How did your UK spouse find a job in the U.S.?

Hi,

Is there a forum or thread about UK spouses finding work in the U.S.? My husband will be moving to the U.S. by the end of 2015. We're wondering what type of work he could get. He is particularly concerned because he does not have a University degree, only A-levels. He will be 30 yrs old and has worked for the Metropolitan Police for the past 10 years as a special investigator/detective type (not a beat cop). He is also studying computer programming on the side. In the U.S. he would probably look for higher-level corporate security, national security, airport security jobs. Has anyone else's UK spouse had luck finding a good paying job once you moved to the U.S.?

Thanks!

We moved to the US when my husband was transferred to work in the parent company's US office, and I spent  5 years at home unable to work due to the then visa situation. However, once I received my EAD I registered with an employment agency and worked temp jobs until I was hired on permanently. It took a couple of years before I found something that paid well, and it was sometimes difficult to be taken seriously by prospective employers who assumed we were expats who moved around a lot. But with persistence and the willingness to start at the bottom I found work, and its always easier to find a job once you're in employment.

I don't wish to burst your bubble but the FAA requires security type jobs at airports to be filled by US citizens, so it would be a minimum of three years before your husband would qualify, assuming that he is intending to apply for citizenship.

We looked into this as my husband is in aviation security and is also a Special Constable. We found out that he would need to be C.L.E.E.T trained as well and at my husbands age that wasn't going to happen.

He would go over and be a glorified security man. Over here he is respected and holds a high position.

He would go over and be a glorified security man. Over here he is respected and holds a high position.

Gosh that is a loaded statement.

Gosh that is a loaded statement.

As in? Nothing wrong with being a security man but what my husband does here is of a high level. Why move to the US and be taken down to a level which is not equivalent to what he does here?

As in? Nothing wrong with being a security man but what my husband does here is of a high level. Why move to the US and be taken down to a level which is not equivalent to what he does here?

I am agreeing with you. I meant 'loaded' more in a "big thing to consider" kind of sense (perhaps incorrectly). I thought your statement sort of encapsulated that really well.

I am agreeing with you. I meant 'loaded' more in a "big thing to consider" kind of sense (perhaps incorrectly). I thought your statement sort of encapsulated that really well.

Ah..gotcha....

You say "My husband will be moving to the U.S. by the end of 2015", and "he is respected and in a high position".
Just curious as to why you are considering moving to the US, or are you just trying to work out what would be best for your family?

I think this highly depends on what field your spouse is in. My husband is in IT, and he's not really had any trouble (knock wood) in finding employment in the US. He also has the equivalent of an Associates Degree (not in IT) from South Africa, and we do worry about his lack of a 4yr degree - esp as things seem to be getting more competitive in the IT world.

We are heading back to the US at the end of May and he has already started applying for a couple of jobs and spoke to a few recruiters, so we are keeping our fingers crossed he might be offered something before we go. He's doing job searches, and also using LinkedIn to do some networking right now to try to find something.

Wish I could help with all  of your concerns.

My DH is a CAD tech  or draftsman for an international  company.. He is  tranferred  here  working on the high speed rail  they want to build across CA.. He is also working on other  projects..such as the Gerald  Desmond  bridge in Long Beach..http://www.polb.com/about/projects/gdb.asp    To be honest  most engineers are 'foreign" here.. not  a  lot of Americans go into this field  and if they are they tend to be first generation  American  etc..   we were  'lucky"  because  this  kind of fell into  his lap  right as the credit crunch was getting at its  worst  and we got out before  we'd have  to be  divided  again..such  as  him having to  go ot London for work  while  I stayed  behind  doing the  single mom  thing in  Birmingham..

My husband came over on a student visa as we didn't want to feel pressured to get married right away.  He enrolled in a MBA program and got his first job prior to graduation from a classmate.  His classmate told him about an opening at his company and put in a good word for my husband.  DH got the job (we were married by then) and got some good initial experience.  He is in the risk/underwriting field for banking.