How to get a job in the USA as a foreigner?
Can a foreigner get a job in the USA? If you have the right combination of skills, education, and/or work experience, you may be able to live and work permanently in the United States by seeking an employment-based immigrant visa. The Permanent Workers webpage describes the five employment-based immigrant visa preferences (also called categories).
How to get a job in the United States as a foreigner: Depending on your professional objectives, you will require a different form of visa and work permit. Besides, it will be very helpful to learn about the process to get a visa and work permit. There are numerous options for foreign people interested in working in the United States. Including employment-related green cards (permanent residency), study visas and exchange visitor work, and temporary and seasonal worker visas.
In the United States, foreign nationals enjoy a wide range of job options. Living and working in a different nation, being immersed in a different culture, and meeting new people may all be wonderful experiences. Some individuals come to the United States permanently for education and work, while others come for a specific length of time.
Here you’ll find information about working in the United States, including work visas, green cards, and the green card lottery, as well as tips on avoiding visa fraud. Because the visa application procedure might take a long time, apply far ahead of your planned immigration date. In addition, we will also provide brief information on how to find and get a job in the United States.
How to get a job in the United States as a foreigner?
Finding and getting a job in the United States can be a challenging process. Knowing more about job search methods and application techniques can help. To begin looking for jobs in your area, search by job title at CareerOneStop. This is a resource from the US Department of Labor, which offers you information that can help you plan your job search, write resumes and cover letters and fill out applications, create a career network, interview for a job, and negotiate your salary.
Moreover, other resources we recommend for foreign nationals looking forward to getting a job in the United States are Indeed and LinkedIn. These are by far the best places to look for a job in the United States if you are just getting started with your job search.
However, as a foreigner, you can start by searching specifically for jobs that indicate that visa sponsorship is available. Visa sponsorship is very important when looking for a job in the United States. This is because it is one of the major difficulties foreigners encounter while in the process of getting a job in the United States.
Getting a Job in the United States - Difficulties You May Encounter
Moreover, here are the four major difficulties that most foreign nationals have encountered while looking for a job in the United States. They are as follows:
- The American employer wants to hire you but says you must get a visa first before they can.
- Secondly, you finally find your dream job. But the American employer or company tells you that they can't or do not provide any sponsorship for the job offer.
- Thirdly, you are not able to connect with the employers. Such that you can't even get a reply from them.
- Finally, you have plenty of interviews, but even if you don't make your visa request known, you still can't receive a reply from your interviewer.
With these, you can see that finding a job in the United States isn't so easy. Besides, you won't get anywhere in any of those four cases. Therefore, if you have become across any of them, then the error in your case is applying without targeting. This is exactly why we recommend that you should start by searching specifically for jobs that indicate that visa sponsorship is available.
Ways to Apply for a Job in the United States
However, you should know by now that you require a US visa in order to enter and work in the United States. Therefore, there are three ways to obtain a visa when you're planning to move to and work in the United States. That is to say, you can get it through sponsorship, apply for a temporary work visa, or apply for a green card. Moreover, here are the steps to follow for the three methods:
1. Sponsorship:
- Firstly, you will have to apply for a job in the US from your home country.
- Then, an online interview will follow after that. Employers usually schedule online or phone interviews for candidates who live outside the U.S.
2. Temporary Visa:
However, a temporary visa is one you need to renew regularly. You need to have a job before applying for this non-immigrant visa. You will have to follow these steps once you accept a job offer:
- File a petition if necessary, you don't need to in certain categories of the temporary visa. Your employer can file on your behalf if you are not yet eligible.
- After that, you wait for the petition approval.
- Then apply for a temporary visa upon petition approval
- Interview with the US embassy or consulate
- Get your visa
How to Get a Work Visa in the United States
To work in the United States, foreign people who are neither American citizens nor lawful permanent residents must get a work visa as well as a work permit. Formally known as an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
Moreover, or foreign nationals who desire to work in the United States. There are various types of work visas available, including temporary work visas, seasonal work visas, and exchange worker visas.
