Living in the US

[Pumple]

I am currently living in the UK and want to move to the US.
Can I travel to the US under the Visa Waiver Pilot programme, seek employment and then apply for the appropriate visa?

 

[usdeeper]

Afriad not ole boy .. It is the condition of the VWP that you do not seek employment whilst in the US. Also, unless you have at least a full degree with some work experience that makes your contribution invaluable, no one will hire you anyway. This is because they would need to sponsor you for a H1 visa which is costly and time consuming.

Dependings on your skills and experience, your best bet is to apply for work from the UK and wait until someone 'bites' ... but unless you are a great DB admin or programmer, it will be difficult.

 

[Pumple]

I currently have a full BA (hons) degree and want to work in the US.
Which Visa do I apply for to enable me to look for work?

 

[usdeeper]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Pumple:
I currently have a full BA (hons) degree and want to work in the US.
Which Visa do I apply for to enable me to look for work?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

YOU can not apply for any visa. You have to find a company that wants to employ you. They will then apply for the visa (H1) on your behalf and effectly 'sponsor' you. For them to do that, they have to show that your skills are hard to find and that they have tried to hire US citizens.

The whole process from application to arriving can be at least 3 months. The cost to the company can be around 5k so they are normally very selective. The only area that currently enjoys decent visa applications is within the computer industry. If you can design databases, write complex programs or design networks, they you will not have any problem finding work.