flying_postman

Update: I arrived in the US (Austin, TX) on the 1st April and received a job offer on the 2nd May and started on the 15th after the background check by the staffing agency. It's a contract to hire position as a level 2 data center tech and there's room to move within the organization but I'm not complaining (any port will do when you're in a storm) since this takes some pressure off my savings and can commit to getting a car etc. So hopefully I'm brought on board permanently after my 3 month contract.

On 3/30/2017 at 1:41 AM, Suss&Camm said:

When you have no US experience the first priority is to actually get a job. Maybe it is really easy to get a job in IT, I wouldn't know , but many larger companies in my field will hire you as contractor for the first 3-6 months and then hire you on once they see that you are doing well and fitting in. That way the middle man gets payed and the worker gets a job and the client gets a good candidate. Yes your salary will be lower for those months,  but I consider it sort of paying ones dues.

The recruiter/staffing agency also have already established connections at the big companies.

Anyhow, maybe IT is different, just wanted to mention that there's more to recruiting agencies when you are brand new

Good luck to OP's husband in his search!

So true, I'm currently in Austin and talked with a recruiter on Monday and went into the office for a "face to face". It's a tier 2  data center tech (night shift) role that she wants to place me in but it's $17 an hour during the 6 month contract period but I'll get my teeth and do it if offered. In addition she wants to set me up with a tier 1 role in Cisco that looks interesting but it's $17 an hour on a year to year contract. So the moral is you may be offered a lower salary initially but the important thing is you are getting that "US experience" they ask for, although to be honest IT is transferable to anywhere; a router in the Caribbean is the same as a router in Texas. 

On 3/27/2017 at 8:26 PM, Suss&Camm said:

Hey guys, since I promised an update, I just wanted to let ya'll know that today I was offered job, and it's a really good job that I'm super happy with. I'm still a bit in disbelief that they picked me! I got my Green Card a couple of weeks back and the recruiters I had been in contact with seemed to be more active right after that, for matching me. I don't know if that was coincidental or not, I'm just super happy and so relieved!

 

I had a technical interview with the company over the phone on Thursday, and boy was it detailed! I felt exhausted afterwards, but did feel that I had done a good job. 

 

I start in 2 weeks, they are just starting their background checks on me, and I'll be doing a drug-test - that's new for me lol. We don't have that normally in Sweden.

 

Good luck to all still searching! Your job could be right around the corner too 

Congrats!! Really happy you got a job that matches your background. This makes me a little more hopeful as I'm landing in Austin, TX next week and I've had some interest from a couple of recruiters and I hope this would translate into some job opportunities.

6 hours ago, mallafri76 said:

 

1. Started getting job offers about a week after I started looking for jobs. Once I accepted a job offer, it took about 10 days before I could actually start the job because they had to check references from Europe, run a background check and do e-verify to confirm my eligibility to work in the US.

 

2. Hotel management.

 

3. Go Sweden!!! ?

 

4. Austin, TX. Anyone in hotels or IT, move to Austin, it's BOOMING... ?

 

I used Indeed when looking for jobs, I even had employers contacting me after seeing my profile on Indeed so it doesn't hurt to tick that box making your resume visible to potential employers. Where I work now, part of my responsibility is recruitment and we've found two of our employees by looking up job seeker profiles on Indeed. Attending job fairs is another good way to meet potential employers. 

 

Make sure your CV has been converted into the American style resume. Don't put any personal information like age, picture etc. 

 

Good luck with the job hunt. 

This make me a a little more optimistic, I'll be landing/moving in Austin the first week of April. When I received my GC in 2015 (I'm in the DV category) I did an exhaustive amount of research on US cities and Austin came consistently in the top 10 in all of the tech job reports I've read and based on the weather, cost of living etc I selected Austin and even visited for a couple of weeks last year to get a feel for the city. My background is in IT (11 years exp, Educated in the UK) and I hope I can be as successful/lucky as you in my job search. I'm really nervous since even though Austin looks good on paper based on the tech reports I've reviewed but I've no idea what the actual job situation is on the ground.

