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Ask HN: How easily can I obtain a US Visa? Anyone got experience?

9 points by kaolinite ↗ HN
I'm hoping at some point in the next year or two to move from the UK to the US. I am young (I'll be 20 next week) and I currently work as a programmer for a reasonably sized digital agency. I have experience, I am skilled and I could provide value working for a company in the US.

I have no ties to the US in particular, though some of my relatives live over there I think (let's ignore that though, I don't really know them and I'm not certain).

So, where do I go from here? Do I approach companies first and then try and get them to sponsor me for a visa? How likely is it that I will be approved for a visa? Does anyone have any experience in this area?

Also, does location in the US matter? There are a few places that I would like to move in particular. Any ideas what effect the particular state I'm planning on moving to will have on the chances of obtaining a visa?

7 comments

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yashchandra
"Any ideas what effect the particular state I'm planning on moving to will have on the chances of obtaining a visa?"

Not really. State of residence has nothing to do the ability of obtaining a visa. But you got far bigger things to worry about. You have to consider many factors before you can get an answer. For example, do you have at least a Bachelors degree ? Guessing by your age, I would assume not yet ? Without the degree, you probably cannot get the H1B visa (work visa) You can try to work for a company in the UK first who have offices in the US. They might be able to send you on L1 visa but then again, not having a degree might restrict you. There are other visas tied to extraordinary ability but I have always wondered who qualifies for those other than inventors, researchers etc. If you create a startup in the UK and that a very successful one, may be you will qualify for those. Another option is to get married to a US Citizen (fastest way btw) and apply for permanent residency. I am not suggesting doing it in any way but just letting you know the option. If you happen to find true love who happens to be a US citizen, good for you. Dont fall for any immigration scams though. last option which may not be applicable in your case again is through investments in the US. If you have like a million dollars and you can create 10 jobs for US citizens, you might be eligible for a conditional permanent residency.

toxiczone
L1 would be the best bet. Three conditions, it has to be a UK co owning a branch in the States, not a US co with a UK office. You have to work there for at least a year (keep your pay stubs, they are required proof). They have to demonstrate they could not find the talent locally, newspaper ad and a couple interviews...

For investments, I don't know if 1M USD is required, but, I saw in the news some gov or cities considering to use foreign investors to finance local projects and they'll be able to obtain green cards (Tampa Bay Rays new stadium for example) but I don't think they are doing it yet, or maybe it was just more politicians blabbering in the medias...

[update] decide wisely, a visa tied to a company means you can't work anywhere else... You quit, your arse is back on a plane... Which means it is often used to secure cheaper talents that are stuck w the company, of course there are ways (h1B transfer to another company) but they are difficult to achieve...

Good luck!

shafqat
The following line is not correct: "it has to be a UK co owning a branch in the States, not a US co with a UK office"

It can be either way around. But your general point is true: the L1 visa is great. I moved over on an L1A visa (the US company is the parent, with branch in UK). I just got a 2 year extension after the first year. Now in the process of getting an expedited green card.

Mz
My general/anecdotal understanding is that those long lost relatives (if they do exist) are probably a better bet than an employer for getting sponsored. Other common avenues for getting to the U.S. include marriage and going to college here. All of those seem to generally be easier to pull off than sponsorship by an employer.

At least that's my impression.

lachyg
Do you have a degree? If not, good luck.
vosper
This is true, unfortunately - at my last company two of us (me a Kiwi, the other guy was British) were being sponsored for an H1B. I got one and sadly he didn't. The major differences between the two of us was that I had a comp sci degree, while his was in design and 3d animation, which weren't considered to be highly skilled / in demand enough.

But if you don't have a degree you will definitely struggle for an H1B, as it's part of validating your visa-worthiness - my degree was certified as US equivalent by a professor at US university.

Also, you need a lawyer who specialises in this stuff - the application is labyrinthine.

egeozcan
I am a Turkish citizen working in Germany with a residence permit. It was very easy to get it after doing my master study in Germany (So I had a student visa before the residence permit, which allowed very limited working hours). I had a "Business Administration / Economics" degree before and I studied a similar topic here. Now I'm working in a German software company.

I have no idea how this works in the states but maybe you can try the same. However, I heard that the education is too expensive there (Didn't even Google once, so, take this with a grain of salt).