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Engineer's Guide to US Visas

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Re: Engineer's Guide to US Visas

#31

Post by kartikkumar »

This is the main reason I've given up. It's not an effective use of anyone's time to wade through the US immigration mess. My J-1 visa expired last October. I was in SF for my PhD research on a J-1 and had to suddenly return to Europe last April due to unforeseen family circumstances. I was in the process of filing for a waiver when I was in SF and had a long call with someone at Google about a position I'd applied for. I discovered that I had just missed the H1B deadline, so there was pretty much no way for me to get a job in 2013.

Now that I'm back in Europe, I've been looking into applying for a J-1 waiver and it's just form after form after form. Additionally, you have to pay something in the region of $2000 according to an immigration lawyer I sought out and with that I'd only be throwing my name in the ring, with the possibility that the State Department would reject my waiver application apparently.

I absolutely fell in love with SF whilst I was living there and would love to make it back now that I'm wrapping up my PhD, but I think it's neigh on impossible given the current bureaucracy involved.

Guess I'm just gonna wait it out and hope for immigration reform to kick in.

Re: Engineer's Guide to US Visas

#33

Post by jpatokal »

devnonymous wrote: post #16

FTA:"However, in my experience, it's absolutely worth it. Moving here was the best thing I ever did. It's an incredible country, and the opportunities here in tech are second to none." I wonder if given the current political, social and economical situation in the US, whether this (still ?) is the prevalent view within the tech community ? Having been to the US multiple times between 2005-2012, I was completely turne…

"The US" is big and non-homogeneous. Even SF and LA are surprisingly different, much less NY, DC, Austin, Orlando, Honolulu, Nashville, Fargo...

Re: Engineer's Guide to US Visas

#36

Post by drpgq »

"When the H-1B cap is reached, large companies like Google often look to L-1s instead, moving new employees to their Canadian offices for a year to make them eligible."

Huh. I knew Microsoft did this in Vancouver but hadn't heard about Google also using it although it makes sense. As a Canadian I'm not sure if the country really benefits from it, although I guess it boosts the Canadian offices.

Re: Engineer's Guide to US Visas

#37

Post by blacktulip »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #28
buro9 wrote: post #26

There are two things that give me serious pause about living and working in the USA, and that have made me not pursue or accept opportunities that I've been offered in Seattle and San Francisco. 1) Visas & immigration 2) Health

After spending more than 6 years in china, I can see the USA is not really that bad on those two points.

What is wrong with China's health service? It is far more affordable than US

Re: Engineer's Guide to US Visas

#38

Post by jbarham »

I'm Canadian and worked for over four years a software engineer in SoCal on work visas (TN then H1B).

My wife, an Aussie and high school teacher with several years of teaching experience in top international schools in Asia, couldn't legally work in the US. So she volunteered teaching ESL at a local adult school. Ironically many of her students were Hispanics who had originally entered the US illegally. Doubly ironically she got a special commendation award for her volunteering signed by George W. Bush's signing machine.

Eventually I got fed up with the bureaucratic farce whereby US visa regulations provide compliant, indentured foreign programmers to US businesses at below market salaries in exchange for the remote possibility that they'll eventually get a green card.

So I left and now live in Australia, where I am self-employed, can take time off to work on my own side-projects, and pay less than $300/month for private medical insurance for my family of four. American exceptionalism? Sure--if you're a sucker.

Re: Engineer's Guide to US Visas

#39

Post by deskamess »

knuxus wrote: post #29

Anyone know about something similar but applied to Canada?

NAFTA treaties have options for US and Mexico citizens.

For the rest there is the temporary foreign worker program. Your Canadian company has to do labor market opinions and all that stuff - could be time consuming. It is valid for 4 years. After 1 (one) year of starting your job, you can apply for permanent residency under the Canadian Experience Class [CEC] and it is self directed (no employer help needed at that point). Current processing times if you have applied within Canada is 13 months.

If you have not got your permanent residency by 4 years, but you have applied for and have a reference number, you can get a renewable 1 year open work permit that lets you work for anybody.

Computer jobs are covered by CEC, but not all jobs are.

You are eligible for health care after 3 months of being on the job. Until then you can get private coverage.

Re: Engineer's Guide to US Visas

#40

Post by Patient0 »

hackerboos wrote: post #6

"It's for this reason I suggest coming out to SF on your own accord, staying for a short while, and lining up a bunch of interviews with all the companies you're interested in." I believe this is only for B1/B2 visa holders and those who are part of the Visa Waiver Program (UK/Aus etc.). You're not supposed to look for work or attend interviews on a tourist visa.

Yes I can't believe he stated this without at least warning to be careful about this.

If an immmigration officer asks you at entry point "So why are you coming to San Francisco?" and you answered "I was going to interview with a few companies"? then they could quite reasonably refuse entry based on the idea that you are trying to gain entry on the wrong visa.

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