Should I put my Visa requirements on my resume?

October 2, 2019 9:33 PM

Against all odds I am going trying to get a job in Los Angeles... but i'm a UK citizen.

I know this is nigh on impossible and the odds are against me but I will kick myself later in life if I do not try so I must.

I've worked in the music industry for a couple of decades for non-profits. I would like to make a career transition into TV and it looks like my favourite city (L.A.) is the best place for such work.

I want to know if I should put my need for a work VISA in my profile on my resume, as a final note after my resume has been read, in the covering letter or leave it off altogether? The latter is not something I'd normally do as it feels like deceit but it was suggested to me.

Also what is the best way of stating this requirement?

Thanks for your help.

posted by ihaveyourfoot to Work & Money (9 answers total)

You will increase your odds (from zero to a bit more than zero!) if you explain briefly what you will need a potential employer to do. You’ll therefore need to research the details of the visa you think makes most sense. This is because supporting a visa applicant is expensive, confusing and slow for an employer. If they have any other candidates then someone who needs (and does not already have) a visa is at a massive disadvantage.

You don’t necessarily need to reveal your requirements in the initial written application but it will come up very early in the recruitment process.

O-1 “extraordinary talent” is the usual visa class in entertainment. You need to demonstrate a track record of success at the highest level in the industry. The requirements are extreme and frankly if you’re changing careers you’re very unlikely to get one. If you’re in a technical part of the industry then you may be eligible for an H-1B, which is awarded by lottery. L-1 (internal transfer) might work at a multinational. See my previous answer for details.
posted by caek at 11:14 PM on October 2, 2019

In the technical arena I usually see "UK Citizen" on the bottom of the CV. If they want to know more they can ask.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:26 PM on October 2, 2019

Best answer: I am a Canadian working in the US. Currently have a Green Card but prior to getting permanent residency, I used to work on either a TN or H1-B visa, which is something that every employer had to apply for on my behalf. I've also been a hiring manager interviewing candidates for US companies, doing resume review as well as initial screening, and on-site interviewing.

I have never put down my immigration status on my resume or in a cover letter. I have brought it up early in the process at either the first screening round, if it's asked, or in my first conversation with the hiring manager, near the end. When this topic has come up, I have always been prepared to walk a novice manager through the process, but have also been glad when the company knows what they're doing (more on this, btw!)

The purpose of your application is to get you attention and have the company decide to bring you in for an interview. Visa paperwork is always going to be a negative on your case, but it's a negative you can always negotiate on if you have other strengths that make it worth the company's while to hire you. However, it's hard to negotiate in a resume, and depending on your screeners and the number of applications that they're receiving (which you don't see and can't control) they may be disposed to give you a pass just for having this paperwork burden.

So, leave your status out. Make your application the best honest representation of why you'd be an awesome colleague.

However, when you do get an interview, if the subject comes up, be prepared to discuss it and show that you understand the process and, if need be, can walk the interviewer through the steps the company would have to do. You want to make it feel easy and straightforward and not scary. Just routine paperwork. Ideally, you've forged enough of a bond with the interviewer where even if there is the work, they'll believe you're worth it. If you're talking to someone who will be your boss, and they don't ask, you should bring it up near the end of your first conversation with them so that they aren't surprised by it later in the process. Bringing it up early is routine and normal. Bringing it up later means you're afraid of it because it's probably hard.

Final note on the how much work you should do for the company on your immigration. It is, of course, in the company's interest for you to take on the lion's share of shepherding the process through and making it less work for them -- and you may need to do this for your first job in the country. Once you've shown that you've successfully been able to work for an American company for a certain amount of time, others will look at your resume more charitably. But if the company that you choose to work for doesn't have any experience with immigration visas and may have a small or non-existent HR department, then you should also consider hiring your own lawyer to help you with the process. It's complicated and it's convoluted and it's easy to mess up or to get things stuck. Working for a company that's got competent HR who has done all of this stuff before is an obvious plus, and maybe an argument for applying to some big congolomerate with massive payrolls and deep experience in hiring international talent; but if you were to try your hand with a smaller venture, just don't take the paperwork for granted.
posted by bl1nk at 6:43 AM on October 3, 2019 [4 favorites]

if the company to which you're applying doesn't have the resources to deal with your visa then it doesn't matter, they won't look at you, it would be a waste of time.