I know things are moving really fast but now there's news that ALL GC holders would have to re-screened? The rational part of me is saying this is BS but still I'm a bit concerned since I'm out of the US and would be returning in March although I'm from Trinidad.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-greerd-idUSKBN15C0KX?il=0

Right now hiring in oil & gas would be slow based on the low prices. Not sure if you are totally committed to Louisiana but have you tried widening your search to include Texas; I believe your chances would be better there. Also is your resume in the "US" format? apparently HR in the US prefer 1 page (2 pages max) resumes.

I'm also in the same boat I received my green card in 2015 (DV category) but I'll be immigrating to the US in April 2017. I did a substantial amount of research on the states I was considering (Denver, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina and Washington DC) referring to tech talent reports (CBRE, JLL), Nerdwallet etc and Austin and Dallas (pretty much Texas) consistently came in in the top 10 in those reports in terms of IT/Tech jobs. I even visited the US for a "look and see" in May focusing on 3 cities Raleigh NC, Charlotte and Austin, TX.

Just an overview of my IT background; 10 years IT experience (Virtualization, Networking, Windows server administration etc) in Trinidad and in the Caribbean region, Masters from the UK in Network Security in addition to multiple certs but location is going to the biggest factor going in which is why I'm hoping to settle in Texas.

the whole certifications business is such a scam. charging people money and wasting their time to prove they know information they learnt doing their degrees. Any decent employer should know a bachelors in comp science or IT contains all the material covered by A+/N+/CompTIA. I hate that whole industry.

Unfortunately certs are a necessary evil now in IT if you want to move up in your respective field and even worse most certs expire after 3 years but they do give you and an advantage getting past the filters (ATS or HR) in addition to a salary bump. Right now I'm studying for my CCNP which I hope to get before I land in the US in April.

Using Linkedin I just added recruiters in the Detroit area and got to speak with them and see what opportunities are out there. I didnt contact companies/HR people directly. They were able to send me to interviews when I arrived and let me know if any suitable roles came up for me, rather than me having to be checking job boards every day (i did this also to an extent)

I'm currently brushing up my LinkedIn profile (which I haven't touched in 3 years) and will be following this same strategy. Did you communicate with recruiters via LinkedIn exclusively or did you call them up after adding them?

I'm in the same boat as you as a DV winner in 2014 but I'll be moving fully to the US in March 2017. I did a "look and see" in May focusing on 3 cities Raleigh NC, Charlotte and Austin, TX and I strongly suggest you do the same for your top 3-4 cities. For example I researched Raleigh based on its' proximity to RTP and it's a great city (beautiful homes in the historic district) but as a single guy the pace is a bit slower and looks like a very family oriented town (If I had a wife & kids I would definitely settle in Raleigh).

My top pick ended up being Austin, with Charlotte being a close second based on Austin having most my "pros" but I'm still concerned about the traffic and the steady increase in real estate/rent so some compromise would be necessary.

I selected those 3 cities based on my background in IT and these ranked high in terms of tech vacancies, COL, weather which are my top priorities and I'm hoping this translates to a decent IT job and place to live when I land in Austin next year. Also its' good to see you're putting some thought and analysis into this.

Reading these experiences posted here makes me even more nervous for my upcoming move to the US next year in March. I already got my GC and my SSN. I work in IT (12 years experience, multiple industry certifications, Masters degree from the UK). I got my GC via the DV category and based on my research in terms of job growth and cost of living I'll be hoping to settle in Austin or Dallas/Forth Worth,Texas but I'm willing to cast my job search net coast to coast. But in reading some of these posts I'm wondering if I should start sending out resumes from now.

^ Thank you for that informative insight,and the info about Experis I'll definitely contact them a month before I touch down in NC and polish up my LinkedIn profile. Based on my research the job market in addition to the low cost of living is what attracted me to NC and Texas. Thanks again!!

