How To Get Jobs In The United States As A Foreigner

Did you know that foreigners have more and more possibilities to get jobs in the United States in a safe, legal and responsible way?

This reality has motivated professionals from Latin America, Europe and Asia to pursue the famous “American dream”.

So if  you are not a native American, but you still want to apply for good job offers in this country, you should familiarize yourself with the opportunities that this market offers you.

How to get jobs in the United States as a foreigner:

Currently there are several programs that help you look for work abroad with greater precision and ease.

Especially if you want to take advantage of new job opportunities in one of the most competitive markets in the world: the United States.

But before applying for jobs, or resorting to such programs, you must analyze your current reality, as well as your future professional goals.

Ideally, you should ask yourself what your status will be when applying for jobs in the United States.

Will you work as a legal permanent resident? Will you process a temporary work visa? Or will you be a foreigner in a refugee or asylee situation?

At the same time, it is important that you determine what type of jobs you want to take advantage of in this new destination.

That is, are you interested in performing functions related to your profession? Or, initially, would you be willing to work in other fields?

Answering all these questions is crucial to designing a realistic action plan, and above all, executable.

Platforms to get jobs in the United States

Getting jobs in America, as a foreigner, is very doable. But it does not imply that it will happen overnight.

In other words, you need to thoroughly research the market, as well as the best options you have to live and work in this world power, successfully and pleasantly.

The good news is that you can rely on the Internet to make your research days as easy as possible.

In fact, one of the first things you should do is consult different platforms or job boards. These are the most popular and reliable:

1.LinkedIn:

Chances are you already know what LinkedIn is and why it’s so effective for getting a job.

Specifically, it is one of the most famous platforms worldwide, as well as one of the most used in North America.

Therefore, if you want to opt for jobs in the United States, you should be part of their community and stay active in this network.

There are currently more than four million job openings on this site, which should give you an idea of ​​their relevance, size and scope.

One of the biggest advantages of LinkedIn is that it allows you to network without having to leave home (therefore, it could open many doors for you at work).

2. Employment Option:

It is a search engine that brings together various web portals in which jobs are offered in the United States.

Consequently, you will not have to access multiple employment pages when starting your web searches.

You simply have to enter OpcionEmpleo and view all the offers that are available on the site (as long as you make sure to filter the search criteria well).

3. Higher jobs:

If you have Hispanic roots and are interested in working as a professor in an American institution, you should register with HigheredJobs. 

In this portal there are more than two thousand job vacancies in universities in the United States. So there is a good chance that you will get an option that suits your interests.

4. WorkfortheWorld:

Here you can search for jobs in many parts of the world. But there is a special section for you to locate jobs in the United States.

In addition, you will not only find job offers, but also effective tips for working abroad, as well as information of interest so that you can successfully establish yourself in this country.

5. Craigslist:

This directory is widely used by people who want to apply for jobs in the United States in a direct and timely manner.

However, it should be noted that foreigners who usually get the most out of it are those who have a work permit, or an American residence.

6. Indeed:

It is an international portal that offers you the possibility of filtering job searches on various web pages.

In that sense, it gives you the option to locate jobs in the United States that are available on different websites.

7. Simplyhired:

It is a platform with many search filters that are appropriate and effective for foreigners.

In fact, it is ideal for non-native people who want to get jobs in the United States, and who also need a visa sponsorship for careers related to Engineering or Software Development.

Recommendations to get jobs from the web

If you are interested in looking for a job in the United States through a portal or web platform, we invite you to follow these recommendations:

• Access sites or job boards that are recognized, safe, or that are well positioned in the US market.
• Do not apply to high-level jobs if you do not have the necessary experience to perform them efficiently.
• Avoid lies in your CV. Recruiters know techniques and resources that help them spot these mistakes easily.
• Do not lie about your command of English. If your level is intermediate, be honest and don’t say it’s advanced. Otherwise, you could lose your credibility and a good job opportunity.
• Contact an expert in migration, employability and immigration before applying for jobs in this country. That way you will make sure you are moving in the right direction (minimizing mistakes or failures).