if the company to which you're applying has the resources, and would be willing to deal with a visa, then you will be increasing your odds if you make it obvious to the screeners HOW it can be done. I would do some research and put a line like "eligible for [whatever kind of visa you think you're eligible for]" on the resume itself.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:47 AM on October 3, 2019

Response by poster: Thank you very much for the responses. There's a wealth of information there. So leave it off my resume but familiarise myself with the process so I can explain it/make it less daunting for them and take on the majority of the process myself? I may as well try.

Is it worth offering to foot the bill for this or have it deducted from my salary to increase my chances?
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 10:57 AM on October 3, 2019

How much does it cost? If the cost is substantial and they make it part of an offer that you foot the bill, do you want the job enough to pay the cost? If you do, then accept that bargain. But don't offer up front.
posted by Dolley at 12:06 PM on October 3, 2019

Is it worth offering to foot the bill for this or have it deducted from my salary to increase my chances?

If you truly can afford to foot the bill, yes, saying something about it will lower the barriers you will face (same as increasing your chances, I suppose). More or less at the same time you are raising the point that you will need visa sponsorship, you say: "I have an attorney who will handle the paperwork to minimize your obligations. I am prepared to pay for their services."

In the eyes of the employer you carry more risk than your competitor candidate who is a US Citizen. Anything you can do/say to reduce that risk is definitely in your favor.

I would not recommend suggesting that the cost be deducted from your salary. Employers are likely more concerned about the paperwork hassles than the cost. Your "deduct from my salary" offer mitigates the cost concern but still leaves them concerned about the paperwork hassles.

Keep in mind, also, that an employer's knowledge about, and willingness to assume responsibility for, visa sponsorship can vary greatly from company to company. If you are applying to a company which, by virtue of its size (or any number of other variables), has been down this road before, you could find yourself having an easier time of it.
posted by John Borrowman at 12:47 PM on October 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

depending on the visa category, I believe your employer is legally obligated to pay for the process as they're sponsoring you for employment. With that said, companies sometimes insert clawback clauses on the sponsorship agreement, basically saying that they have the right to recoup the money they spent on the visa if you quit or were fired for unsatisfactory performance before certain thresholds were met. Sometimes this threshold is the granting of the visa or a certain number of months after it's been granted. It's not quite indentured servitude but it's quite adjacent.

Welcome to being a professional-class immigrant in America.

If you hire your own immigration lawyer to represent you, that's, of course, on your dime. Your employer should have their own immigration counsel. If you hire a lawyer and they use that as an excuse not to hire one themselves, then this is a serious red flag and you should presume that you will get screwed over if you proceed.
posted by bl1nk at 12:50 PM on October 3, 2019 [3 favorites]

If you're eligible for the TN visa bl1nk mentions then this whole thing is simple. From the point of view of the employer it's just "are you good enough to do the job?" and "am I willing to do some paperwork and wait a couple of months before you can start?" In that situation, your question (tell them early or late in the process?) makes sense.

But as a UK citizen you're not eligible for this visa. The employer has to decide:

• are you good enough to do the job?
• am I willing to spend a pretty large amount of money?
• am I willing to wait a year or more before you can start?
• am I willing to find out three months into the process that their visa application has been rejected in a H-1B lottery?" (this happens to three quarters of applications!)
• am I willing to find out 6 months into the process that the application has been rejected or on its merits? (increasingly common under the present administration)

Faced with these questions it doesn't really matter if they find out you need a visa in your written application, during an interview, or after they make you an offer. That's the least of your concerns.

As bl1nk says, you cannot legally cover the costs of an employer-sponsored visa application. Hence "employer-sponsored".
posted by caek at 9:46 PM on October 3, 2019