I work in IT and recently received my Employment authorisation through. This was the method I used.

1) Update your LinkedIn profile, make sure it is fully complete. Ask previous work colleagues for recommendations if possible.

2) On your resume, include a link to your LinkedIn profile so employers or Agencies can find out more about you if they want to. Make sure your resume is as polished as possible.

3)Register with ZipRecruiter and Monster.com and any others you think are relevant. If they give the option to upload your resume or create another profile then do so. Make sure it is complete.

4) In some job adverts on jobsites you will see links to send a resume now through their own system. However, if the job description gives you a contact at the company or agency then email them directly and always include a cover letter or at the very least a professional email. They are more likely to respond to a personal email than to a resume submitted by monster.com.

I hope the above is of some use and good luck.

Paul

I also work in IT (More on the networking and virtualization side). The RTP region in North Carolina is one of the areas I'm strongly considering in addition to Austin and DFW Texas. Although I received my GC in August I won't be relocating to the US until possibly the 2nd quarter of 2016. Can you give any feedback on the IT job market in Raleigh and what if any any challenges you've had as a foreigner. I've being probing sites like Dice and Indeed and RTP area has jobs that match my background (10 years experience, CCNP, VCP certified, Msc in Network security from the UK etc) but I don't have any idea what it's really like on the ground.

I don't know if you are rooted to NYC (Spouse, Kids etc) but I agree with other posters that you'll need to cast a wider net nationwide and see what you get. Also at some point you'll have to get a US degree; you'll lose points with a foreign degree unless you have a degree from US,UK or Canada.

I don't know specifics about your field but certainly they take qualifications and work experience into account. There are many, many immigrants in senior positions here! (Based on foreign diplomas and experience) You may get asked to get an equivalency done on your diploma or the company may do it as part of a background check (as happened with my husband). You'd need to do more research in your field about salaries and where the good cities for jobs are.

I've been wondering if equivalency is required for a UK degree in my case (I'm in the final stages of my UK Master's and I'm wrapping up my dissertation as we speak) since the US,Canada and UK universities function with roughly the same academic standards? I triggered my green card in July and received it mid August but I haven't moved to the US yet but strongly considering either Austin or DFW, Texas next year.

Yes it is worth it. My husband and I moved in March to Philly and love it. However, I am not going to lie, the work situation is tricky. I have 15 years good work experience with international companies and am still looking for work, at this point any kind of job. My husband is an engineer. He had a temp contract for two months which just ran out. We also have a three month old baby. Our money is going to run out after Christmas. We are super stressed at the moment as it's very expensive to live here, and I mean modestly. The Health Insurance is a killer. It's almost as expensive as rent. We really want to make it work but the employment situation for us is pretty dire.

Good to see you're still sticking it out Niceb I remembered your other thread on the tough employment situation and I'm optimistic for you and the family, Have you and your husband considered another state or are you committed to settling Philly?

Yeah I know I have to be patient, it's just that the waiting can be quite maddening at times (especially with the variations in the wait time from production to shipping)

It's finally here!!! My GC was mailed on the 11th and was delivered today. Man what a crazy ride this entire DV process was and I don't regret anything and thanks to everyone on this forum that helped in getting me to this point.

To everyone else good luck with your green cards and take care....

Production to shipping can take 2-3 weeks, I'd chill for a while. We all stress so much over this, unnecessarily so, imho. It'll come. I'd give it until the end of the month.

Yeah I know I have to be patient, it's just that the waiting can be quite maddening at times (especially with the variations in the wait time from production to shipping)

Just a question,

I arrived at the POE in JFK to trigger my green card (I'm in the DV category)

Payed ELIS Fee: 1st May

Arrived at POE: June 27th

Received SSN: 6th July

and then on the 21st July on the USCIS tracker my card has gone into production and it has not moved since. I'm a bit concerned since others in this thread had their GC mailed after a few days in production.

Any advice?