Visas to get jobs in the United States

At this point we would like to share with you some visa options that could help you enter the United States through the front door:

1. H-2 Visa:

It is a program that allows foreigners, who do not have American citizenship, to apply for temporary jobs in different sectors.

According to the American Embassy, ​​the H-2 visa can help them get jobs in the United States in the following fields:

• Agriculture.
• Forestry.
• Construction (among others).

Interested parties must meet the following requirements:

• Demonstrate to the Department of Labor that there is no qualified local workforce in the United States to carry out these temporary jobs.

• Justify why these jobs will not hurt the wages of American workers.

• Foreigners who do not live in the United States must complete the I-29 form with the Citizenship and Immigration Service of this country.

2. EB-1 Visa:

You can help foreign nationals get permanent jobs on US soil, as long as they meet the following criteria:

• Have extraordinary attitudes in areas such as the arts, sports, business, education or research (such attitudes must be recognized nationally or internationally).

• Provide proof of achievements (These will depend on each individual, but could be Oscars, Pullitzers, an Olympic medal, etc.)

3. L-1B Visa:

It is widely known as a transfer visa for professionals with specialized or expert knowledge within the same company .

It is very common among immigrant workers who want to make their way in an American company.

Specifically, the L-1B allows employers in the United States to transfer professionals with specialized knowledge, and who are also related to the interests of the company.

Workers who receive the L-1B visa can move to the United States together with their spouse and unmarried children (as long as they are under 21 years old).

Currently, there are many visa options that favor foreigners who want to work in the United States legally and transparently.

If you are one of them, we invite you to consult the page of the American Embassy to obtain more extensive and personalized information.

Most in-demand professions in the United States

It is evident that there are some professions that are more in demand than others in this North American country, as would be the case of:

• Applications development.
• Development of software systems.
• Computing and information services.
• Computer systems analysts.
• Electronic Engineering.
• Operations Research Analyst.
• Business analyst.
• Computer systems architecture.
• Big Data and statistics.

Who can work more easily in the USA?

At the same time, it is important to specify who are the people most likely to find a job in the United States . These are the most benefited currently:

1. American citizens by birth or naturalization (also applies to foreigners).
2. Lawful permanent residents.
3. Foreigners in a special situation: asylees, refugees or people with a work permit waiting for a change in their immigration status.
4. People with a temporary work visa that has been sponsored by a company.
5. People who receive, through a company, a residence card or “Green Card”.
6. Citizens with special gifts. That is to say, that they are brilliant and also sponsor themselves without a previous job offer.
7. Citizens entering the United States for reasons of family reunification; as long as they confirm to the competent authorities that they have relatives in this country.

Tips for applying to jobs in the United States

Getting hired in this North American country can be a bit challenging and complex. But this does not mean that you cannot be successful; especially if you take into account the following tips:

Taking advantage of legal resident status: 

Ideally, you should contact a potential employer directly if you are a legal resident. You can send your CV or network via LinkedIn.

Evaluate the possibility of obtaining a temporary employment visa:

If you are not a resident or native, it is best to establish contact with a company that is interested in sponsoring you.

The idea is to help you process a temporary employment visa to work in some specific areas in the United States.

Perfect your English:

Intermediate or advanced proficiency in this language is required by most US companies.

Therefore, it is strictly necessary that you perfect this language to the maximum before applying for jobs in the United States.

Additionally, you should prepare to take an official English test, such as the TOEFL, as a large number of companies rely on your scores to certify your command of the language.

Look for references:

Research your circle or network of contacts to determine if any of them currently work in this country.

Then see if they could recommend you at the company where they currently work, or if they could give you any references.

Research the job market:

You can do it remotely (by accessing one of the platforms or job boards that we share with you at the beginning of this article).

Although you can also explore other interesting options, such as:

• Attend job fairs (known as “Job Fairs” ).
• Watch for direct announcements that companies tend to make (This is often known as “Company Open House”).

Work in the United States as a foreigner:

If you are a foreigner you should know that there are some interesting options to get jobs in the United States.

This can be an exhausting process, or challenging, but it is not really an impossible mission.

It is also not a matter of luck, so if you want to achieve this goal you must work hard for it.

In short, this country can welcome you with open arms and join its workforce, regardless of whether you are not a native or a resident citizen.