describe your status and affirm your right to work in the US.