website stat

What you’d like to know about the USA

Now and then I receive an email (besides the usual questions from family and friends) asking for a sordid detail about the United States.

Well, I’ll give you all the opportunity to do the same. Just drop a comment asking for something you would like to know about the United States and I promise to write something about it.


6 Responses to “What you’d like to know about the USA”

Feed for this Entry
  1. João Ramos
    Published at August 1st, 2007 at 12:37 pm

    Hi Mário.

    Glad you do posted this.
    I’m thinking to try my luck in USA. I know Green Card will not be a easy thing to get, but I hope to manage that well (legally of course).

    Now, how as been your experience there? How does a European lives with some American Mentality (and I know not all of them are that way)? What was the biggest problems you had there, from current life (getting a place to live, buying food, laundry) as to the Job environment, etc etc.

    By another way, what will be the first impression of a Portuguese person in USA?

    Many Thanks

    JR

  2. Vitor
    Published at August 1st, 2007 at 1:18 pm

    @Joao: I don’t know how familiar you are with GC procedures, but usually GC is based on employement so you need to have a valid visa (J1, L1, H1) in order to apply for a GC(1). I’m not sure it is really necessary, but the Labor Certification and I-129 approvals would be very unlikely for a newcomer. Also, companies don’t usually sponsor GCs before the employee has been a few years with them. They need to confirm the employee’s value before investing quite a few money in the GC process.

    (1) The exception for this is the GC lottery, were anybody can apply and there are no employment, education or skills pre-requisites.

  3. João Ramos
    Published at August 1st, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    Thank you for your answer Vitor and Mário also.

    I don’t know yet where I will go. Probably Los Angeles, San Francisco or even Seattle.

    May I ask Mário, what license do you have?
    Do you have any for those J1, L1 or H1? And by the way, what does this means?

    If someone, a company, wants to hire me, can they get me the GC or do I have to stay in USA for some time? Do you know how much it cost the GC?

    Someone told me it was easier to get a job/GC if I have a job already Portugal. Does this makes any sense to you guys?

    Thanks again.

  4. Vitor
    Published at August 1st, 2007 at 7:47 pm

    @Mario: I think your blog as a bug. I don’t recall checking the Bloppy box, yet I received an email message notifying the new comment from Joao :-)

    @Joao: J1, L1 and H1 are different types of visa that we (Software Engineers or alike occupations) need in order to work in the US. These visas need to be sponsored by a company. You can apply for the J1 yourself, as long as you have a sponsor company (basically, a company offering you a job). The H1 and L1 are for regular full-time employees and the companies need to apply for it. You can find info on the web regarding the different types of visa.

    Regarding a GC, companies can apply for one (not get one ;-)), but usualy they don’t do it for new employees, because:
    it takes too long. At least 2 years in new process and more than 5 years for applications before 2005it’s very expensive. I’ve heard values around 10k, but not sure if it includes HR and lawyers expenses

    In order to apply for H1 or GC, you need to have at least 1 year of experience in a different job from the one you are filling the application with. It isn’t easier or harder if the job is in PT or elsewhere. As for the J1 visa, the requirement is that you need to be a student at the time of the visa application.

    Based on the current state of immigration in US, I would say the easier visa to get is the J1. H1B have been assigned on lottery basis and L1 is for intra-company transfer only.

  5. Vitor
    Published at August 1st, 2007 at 7:55 pm

    @Mario: why do I receive notifications to my own comments? Isn’t there a way to filter it?

    PS: you talked about food in the other post. Go here. The map is centered in a church, but on the other side of the freeway there are a few restaurants and a small grocery store where you find everything you ever wanted, from Sumol to Alheiras :-D

  6. mlopes
    Published at August 1st, 2007 at 9:17 pm

    Type. When I said E-1 I actually meant L-1 for intra-company transfers. Thanks for the correction Vitor.