I have a question also:

I have a Masters Degree from a UK university is it advisable that I have it evaluated being that accredited US/Canada and UK universities function at roughly the same standards?

Was there a "new immigrants" line at your terminal?

I didn't see any such line at the Terminal, the greeter I met said I had to go to the customs counter like everyone else..

Congratulations, where did you landed? In which city?

Thanks, My POE was JFK airport, NYC.

Just to update you guys I landed on the 27th June and activated my GC (didn't have to go to another room,CBP processed me right at the customs counter) but what's most interesting is I received my SSN in the mail yesterday exactly one week of arriving. Just hope it goes as smoothly for the GC.

** Double Post..

Is your ELIS status bubble on "optimized" yet?

We got our SSNs about a week and a half after landing but yes it seems not uncommon for people to have to go into a SSA office to register.

Susie,

I'll be landing in JFK this coming Saturday to trigger the GC but I'll be staying for 2 weeks and returning for good in the 1st quarter of 2016. Is it advisable that I go to the SSA office during my 2 week stay to follow up on my SSN being that I'll be in the US for that short time and wouldn't be returning till next year?

Hello fellow trini did the CO request financial information from you?

Bank statements or an affidavit of support ?

No it didn't come up but I still submitted statements from my US accounts in the banks but they still took it but I don't believe it had any impact on my case they even handed me back my US statements for UTC and RBC units when they collected the documents before the interview,(I don't think they recognize UTC & RBC units for some reason) but kept the statements for my FCB shares and US cash accounts with Scotia-bank. The most important thing is to have your paper work in order and your 5 CXC subjects at minimum and you should be good, if you have a degree don't rely on that alone, just to be safe come with everything..

I just walked out of the embassy 2 hrs ago, so here's how it went:

I arrived at exactly 7:15 am for my scheduled 7:30 am appointment. After the security personnel checked/verified my name and appointment letter, I joined the line and at around 7:40 was able to enter the embassy. After the security screening I got to reception and gave my appointment letter to the receptionist which she then numbered and provided a folder for my documents and I took a seat in the Immigrant Visa/US Citizens section.

And then I waited and waited......then at 10:45 am I heard my name called to go to window 3 and I went in to present my documents and she checked off all my documents (keeping originals and copies), took my fingerprints and gave me a slip to pay the fee to the cashier which I did and returned to window 3 with the receipt which she took and then told me to have a seat and wait until my name is called.

Mercifully this wasn't as long and approx 10 minutes later may name was called for the interview at window 2: Here's the rundown from this morning:

CO: Good Morning,

Me:Morning

Then I proceeded to take the oath and confirm my finger prints (just my right index)

CO: I see you're applying in the DV category just so we want you know that have a high bar for entry for this category

Me: Uhm... Ok.....

CO: What is the longest you stayed in the US?

Me:...............

CO: Are you married/have kids?

Me: No on both (She joked if that was a headache for my Mom..)

CO: What is the major of your degree?

Me:................

CO: What do you expect to do once you are in the US?

Me: Work and study...

All the while she was intensely looking over my high school certificates (CXC) which I have the bare minimum of 5 passes (She barely gave my Bachelor's and Masters a cursory glance) and

then went to verify with her colleague the grades for CXC. (Just a bit of background prior to 1998 a grade 3 in any CXC subject was considered a fail and I failed English A twice but got a grade 2 in 1998). I was starting to get nervous after 2 minutes passed and I could see them behind the glass but couldn't hear what was taking place.

Then she returned to the window and cheerfully said that I meet the educational requirements and was approved she passed a slip of paper to me indicating that I was indeed approved.

CO: Best of luck with your new life in the US

Me: Thank you.

So that was it roughly 5-10 minutes that the interview lasted with the CO and I'm so relived that it's over Though I believe I was really,really close there with the educational requirements.

I just want to express my thanks to everyone on this site, especially to SusieQ and Britsimon since your advice was invaluable to me over the last year.

Thank you again and take care........