Working in the US

Duffman · 12-08-2007, 12:39 PM

Has anyone gone from working in Australia to work in the US? I have been looking into moving overseas to work but it’s so hard to find information on working in America. Can anyone provide any tips?

I would be looking to work in Banking/Finance field and have tertiary qualifications (diploma, degree, grad cert) and have worked over here three years in the industry (I am 23). At the moment I am working in the back office for a stock broking firm which is great but I really want to go out there and do something different.

I have looked into the UK and there are lots of opportunities plus I can get the 5yr visa which is an advantage. Iv never done any thing like this before and I am sure some of you guys have so I was hoping you could provide me with some advice.

sgt_doofey · 12-08-2007, 02:42 PM

To work in the US, I think that you'll find that you'll need to arrange employment and get a business over there to sponsor you to get your Visa.

MYVYSS should be able to give you some more details considering he did it not long ago. Maybe get in contact with him via PM.

MYVYSS · 12-08-2007, 04:03 PM

I did it 4 months ago, add me to MSN craig@ausrevs.com and I will answer any and every question you have, just remember I am 17 behind you...or...um 7 hours EST ahead YESTERDAY...um its 11pm Saturday at the moment here in California, I just got home and maybe NOW wouldnt be the best time...I could be a little tired and emotional...its been a BIG day around the pool....LOL

MYVYSS · 12-08-2007, 04:27 PM

Its not so simple to get into the US for work, actually its probably one of the hardest places on the earth to gain entry for work purposes, however there is a HUGE shortage or Highly skilled workers at the moment, you best bet at the moment as the quota for immigrants is full till 2009, However there is a E3 Visa available just for Australian Citz....and there are still around 10000 spots "open" however in order to get on the E3 you need a job BEFORE you leave Australia and will jump thru a heap of hoops for Homeland Security before getting here. I know I did, I was never an angel but dam, it was the first time in my life I had to be finger printed.... The company I was employed by handled everything for me and from memory with flights and everything (including 2 sets of attorneys and stuff from both US and AUS it was like 50k just to get here.)

Also just remember you will need substantial financial backing when you first arrive, gettting any sort of CREDIT here is almost impossible in the first year, I am on over 200k a year here, and I still couldnt get approved for a 500 dollar credit card at first. And if you get some credit (car loan or something) you could get raped with 10+ interest rates and having to put a large deposit down...most car loans for Americans with decent credit ratings here at the moment are between 0 and 4 percent...YES 0 percent...!!! its crazy

Duffman · 12-08-2007, 06:22 PM

Thanks MYVYSS I have added you to my msn list. It sounds tuff I am thinking the UK might be a better option as they seem so open to Australian's. I am still going to look into the US alot but it seems so hard!

MYVYSS · 13-08-2007, 09:39 AM

Your welcome, mate any questions I am willing to help when I can, mate if you want to try to get here let me know what experience you have, the consultants company I work for are looking for heaps of people in different areas, if you have the skill set we are looking for I am almost positive we could arrange something.

conordec · 13-08-2007, 10:26 AM

if you're into banking, try the hong kong option.

think... tax.

bobkatz · 13-08-2007, 10:04 PM

More importantly Do the american Girls love the Aussie accent? Does the Australian Accent stick out alot in america and can they tell where you are from?

sgt_doofey · 14-08-2007, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobkatz

More importantly Do the american Girls love the Aussie accent? Does the Australian Accent stick out alot in america and can they tell where you are from?

Didn't come across this when we were over there in '03. But it probably didn't help that we were working in a winery with 11 other Australians and the two head winemakers were also Australian!
We're back over there the end of October/start of November on the east coast this time, so I'll try my luck again. Just don't tell the wife!

MYVYSS · 14-08-2007, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobkatz

More importantly Do the american Girls love the Aussie accent? Does the Australian Accent stick out alot in america and can they tell where you are from?

Yes they love it, YES it sticks out...but mostly you are asked if you are English...LOL

winovin · 14-08-2007, 02:17 AM

You can travel to the US on a visa waiver to look for a job and interview. Once you have a job offer, the hiring firm will do the paperwork to get you a work visa (E3 for Australians at the moment), then you return to Australia to get the visa. This assumes any medium size or larger financial firm.

I don't know what the job market is right now, but the investment banks have market concerns and their profitability will generally be down this year. This is probably less of a concern for entry level positions.

For finance jobs, obviously New York is your best bet, but there are offices in other major cities. For example, you could get a job as a sales assistant in San Francisco.

MYVYSS · 14-08-2007, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winovin

You can travel to the US on a visa waiver to look for a job and interview. Once you have a job offer, the hiring firm will do the paperwork to get you a work visa (E3 for Australians at the moment), then you return to Australia to get the visa. This assumes any medium size or larger financial firm.

I don't know what the job market is right now, but the investment banks have market concerns and their profitability will generally be down this year. This is probably less of a concern for entry level positions.

For finance jobs, obviously New York is your best bet, but there are offices in other major cities. For example, you could get a job as a sales assistant in San Francisco.

