According to According to a recent Gallup study, over the past 11 years, the number of Russians wanting to move to another country has tripled. The majority of these individuals (44%) are aged under 29. Statistics also show that the United States remains a top destination for Russian immigrants.
Therefore, I decided to compile information on the types of visas suitable for IT specialists (designers, marketers, etc.) and entrepreneurs, as well as to supplement it with links to useful resources for information gathering and real cases of compatriots who have successfully navigated this path.
Choosing a Visa Type
Three types of visas are best suited for IT specialists and entrepreneurs, allowing them to work:
- H1B – a standard work visa granted to employees who have received an offer from an American company.
- L1 – a visa for intra-company transfers for employees of international companies. This is how employees transfer from the offices of American companies in other countries to the U.S.
- O1 – a visa for outstanding specialists in their field.
Each of these options has its own pros and cons.
H1B: Employer Support and Quotas
Individuals who do not have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency must obtain a special visa – H1B – to work in the United States. Its acquisition is sponsored by the employer, who must prepare a package of documents and pay various fees.
For employees, everything is great – the company covers all expenses, making it very convenient. There are even specialized websites, like resource , that can help find companies actively inviting workers under the H1B visa.
Top 20 Visa Sponsors as of 2019
But there is one downside— not everyone who receives an offer from an American company will be able to start working immediately.
H1B visas are subject to quotas that change annually. For example, the quota for the current 2019 fiscal year is only 65,000 visas. Meanwhile, last year, 199,000 applications were submitted for it. The number of applicants far exceeds the available visas, which is why a lottery is conducted among the candidates. In recent years, the chance of winning the lottery has been 1 in 3.
Additionally, the visa application and payment of all fees cost the employer at least $10,000, which is aside from salary payments. So, you need to be a highly valuable asset for a company to go through such effort and still risk not seeing the employee in the country due to losing the H1B lottery.
L1 Visa
Some large American companies with offices in other countries bypass the restrictions of H1B visas using L-type visas. There are different subtypes of this visa – one is for transferring top managers, and another is for relocating talented employees (special knowledge workers) to the U.S.
Usually, in order to be eligible for moving to the U.S. without quotas and lotteries, an employee must work in the foreign office for at least a year.
Talented specialists are relocated by companies like Google, Facebook, and Dropbox using this scheme. For example, it's common for an employee to work for a while in the Dublin office in Ireland before moving to San Francisco.
The downsides of this option are clear – you need to be a valuable asset to attract attention from not just any small startup, but a company with offices in multiple countries. Then, you will have to work in one country for quite a long time before moving to another (the U.S.). This may pose certain challenges for family individuals.
O1 Visa
This type of visa is designed for individuals with "extraordinary abilities" in their fields. Previously, it was predominantly used by creative professionals and athletes, but it has increasingly been obtained by IT specialists and entrepreneurs.
To determine the applicant's level of exceptionality and extraordinary ability, several criteria have been developed, based on which they need to provide supporting materials. So, here's what is needed to obtain an O1 visa:
- professional awards and prizes;
- membership in professional associations that accept only extraordinary specialists (and not everyone who can pay the membership fee);
- wins in professional competitions;
- participation as a jury member in professional competitions (a clear authority for evaluating the work of other professionals);
- media mentions (project descriptions, interviews) and self-published articles in specialized or scientific journals;
- a significant position in a large company;
- any additional evidence is also accepted.
It is clear that to obtain this visa, you really need to be a strong specialist and meet at least some of the criteria from the list above. The downsides of the visa include the difficulty of obtaining it, the necessity of having an employer who will submit a petition for its consideration, and the inability to easily change jobs afterwards – you can only be employed by the firm that filed the petition with the immigration service.
The main advantage is that it is granted for 3 years, with no quotas or other restrictions for its holders.
A real case of obtaining the O1 visa is described on Habrhabr at .
Collecting information
Once you have determined the type of visa that suits you, you need to prepare for the move. In addition to studying articles online, there are several services that can provide firsthand information. Here are two of the most frequently mentioned in public sources:
A consulting service that focuses on answering questions about relocating specifically to the USA. The process is straightforward – the site provides access to verified legal documents with step-by-step instructions for obtaining various types of visas, or allows you to request information based on your inquiries.
The user submits a request indicating their questions (ranging from difficulties in choosing a type of visa to employment questions, business management, and various everyday challenges like finding housing and buying a car). Answers can be provided during a video call or in text format with links to official documents, comments from industry professionals – from immigration attorneys to accountants and realtors. All such specialists undergo selection – the user receives recommendations for professionals the service team has already worked with.
In addition to this, users can request personal branding services – the project team will help highlight professional achievements in major Russian and English-speaking media outlets – which will be useful, for example, for applying for the aforementioned O1 visa.
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Another consulting service that operates on a slightly different model. This platform allows users to find expatriates from various countries and even cities and consult with them.
After selecting the desired country and method of relocation (work visa, studies, etc.), the system provides a list of individuals who have moved to that location in the same way. Consultations can be paid or free – it all depends on the preferences of the specific consultant. Communication takes place in chat.
In addition to consulting services run by Russian-speaking individuals, there are useful international informational resources. Here are the most beneficial for professionals contemplating relocation:
The service aggregates data on salaries in the tech sector that American companies offer. With this website, you can find out how much programmers earn at large companies like Amazon, Facebook, or Uber, and compare engineer salaries across different states and cities.
Paysa can also show the most lucrative skills and technologies. There is a possibility to see average salaries of graduates from different universities – a feature useful for those considering studying in the U.S. to build a career in the future.
Conclusion: 5 articles with real examples of specialists and entrepreneurs relocating
In conclusion, I have curated several articles authored by people who have actually relocated to the U.S. for work. These materials contain answers to many questions about obtaining various types of visas, interviewing, settling in at a new place, and more:
If you know any useful tools, services, articles, or links that didn't make it into this topic – please share them in the comments, I will update the material or write a new, more
detailed one. Thank you all for your attention!
Source: habr.com
