Just look at the very large companies -- they have staff trained and ready to deal with visas and have no issues with it. I'm not just talking about the Google/MS/Apple/etc -- just very large companies (GE, IBM, Thomson Reuters, Lexmark, etc)
Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
11–20 of 26 posts
Re: Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why is it easier to get a H1B visa outside of the Bay Area?
Well... I would guess that you misunderstood me. I forget what is "understood", so that's my fault in the communication. The process to get an H1B visa is the same no matter where you are located. As you know, the best developers in the world head to the Bay area every year. Comparatively, it's fairly expensive with many companies looking to make as much impact as possible within a short amount of time. If you're a c…
> As you know, the best developers in the world head to the Bay area every year.
Uh no. Probably some go working for Google and Facebook, but that should be pretty much it.
Re: Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
#13> I find it quite depressing
Quit being so dramatic. There are enough good places in EU. There are loads of exciting startups in Stockholm, Berlin. Google has some interesting stuff going on in Zurich and London.
> the interesting stuff seems to be happening in the US (I currently work as a digital plumber, putting my university degree to waste).
There are enough plumbing jobs in the U.S. too. A vast majority of startup jobs in the Bay Area are exactly that. Plumbing. You either are specialized, in which case you have those jobs in both the EU and the U.S.
Also, as a person who went thru the H1B, I can say that you will find it way easier with medium sized and larger companies to get someone to apply for an H1B. There is no need for micro-optimization in terms of cities and such.
Re: Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
#14If your work is above average then you should not have an issue getting a job from a US company that will arrange all the paperwork for you.
Alternatively you could start by working in an European office, if the company is global and then find a way to relocate in the US.
However, you would be better by working from home and start doing some freelance work until you get to the expert level. Then, you can get a job and work remotely for any company in the world.
Everyone wants talented people. If you are talented it shouldn't be hard to find something good for you. If there is room for improvement do the work and get noticed by others.
Re: Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
#15Sure, it's hard. In your list, you forgot the E visa, which is extremely relevant to the HN crowd. Assuming you have a startup that is starting to take off in Europe, you will be able to move to the US to establish its US branch. It makes complete business sense (for a successful startup to expand to the US), and the visa is very easy to get (provided you use an experienced lawyer).
The E visa may not work for you today, but two years from now, who knows where your European startup will be.
Re: Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
#16I have seen an increased number of people getting visas based on extraordinary abilities. Some only have a news paper article that someone in their country published and some interesting project they did and that ends up qualifying them for an O-1 visa. You don't have to have a PhD or Nobel laureate to get these.
an argentine friend of mine, well known in JS world, has an O1 visa. so did a french friend of mine, who is a renowned graphic designer. but, you really don't need to be tesla or einstein to qualify
Re: Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
#17Most H1B visas go to average or below average developers working via large H1B sponsors like Tata, Infosys, Wipro and IBM ultimately working for IT departments of large corporations like banks and insurance companies.
Only a small minority go to high level developers at product companies.
Obviously, these visa sponsor companies (which call themselves "consultancies") sponsor visas almost exclusively for people from India. But, you could try to apply for jobs with them (possibly even through their Indian websites).
Once you are on an H1B visa, you can try to transfer to another more exciting company.
Re: Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
#18if you are under 35, you can get a J1 visa fairly easy. basically, they bring you over as a paid intern. your salary and real scope of work don't necessarily need to be of an intern
Re: Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
#19True - You have outlined the options, but added a half a dose of pessimism. L1 - you do NOT need to be a "Rockstar" or anything close. You need to be persistent and producing code (Github). It can be average code, but many just want to see that you produce. H1B -- This is kind of true. It's more true if you are only interested in the Bay area. I would suggest you try to find a large company to sponsor you in a less t…
> You have outlined the options, but added a half a dose of pessimism.
Yes, that was kind of intentional to spur a discussion. I guess persistence (along with optimism) is the key.
> Keep trying! You will get it!
Thanks for your feedback and encouragement!
Re: Ask HN: Is it still possible to work in the US as a European?
#20> I find it quite depressing Quit being so dramatic. There are enough good places in EU. There are loads of exciting startups in Stockholm, Berlin. Google has some interesting stuff going on in Zurich and London. > the interesting stuff seems to be happening in the US (I currently work as a digital plumber, putting my university degree to waste). There are enough plumbing jobs in the U.S. too. A vast majority of star…
Thanks for your reply. In my particular case, I guess I should be working towards getting more specialized (I’m more of a “generalist” now I’d say).