I work in tech and people keep telling me an O-1 move to the US is doable “if you build the right case”. Curious what that actually looked like for people here: how many recommendation letters, what kind of press or awards genuinely mattered, and how long it realistically took from start to approval. Trying to figure out if it’s within reach or just marketing.
If I had to guess, for the massive salaries involved
Massive relative to somewhere like the Philippines, maybe, but cost of living also sucks here, so I’m not sure a prospective visa holder would come out as far ahead as they’d think.
For tech positions in tier 1 tech companies you get out ahead so far it’s not even funny. It’s pretty easy to run the numbers on how much you have left after expenses for each market
Tier 1 companies also lay people off pretty frequently, which is highly inconvenient if you rely on them for a visa, and that’s assuming you get a job there in the first place. I’m not going to say it’s never a good idea to try for that, but in this environment, your effort is probably better spent elsewhere.
I’m not convinced their layoff rates are that much higher than other companies. It’s definitely a risk to be dealt with if intending to attempt to migrate to the U.S.
Honestly every US recruiter for my field gets the fuck off price regardless of the job
Reply is usually something like
Thanks for the consideration however a move to the US at this time will come at a steep premium if your clients isnt willing to start the negotiation at 750 000 / year I don’t think it’s worth continuing
Chuck