You must first acquire a visa from the United States Embassy or Consulate in your home country or the nation nearest to your foreign residency before traveling to work in the United States.
Examine the many types of work visas available in the United States, as well as the requirements for each, as well as how to apply for a visa to work in the United States.
Workers with Work Authorization in the United States
Permanent immigrant employees, temporary (non-immigrant) workers, and student and exchange workers are among the foreign workers who are authorized to work in the United States.
- Exchange Visitor Visas
- U.S. Green Card Holders
- Skilled Temporary Work Visas
- Non-Agricultural Temporary Work Visas
- Seasonal Agricultural Worker Visas
Obtaining a Green Card
A green card, otherwise known as the United States Lawful Permanent Residence card, allows employees to live and work in the United States forever.
Some categories, however, require a certification from the United States Department of Labor demonstrating that there are not enough able, willing, qualified, and available American workers in the geographic area where the immigrant will be employed and that no American workers will be displaced by foreign workers.
The yearly green card lottery (Diversity Immigrant Visa Program) gives potential immigrants the chance to become permanent legal residents of the United States. Each year, this program awards up to 50,000 green cards to applicants who are chosen at random in a lottery known as the “Green Card Lottery.” Those who have an interest in applying for the Green Card Lottery can do so online.
How to Get a Social Security Card
If you are a non-American citizen that has an interest in working in the United States. Then, you will need a social security number in order to do so.
How to Obtain a Work Permit in the United States
If a person is neither a US citizen nor a lawful permanent resident, they will require a work permit, also known as an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), to establish their ability to work in the country. In addition to the work visa necessary for entrance into the United States, an EAD will be required.
Verifying Work Eligibility
When you are employed for a job in the United States, you must show that you are eligible to work in the nation. Employees must fill out the I-9 form to prove their ability to work in the United States.
Avoid Visa Scams in the United States
When looking for work in the United States, be wary of scammers that promise to help you acquire a visa. It’s essential to note that there are never any fees associated with applying for a work visa in the United States or obtaining US government application paperwork or instructions.
Conclusion
There’s no reason to be concerned. Fortunately, there are certain things you CAN do to get around this flawed system and obtain your ideal job!
Use it in a certain way. When a job search does not provide quick results and feedback is scarce (which is nearly usually the case), some people go crazy and apply for everything they can find online. This will not assist in reversing the problem. Instead, take some time to investigate the companies you want to work for and the issues they confront. Make careful to highlight comparable challenges you’ve addressed in the past in your resume.
Connecting directly with the hiring manager on LinkedIn and giving them a personalized letter is far more impactful than applying online. You’ll be OK if you can figure out what keeps them up at night and how you can help them by employing you. Improve the headline and summary of your LinkedIn profile. What you bring to the table should be reflected in your LinkedIn headline.
Three-pointers to help you remain ahead of the pack
Your current/desired work title is an excellent place to start. But make sure you utilize the full 120 characters to appear in as many recruiter searches as possible. Each term you miss loses you 10 to 20 search appearances every week. Although some people use amusing terms like “guru” or “ninja” to characterize themselves. This is not suggested in practice because recruiters would never look for those words.
The summary is another option. You should use those 2000 characters to distinguish yourself and show some individuality. Your executive summary should be similar to an elevator pitch. It’s best if you write it in the first person. Moreover, when you have an interview, don’t drop everything. Too many people stop applying and reaching out once they’ve been asked for an interview.
This isn’t a good plan! A phone interview or in-person interview is a long way from a job offer, and anything may happen in the interim. They could hire an internal applicant (you’d be amazed how often that occurs after advertising a position online). Their finances might be frozen, there could be a reorganization that changes the recruiting team and goals. Or they could be unable to agree on candidates and put the process on pause.