Continue to Site

Welcome to our site!

Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

Working in the US?

Status
Not open for further replies.

dknguyen

Well-Known Member
Most Helpful Member
Does anyone know what are requirements for working in the US for an American company (not a Canadian one)? I am not sure what is a requirement and what is not (ie. something that is preferred but not a requirement).
 
Green card, social security number or equivalent, and valid US drivers licence.

NO criminal records and being able to pass a drug test on command helps a lot too!
 
It was several years ago that I had to deal with this issue when hiring someone. As I recall, there are various visa's that will allow you to work here without a green card. ICE (aka INS) is one of the most frustrating and illogical bureaucracies the US has to offer.

In brief, the requirements for the employee are relatively simple to fulfill, at least on the visa aspect. For the employer, it was more complicated. I had to show that the "non-citizen" was neither displacing a citizen nor taking a job that a citizen would want. Meeting that requirement has, among other things, certain job posting requirements.

My advice:

If you have been offered the job, ask that employer for some guidance. If you are simply searching for a job, find an American immigration attorney to help guide you.

Even if you have been offered a job, seeing an immigration attorney is probably still a good idea. It is important that you find an attorney based in the US, not just one who is licensed here but is Canadian.

One of the problems you can run into, particularly with student visa's, but probably other types as well, is a requirement to return to your native country for a set period before you can re-apply for another type of visa or green card. I have known people who fell into such traps, and ICE is quite rigid in applying its rules.

Hope to see you here soon.

John
 
Last edited:
My wife's a Turkish immigrant and believe me last year we found out exactly what it takes to get a job legally here in the USA as of 2011.

Without the green card, social security number, and valid US drivers licence nobody in these parts would even give her a second look.

Basically expect tots and lots of paperwork, fees, waiting and more paperwork. :eek:
 
Last edited:
Obviously, a green card is one route. It does have some limitations. I tried to explain that there may be other options, particularly depending on the job.

Whatever the option, from my experiences over 30+ years, it seems the INS/ICE wants to keep everyone we would want to have come to our country out.

John
 
Yep. My wife is way over qualified to be a typical US citizen. :eek:
 
I can't give details, because they are too specific for the cases. You can't imagine the problems that a simple slip of the tongue, characterizing one thing as another (i.e., a translation mistake) can cause. That is why, getting an attorney involved early before there are mess-ups is a good idea.

I remember dknguyen from a few years ago when he was a student -- Calgary? That is why I said that I hope he can make it below the 49° parallel.

John
 
No, I'm from Edmonton. I am just searching for a job again which is kind of depressing but job wise US looks better. I have work permit currently, but it's specific to Canadian engineer working for a US particular American company.
 
Last edited:
Sorry, I knew it was someplace a lot colder than Cleveland.

If you are simply in the search phase, then a local (Canadian) immigration attorney could help advise you and probably be cheaper. At least, you may be able to get the paperwork started.

I have no idea about hiring in the electronic field in the US today. Medical electronics and diagnostics may be one area that is hiring. As for the rest of our economy, the recovery has been spotty. Many areas are still quite depressed.

Good luck.

John
 
Not directly relevant to this discussion, but a few observations from my one and only visit to the USA which was about 20 years ago in the relatively carefree days when Boeing 747s flew across the Atlantic less than half full.:eek:

On checking in at Gatwick, British Airways handed me a form which had to be filled in for the US immigration people.
This form was printed on green card, but it was not a "Green Card".:confused:
Not only that, but I am informed that a "Green Card" is not green.:confused:

On landing at Houston International Airport, going through the immigration I had an exchange of words with the immigration guy which when something like:

Immigration: "Where will you be staying here?"
JimB: "At the Hilton on the Southwest Freeway"
Immigration: "Where is that?"
JimB: "The Southwest Hilton on the Southwest Freeway, Houston"
Immigration: "Where is that?"
JimB: "Houston"
Immigration: "Where is that?"
JimB, (who by now is well perplexed as well as a bit jet-lagged): "I don't know, I have never been here before, they tell me that it is around here somewhere"

At this point the guardian of the US border just waves me on and sends me on my way.
He was probably thinking "Limeys! I can't understand a word they say!"
In the same way that I was thinking "What was that daft bugger on about?"

My confusing experience of the USA:)

JimB
 
A spotty industry is still better than non-existent one which is essentially what it seems like here for that.

Proof: Got sent down there almost as soon as I got hired.
 
Eh why don't you come over here to Australia.... You'll find a job easier than the locals and thats no bull.......
 
I've worked for a US company for the last 13 years using TN Visa's every year. Just last year they moved me onto the Canadian payroll of the their Canadian division, so I don't need the Visa, but I still work for the US firm.

I've been getting TN visa's which you get yearly. They are pretty much the simplest to get and you can get them at most borders or airports when travelling into the States from Canada. You need a degree, or a diploma with some years of experience and the company has to supply a bunch of documents including their own company information and a letter stating they tried finding someone with your skills in the US, but could not. It's $50 and a short interview at the border. You have to know what to say and their are jobs they will not give you a visa for. Not certain what those are, but I know programmer is one of them.

The disadvantage of a TN Visa is that if you are actually moving to the US, which I never did (flew in weekly and now work remote), you might not get your TN the next year and you're screwed. If this is engineering you can also get the company to sponsor you for an HB1 visa, but there are a limited number of those and have their own pitfalls.

Anyway, I'm no expert. I just grabbed my TN every year and the last few years we did it entirely by mail. The lawyers wanted to move to HB1 for me for some reason, but I didn't look into it much.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest threads

New Articles From Microcontroller Tips

Back
Top