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1 visa alternatives in the USA
1.1 green card lottery
1.1.1 1% chance
1.1.1.1 nothing can be done to increase likeliness
1.2 H1-B visa (5-7yrs)
1.2.1 the most classical work visa procedure
1.2.2 25% lottery once / year in April
1.2.2.1 some people have failed 4 years in a row!...
1.2.2.2 need to wait up to 6 months before actually being able to work
1.2.2.3 not well thought of by employers
1.2.3 system abused of by Indian body shops
1.2.3.1 increasingly difficult to get a work visa
1.3 L1 visa (3yrs)
1.3.1 you have to work for at least 1 year for a subsidiary in Europe
1.3.2 employer can help you move from Europe to the USA, but eventually they won't be able to sponsor your application
1.3.2.1 after max 7 years, will have to leave
1.3.2.2 no career progression (because stuck in the same company)
1.3.2.3 e.g. Google - companies are not sponsors any more
1.3.3 dependent on employer
1.3.3.1 if made redundant -> back to square one
1.3.4 employer can't support you for applying for a green card
1.3.5 workaround: if you move with your own company (but you have to be employed abroad at least for 1 year).
1.4 0-1visa (1.5 yr + 2-3yrs)
1.4.1 evidence of local (national) achievements + non-immigration intent less paperwork = only temp residence visa valid 5 yrs
1.4.2 need extra 2-3 years to obtain green card
1.5 EB-1A visa (1.5yr)
1.5.1 evidence of international achievements e.g. 4+ international publications… + dual intent (immigration + work) -> EB1-A less likely for people who have only started their career
1.6 Preliminary questions
1.6.1 Are you planning a life time immigration?
1.6.2 Are you happy with 5-7 yr international work experience?
1.6.2.1 L1 visa
1.6.3 Do you want US citizenship?
1.6.3.1 pay taxes wherever you work around the world
1.6.3.2 OR prefer a green card (which you may give up after 6 months) if you don't want to be taxed twice
1.6.3.2.1 e.g. Tinkoff gave up his American passport
1.7 little effort - only luck
1.8 How to choose a visa?
1.8.1 What is the level of manageability?
1.9 mostly depends on your efforts - manageability