Thats not entirely true...You CANNOT get a Sales Assistant job anywhere in the USA on a E3 Visa, the E3 visa is ONLY for highly skilled and mostly the Information Technology sector, I would hate to see someone, making a return trip just to look for a job only to NOT get a visa, my suggestion would be to start looking on websites like monster.com which is the biggest over here, and working out what IF any jobs you and the visa will qualify for.

Lots of reading here...

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/visa-e3.html

However simply answers are here.

What is an E-3 Visa?
The E-3 is a new visa category only for Australians going to the U.S. to work temporarily in a specialty occupation.

Who qualifies for the E-3 visa?
The new E-3 visa classification currently applies only to nationals of Australia as well as their spouses and children. E-3 principal applicants must be going to the United States solely to work in a specialty occupation. The spouse and children need not be Australian citizens. However the U.S. does not recognize De Facto relationships or same-sex Civil Partnerships for the purposes of immigration, and to qualify as a spouse you will need a marriage certificate from the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

I am a permanent resident of Australia but don’t have citizenship. Can I apply for an E-3 visa?
No. E-3 visas are only available for Australian nationals. If you are a new Australian citizen or are in the process of becoming one, please note that you will need to possess an Australian passport by the time of your visa interview.

New Is there an upper age limit for applicants?
No, there is no upper age limit.

Do I have to find a job in the U.S. first before applying for an E-3 visa?
Yes. You need to have a job offer from the U.S. before you can apply for the E-3 visa.

Can I go to the U.S. to find a job and then apply for the E-3 visa from there?
No. You cannot apply for an E-3 visa from within the U.S.

Can I travel to the U.S. on the Visa Waiver Program to find a job or attend interviews and then apply for the E-3 visa once I return to Australia?
Yes, you can travel on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) if you meet the requirements (please see our page on the Visa Waiver Program). If you do not meet the VWP requirements, you may be eligible to travel on the B-1/B-2 Combined Visa for Business or Pleasure.

You must leave the U.S. before applying for your E-3 visa.

New Can I apply for an E-3 visa from outside Australia?
Yes. You can apply at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate which processes nonimmigrant petition-based visas, but you cannot apply from within the U.S.

A list of U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide can be found on usembassy.state.gov.

A guide to interview wait times and visa processing times worldwide can be found on travel.state.gov.

However, please contact the U.S. Consulate or Embassy where you plan to apply to check that they accept applications from non-residents, and for details of how to book an interview and current processing times, as these will vary from post to post.

Can I apply at any U.S. Consulate in Australia?
Yes. You may apply in Sydney, Melbourne, or Perth

What is a specialty occupation?
The definition of “specialty occupation” is one that requires:

A theoretical and practical application of a body of specialized knowledge; and
The attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree in the specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States.
In determining whether an occupation qualifies as a “specialty occupation,” follow the definition contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 214 (i)(1) for H-1B non-immigrants and applicable standards and criteria determined by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). Please see www.uscis.gov.

Although there is no definitive list of occupations eligible for the E3 visa, a useful general guide for applicants to check if their occupation might be considered a graduate specialty profession and thus might be eligible for an E3 visa, is the Occupational Information Network website O*NET Online.

New I have a degree and have found a job in a related profession in the U.S. Do I qualify for the E-3 visa?
Only if the job you plan to work in actually requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a specialty occupation. It is not enough that an E-3 applicant holds a particular degree; the job itself must also require a bachelor-level or higher qualification. For example, someone with a degree in Business Studies planning to work as a Personal Assistant would not be eligible for the E-3 unless the job actually required a bachelor-level qualification.

New I am a skilled tradesperson with qualifications and experience in plumbing/electrical work/carpentry for example. Do these kind of trades qualify as specialty occupations for the E-3 visa?
Not generally, because a requirement of the E-3 visa is that the job in the U.S. requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a specialty occupation. As very few trade positions require a degree, they are not appropriate for E-3 visa employment.

winovin · 14-08-2007, 04:32 AM

MYVYSS,

Duffman has a degree in business and 3 years experience with a stockbroker. In the finance field, a "sales assistant" is someone who sits with a salesperson and works with them, and I was using the term in Duffman's context. Often the products are complex and require specialized training. This is definitely a specialized occupation! Just look at all the headlines about hedge fund problems. A sales assistant has to understand the products that are being transacted, because any errors can cost a lot of money. There are a lot of technical aspects to the job.

There are lots of firms that have offices in San Francisco (my example), because of the presence of the tech industry and the wealth. The types of firms I am talking about are global financial firms, such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, etc.

The issue becomes more of whether the hiring firm wants to sponsor someone for this type of position.

These are definitely E3 jobs.

winovin

winovin · 14-08-2007, 04:51 AM

I would agree with MYVYSS that Duffman shouldn't just come to the US blindly looking for a job - he should establish contacts and find out whether the firms sponsor foreigners for visas. I think it is unlikely that he would be offered a job without an interview though, and again, I am not sure whether the firms would spring for a flight for a Sales Assistant job.

On the flip side, if Duffman wants to take a vacation in NY and do informational interviewing while he is here to make more impact, that is another option for him.

Most large firms are used to this. I know of 1 leading firm that sponsored a foreigner for an H1B visa for a personal assistant position. A lot depends on the spin that is put on the position description. For example, if the job is marketing Australian equities, then it could be argued that having Australian market experience is a must.