Every stay abroad broadens the horizon, helps to expand or deepen language skills, and is a clear plus on your CV. The USA are among the most popular destinations. Over the course of history they have recorded more immigration than any other country. There are many stories on the theme "from dishwasher to millionaire." Not all are to be taken seriously, but many people have indeed used America as a springboard to a successful career. Before you fulfil your dream, however, you should thoroughly inform yourself about living and working in the USA.
Why choose the USA for a stay abroad?
America was once often associated with the idea "Nothing is impossible." Much has changed in the meantime, so that is no longer entirely accurate. However, the USA do offer some advantages over other countries when it comes to a professional stay:
- 97.4 percent of Austrian pupils receive English lessons as early as primary school, so the language is generally well mastered
- there is a significant shortage of skilled workers, so international applicants are always welcome
- strong development of countless business models, software and tools; one acquires new knowledge that is often clearly superior to what is available at home
- you meet people from all over the world, which leads to high intercultural competencies führt, auf die Arbeitgeber heute großen Wert legen
Employee secondment to the USA
Those who are transferred by their employer to a branch office have it considerably easier to establish themselves in the USA. For many foreign companies, such as the Binder Austria GmbH plays an important role as a location. Binder Austria is affiliated with the German owner-managed family company Franz Binder GmbH & Co., which is one of the market leaders in the field of circular connectors. Because the company has a presence in numerous other countries beyond the USA, including China, England, France and Sweden, the possibility of a desired secondment abroad is more likely. Companies that offer employees a workplace in the USA must ensure that, as a rule, both a residence permit and a work permit are applied for.
Foreign employers basically have two different options for deploying their employees in the USA. The term "secondment" applies when there is already an employment contract with a foreign company, salary is paid from there, and the employee is employed in a subsidiary or similar. The second alternative is concluding an independent contract with the U.S. company while the existing agreement in the home country is suspended, terminated or cancelled. In principle, a visa is required in both cases.
Three possible visa types
Anyone who sets out on their own to earn a living in the USA will, of course, also need a work visa. There are different variants whose issuance depends on the intended length of stay. The most commonly used visa types and their requirements are as follows:
- H-1B – Skilled workers, completed specific higher education, presentation of a certificate from the Ministry of Labor
- H-2B – temporary work permit, only for certain countries, including Austria, Ministry of Labor certificate
- Petition – applied for by the prospective employer
Important information about the application
Because job hunting is prohibited on a tourist visa, it must already be carried out from Austria. Applications are not held to quite as high a standard as they are in our country. The focus is primarily on the cover letter, which may be visually somewhat eye-catching. It is also essential to include individual qualifications and a convincing explanation of interest in the respective company. In the USA most evaluations are conducted anonymously. That means nationality, passport photo, name, age, gender and religion are not mentioned. By contrast, references from previous employers are of great importance.
