the difficulty in obtaining a h-1b visa for usa.

reddan

Hello all,

I was just wondering does anyone know anything about the process's involved in obtaining a h-1b visa for the usa. Basically I'm just trying to clear away any misconceptions about its requirements before I apply for one.

I would love the chance to go to the U.S. and be able to work for the year in a job that I can officially put on my c.v and not some under the counter bar job.

Anytime I've mentioned this post grad visa or visa you can apply for after you've completed a masters I've been told you can automatically apply for a one year temporary american work visa. This visa must be sought within a year of graduating with your post grad award and can be handily got.

I'm thinking for next year, that is 2011/2012 and at that time I will-god willing- have completed a masters in library and information studies.

However, anytime I look at a web site concerning it like this one for example http://www.globalvisas.com/us_immigration/us_h1_b_visas.html
I get the impression that it's going to be very tricky to acquire one as it requires a job offer being made before you can successfully apply for the visa. But even then the offer can only be issued after a lengthy burocratic process on the potential employers side.

Call me pessimistic but to me the chances of obtaining a visa under these conditions are going to be very slim indeed.

I've been looking for info on this kind of visa but the only thing I can find is info on the h-1b. Is this the only post grad visa out there or have I been woefully misinformed.

Anyhelp would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

Dan

lonestargirl

The visa that allows recent graduates to go to the US for a year is the J1 IWT, it's a pilot project and only applies to Irish citizens. Pop over to the North America forum if you have any more questions, there are a few posters there on this visa.

The H1B is a skileed worker visa, and you are correct in saying that it requires sponsorship by an employer and there is an annual cap in the number issued

vicecreamsundae

Hi Reddan!
I'm in the same boat, and hoping to go to the states or canada after the MLIS next year too, and like lonestargirl said, I believe the skilled worker visa and new J1 visa are quite different.

It should be pretty easy to get the J1 after the course, and if you manage to get work in a library/something related and impress them, then you can hopefully convince them to offer you a job the following year when you apply for the skilled worker visa! That's kind of my plan too, although I'm thinking of canada more than the US now.

I guess i'll prob see ya in September!

reddan

Hey Vicecreamsundae,

Great minds think alike but fools seldom differ and all that : D. I'm absolutely thinking aong those lines myself, Canada does seem like a more fertile region job wise but I've heard of lots of MLIS students heading over there once their qualified.

TO be honest I reckon it's be tricky anywhere to find a job.

Here's a pretty decent written for american LIS students looking to work abroad, there's alot of links listed towards the end which I found very interesting......http://www.liscareer.com/kear_international.htm

If you can do read it but here's some interesting links,

nternational Librarianship in Academe:

http://chronicle.com/jobs/

http://www.ala.org/ala/education/empopps/employmentopportunities.htm

http://www.iss.edu/

IFLA: http://www.ifla.org/

ISKO: http://is.gseis.ucla.edu/orgs/isko/

ALA-IRRT: http://www.ala.org/ala/irrt/irrt.htm

ALA-IRO: http://www.ala.org/ala/iro/international.htm

United Nations National Competitive Recruitment Exam: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/examin/exam.
htm

Jobs of a Lifetime: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlrecruiting/recruitingprofession.htm

International Librarianship listservs: http://www.ala.org/ala/iro/iroactivities/discussionlists.htm

Idealist.org, international organizations, consultancies, jobs and internships listed: http://www.idealist.
org/

http://www.alia.org.au/



I'll see you Setember then, I labour under the pseudo of Dan, originally enough.

Take care.