German graduate impossible to work in NYC?

Hi people, my family moved to the US, New York because we have family over there and all of my family found regular jobs over there. I am the only one that has studied at a German university and I just graduated and signed my first fulltime contract. I really want to join my family but somehow it seems to be very difficult for me since my applications get rejected right away. I as well don't want to get a regular job, after I did all this for my "dream job". Can you in general tell me more about how strict HR is when it comes to applications from Europe? Is there something I can do about this?

Thanks for your help! 

 
Most Helpful
Are you a US citizen or are you a long-term permanent resident? Are your direct family members citizens in the US or long-term permanent residents (sounds like it?)?
If you have legal status in the US you should mention this in your applications at all times, maybe even with a local address and phone number. Don't give them some weird impression that you are on a different continent and you need sponsorship. That is unlikely to work out.
 
If, however, you don't have US citizenship and are not a long-term permanent resident....
 
1) Internal transfer within your own company should be the easiest way forward, if you know how to leverage your network and the contacts you have. It is probably also the "most likely" scenario, especially for a US destination.
 
The initial, relevant visa avenues should be L for the transfer, E1/E2 for either personal investment or corporate transfer (depends on details like how the company is structured, nationality of the company, etc), F visa for students if you want to go for a degree, H1b for transfer or post F, E3 if you hold Australian citizenship, O if you have extraordinary skills. J should no longer apply to professionals (J could apply post degree though!)
 

If the goal is to permanently move and reside in another country, however, there are alternatives that may make sense

- further education if you can afford it (employers paying for this is increasingly rare, but also possible)

- date/marry someone in the destination country. This makes even more sense if you come from a community where people prefer partners from their own culture. Doesn't have to be arranged, but there is a reason why so many niche dating apps and portals exist. You may have a preference that your spouse has a certain cultural, religious or linguistic background. Or maybe you don't want to be alone any longer. It doesn't matter, marriage is a key route into a new country these days and it is one that will  work for many people for generations to come.

- family sponsorship is also possible and a straight-forward route, normally. Your first degree family members can sponsor you (i.e. parents, children, siblings)

- if the destination country is more important than the career you currently have - some people have a life-long dream of starting their own business or do something else than sit at home or commuting to the office. If you have already decided that moving to the other side of earth is the right thing, why not go one step further and also rethink your career? Now might be the best chance.

- investment based green card; possible if the amount of investment exceeds 900K (immigrant route)

- Always have a plan B or alternatives. Maybe the US won't work out, but Canada might. Maybe your employer won't move you internally, but another one might? Maybe starting your new business is too risky, but maybe starting a franchise might work? ETC - come up with LOTS of avenues before you decide...

It depends on what your ultimate goal is and the reasons behind them.

1) Is the goal to live and permanently reside in the US for the rest of your life? Then I'd consider investing the right amount of money for the education, investment visa or business visa. This, however, can also work as an internal transfer.

2) Is the goal to only spend a limited time in the US? I would not invest a large amount of funds but seek easier routes into the countries.

Internal transfers happen all the time, I have seen them across multiple industries and companies.

If you are not married yet and want a more permanent residence in the US - dating/marriage is also a solution.

There is, unfortunately, no working holiday visa in the USA. These are just ideas and I am not an immigration attorney, of course, and a legal professional may provide further assistance.

As you can see, there are various avenues into a new country and many options are available. Simply applying to a job in the US and hoping to land a visa sponsorship is indeed a possibility, but I wouldn't bet my career or life on it. You would have to time the application in the right window, the employer would have to file the visa application, pay the attorney, justify the investment internally and also externally (labor market assessment), and then in all likelihood not be able to get you the visa anyway (due to the lottery of H1b). This is a very unlikely avenue, but it is not impossible.

Also, participate in the the diversity lottery if your background allows it - low chance of winning, but you never know!

 

I already got my Masters degree :( and my family are now citizens, but I am still German - I hold a B2 VISA and a German passport. All I want is actually to live next to my family. I am now all alone here in Germany and I miss my family. The job is everything that keeps me here. I really have noone left. This is the reason.. 

 

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