Query from England re : temporary work visa

[clarep]

Hi all,

I am really naive about the whole visa process, so please forgive how basic my questions are.

Basically, I plan to relocate to the US in the next couple of years (for a year or so - maybe more!) and I want to make sure I save up enough money and sort out a job etc. I'm a Real Estate Paralegal so I know I don't classify as a worker for which the US has desperate need. Please can all you experts help me with the following questions I have:

- how realistic is it to expect that I might get a visa if I'm not a specialist worker?
- if I apply for a job in the US should I apply for a visa first? (most paralegal jobs seem to be dealt with by agencies which require evidence of right to work in the US)
- if not, can someone please explain the sponsorship procedure? Does this mean that I would have to ask each firm that I apply for to pay for or otherwise endorse/back up my visa application?
- do people commonly travel to the US under a 'tourist visa' (or the new electronic exception form thingy) to search for a job? Is this easier?
- I heard that a prospective US temporary worker needs to prove they have a certain amount of cash in the bank before they move. Can anyone provide further details on this point?

Any help you can give would be much appreciated!

Thanks so much!

[Nattybone]

Hello, Clarep.

If you are seeking a US work visa, you would need an employer who is willing to sponsor you and employ you. For H1B (Temporary Work Visa) the applicant (you) needs to highly skilled and the employment also needs to be in a field which is specialized. E.g.: Financial Analyst, Investment Banker, Software Engineer etc. Outside, these categories, there is an internal transfer to USA visa (L1) which allows employee of an American company having operations overseas to internally move to US. For this, the applicant should have spent at least 1 year with the American company and should be a Manager.

Hypothetically speaking (as i am not aware), let's say Real Estate Paralegal is considered highly specialized skill (you could do research on the skills considered Highly Skilled by Department of Labour (DOL) USA), then you would need to find some employer who is willing to hire you. After that this employer will send a H1B petition to the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) requesting for a visa for you. Once the USCIS is satisfied with the document provided, they approve the visa and send the same to the employer in mail. The employer then further send the approval notice to you in your country. Once you receive the approval notice, you go to your local consulate officer for an interview. If the officer at the consulate is satisfied, you will be granted a work visa.

For work visa (H1B), i have not heard of any criteria like the amount of cash with the applicant.

I hope this helps.

Wishing you luck.

Cheers,

Hi all,

I am really naive about the whole visa process, so please forgive how basic my questions are.

Basically, I plan to relocate to the US in the next couple of years (for a year or so - maybe more!) and I want to make sure I save up enough money and sort out a job etc. I'm a Real Estate Paralegal so I know I don't classify as a worker for which the US has desperate need. Please can all you experts help me with the following questions I have:

- how realistic is it to expect that I might get a visa if I'm not a specialist worker?
- if I apply for a job in the US should I apply for a visa first? (most paralegal jobs seem to be dealt with by agencies which require evidence of right to work in the US)
- if not, can someone please explain the sponsorship procedure? Does this mean that I would have to ask each firm that I apply for to pay for or otherwise endorse/back up my visa application?
- do people commonly travel to the US under a 'tourist visa' (or the new electronic exception form thingy) to search for a job? Is this easier?
- I heard that a prospective US temporary worker needs to prove they have a certain amount of cash in the bank before they move. Can anyone provide further details on this point?

Any help you can give would be much appreciated!

Thanks so much!

[clarep]

Thanks so much. I actually doubt very much if it's skilled work but I shall try.

What about H2-B, temporary non-agricultural worker?

I really can't find anything to explain what these terms actually mean!!

Thanks

- - - Updated - - -

Wait just found something, probably H1-B after all (as a degree is normally required)

Thanks very much for your help