From Europe to US
Hi,
I am starting my VC career in continental Europe (Germany/Italy/France).
Moving to the UK is feasible but I was wondering if moving to the US is.
Is it just a matter of networking? And is it easier to do this later in my career?
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 am in VC myself and based in NYC and London.
Networking is an option, but you would still need to find a visa sponsor.
Hey super helpful, unfortunately I'm not a US citizen!My best route should be international VC in U.K. and internal transfer to US
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