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American Visa Query for 3 months not J1

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  • 18-02-2010 1:13am
    #1
    Hayden*
    Registered Users Posts: 167 ✭✭


    Hi I was wondering if anybody could give me some information on how to get a working visa for America. My Mom has american citizenship but I dont I was born in Ireland and now i want to see if i can get work there... the website is confusing me on what visa to apply for as I dont have any specific occupation that i can apply for a visa with and I am not a student! Has anybody applied for a working visa when not a student? and how long did it take to get it? thanks :) Also, I know that I cannot get citizenship as my Mom has asked in the past and they have told her she did not live for long enough in the US (she left when she was 4).


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    #2
    lonestargirl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,501 ✭✭✭lonestargirl


    It's a pity you don't qualify via your mum it would make your life easier. You need to be a student, or recent graduate to qualify for the IWT J1 too.

    A few options are:

    1) Diversity Visa Lottery: an annual lottery for greencards. The 2010 lottery closed in Nov 09 and the 2011 one should open some time during the summer. Not a short-term solution but something to keep in mind. I'm assuming you were born in Ireland? Eligibility for the DV is based on where you were born not where you are a citizen of.

    2) Studying in the US: if you have a degree it may be possible to get a funded postgraduate place. You won't able to work outside your uni and you won't be rich but it's a chance to live in the US.

    3) H1B Visa: for skilled workers, you get a job and the employer sponsors you. The employer must show that they can't get an American to do the job and the main fields where this applies would be healthcare, university research/lecturing, specialised engineering/IT.

    4) Marry an American


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    #3
    silja
    Registered Users Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭silja


    There isn't such a thing as a "working visa" where you can just go over and look for work and then start and get a green card or something. You can use the Visa Waiver Program to go for interviews, but you cannot work on it.

    To get a work visa, you need to have an employer sponsoring you; that employer needs to show that there are no Americans who can do the job, so it is difficult and usually involves highly skilled people (scientist, doctors etc). Your other option is to get hired by an international company in Ireland (such as IBM, Google etc),prove yourself and then ask for a transfer to the USA. Several of my friends got over to the US that way, but it takes years of course.


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