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Comment by evjan | Hacker News Reader

I wouldn't be too picky, as long as I had a piece of paper allowing me to stay and work in the country for a longer period of time.

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I'm interested in this as well (again, on a long term basis, not going anywhere any time soon). However, I am concerned that the type of visa would restrict my employment options once in the country. First, I believe they are often linked to one company, and not trivially transferable? I.e. if I quit, I will have to leave the country more or less immediately? Second, even with saved money, I'd have to jump through hoops in order to take a month between jobs (since I'd be unemployed)? Third, becoming self-employed is not an option since I can't sponsor my own visa?

I'd like to be proved wrong, but these issues are deal breakers for me, which probably means I won't get to work in the US, except on short secondments.

As I understand it (I'm looking for a job in the US too), if you switch jobs, the new company more or less needs to redo all the paperwork that the old one has done; and yes, being self-employed is not an option.

I also believe - but am not sure - that once you have a visa that lets you work in the US, any current tourist visa you have is cancelled, making staying there when you're between jobs is a major undertaking (at least in my case, I think it means a trip back home and to the consulates here to get the visa changed, so that may not matter all that much.)

I've just done this- you're mostly correct, but with an important caveat.

If you switch between jobs, you can start working for your new employer as soon as you've sent off the paperwork- you don't have to wait for them to process it (which can take many, many months). However, you cannot have a gap between jobs- your employment must be continuous.

So, something like taking some time off before you start at the new job would be frowned upon?

Depends on your old employer. If you get on well with them and they are OK with your leaving, you could conceivably use your vacation time at the end of your employment with them.

That makes working on visa a little difficult, doesn't it?

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