UK to Texas move (Houston, Howe: sales, lawyer, employment)

[Martin]

Have visited Texas several times and would love to move there.
Where do i need to go to get a relevant visa to live here? Or what are the chances of me getting one?
I currently work as a Technical Sales Manager for a construction company, what are the current opportunities like?
Any advice would be appreciated.

[Guingirl]

I believe that you would need a work visa. I had a friend that did employment outsourcing/recruiting and dealt with bring people over from Asia and India that were technical in nature. (In California)

So I would check on recruiting companies, Monster and others for Texas to see what they can do for you. A lot times they will pay for the work visa for a good temporary worker and then if the company picks you up as a permanent employee then they would probably get you an extended visa. I am definately not sure how that works, but maybe that will give you something to go on.

This board is very well versed so I am sure that someone else has experience.

Good luck to you!

[RelocateUNDFW]

Also you said you have been here several times. Do you have relatives or anyone here? They can also sponsor you but if not your best option is just what guingirl said. Depending on what kind of tech. sales you are in, there are tons of opportunities to get jobs here in the DFW area. It will just depend on if any of them are sponsoring people on visas at the moment or not but its worth a shot. Look at monster.com for the dallas area and see whats out there, and they will usually include if they will sponsor you.

good luck

[momof2dfw]

One of our good friends works for a company that sounds kind of like what you do. They can not get enough help right now from what he has said. They have had to outsource so many people to get jobs done because they can not hire enough people fast enough.

[Martin]

Thank you to you all for your advice will keep you posted, and no doubt i will be back to update you.

[BarryU404]

Martin,
you need authorization to live and work in the US; namely a "green card'. Speak to US immigration attorney to explore your possibilities; if you have a bachelor's degree and depending on the field, you may be able to get sponsorship through a job offer. If not, there are lots of other possibilities, but check with trustworthy, reputable immigration attorney. don't know any in TX, but friend of mine in Florida has over 25 years experience and is trustworthy - Kenny Panzer - 305 899-0333.

[Mr. Football]

Texas has a huge number of British expats. I heard last year that Houston has a couple hundred thousand alone.

[lehma]

You would need to apply for an H visa, which you can apply for in March/April and get in October. However, you need a job in the bag for this.

For an intra company transfer you can use the L visa at any time, but this is company sponsored and is for "transfer of specialist knowledge" or something like that.

The best way is to work for a company that has a branch/extension in the US and do it that way.

[Rachiie]

To apply for an L visa you need to have been with the company for a specific period of time (not sure how long), also you need to prove that you are bringing some skill to the US and not just taking a job away from an American.

The L Visa is not a permanent visa, it is valid for a maximum of 6 years, we were given 3 years intially and look to renew it for another 2 years. It took a lot of paperwork to get and L visa, so if you`re looking to go down that route hire a lawyer to help you.

[Martin]

Did you move from the UK?
So how long before you become a permanent resident?