Newsgroups: vmsnet.employment,rec.travel,misc.jobs.misc
Subject: Summary: Need advice on work abroad
From: fowler@southpower.co.nz
Date: 13 Aug 92 16:53:05 NZDT

I have a feeling that my first post of this article got lost due to
problems with an upstream site.

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Hello!

Here is a summary of the answers I received relating to a question I posted
to the net about three weeks ago.  The questions relate to finding work
abroad in the USA, Europe and Britain.  Thanks to the following people who
shared their own experiences and provided answers to my questions.

<kb42+@andrew.cmu.edu>          Karin Berger
<stefano@ecf.toronto.edu>       Bruno Di Stefano
<thermans@nsf.gov>              Tim Hermans
<tews@dfki.uni-sb.de>           Martin Tews
<sandee@Think.COM>              Daan Sandee
<EOIN@vulcan.mentec.ie>         Eion Gill
<scotty@netcom.com>             Peter Scott


> Next year sometime I plan to go on a working holiday and I would really
> appreciate peoples comments on my chances of finding overseas employment
> given my qualifications, especially relating to employment in the USA for a
> non US citizen.
>
>
> My Qualifications...
>
> I have fairly recently completed a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in
> computer science from University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New
> Zealand.  I have also had about four years experience with Digital VAX's of
> varying sizes mostly systems administration/management and database
> administration work.  My current position is systems administrator for
> Southpower, Christchurch, New Zealand where I help in the administration of
> a 14 node VAXCluster with nodes ranging in size from Vaxstation 3100's to
> 6600 series VAX's
>
>
> My Plans...
>
> Ideally I want to travel and work in the USA, Britain and Europe and
> hopefully will be able to base myself somewhere and work while I travel
> around the place and see the sights.  I would like to work in the USA first
> but this is dependent on weather I can obtain a work visa.  After the USA I
> plan on traveling to Britain and Europe and I would like to work there as
> well, I am a dual passport holder (NZ and British) so visa's will not be a
> problem in Britain and perhaps Europe.
>
>
> My Questions...
>
> 1.      What would my chances be of obtaining a work visa in the USA??

Karin Berger wrote and told me that I could try for a J-1 visa (visa
for exchange visitors) which would allow me to work only for the
company which hired me and that you must have the visa and thus a job
offer before entering the USA.

Peter Scott gave me the following address of a job placement company
but didn't know much about how effective they were.  If anyone else
has any information on this company or any similar company I would be
most interested to hear about it.

  >         International Computer Professional Association
  >         2261 Market St., Ste 309, San Francisco, CA 94114
  >         415/252-7467, Fax 415/252-5769
  >
  > They offer a job listing service, and some other help on getting around the
  > red tape of international employment.  The fee is $147 a year. I don't know
  > how good the service is.

Daan Sandee sent me the following info on work and visa's in the USA
which may be from a FAQ list.

  > To get a job in the US, you must get a temporary worker's visa BEFORE
  > entering the US.  Basically, you must find an employer willing to hire
  > you AND willing to push the red tape through the INS, and only *then*
  > can you get a visa and enter the US.  Of course, you can come in as a
  > tourist and try and find an employer, but it is ILLEGAL (both for the
  > employer and for you) to work until you get the proper visa which you
  > can *only* get outside of the US, so you have to go back to get it.
  >
  > a) For a "professional level" job (meaning, it requires at least a BSc)
  >    an employer can obtain permission to employ an alien without serious
  >    problems. The hassle is just pushing it through the INS red tape,
  >    this may take from two months to one year, depending on how often the
  >    employer and the INS screw it up. The employer will screw it up due to
  >    inexperience - an inexperienced employer is *guaranteed* to screw up,
  >    and an experienced employer *might* do it correctly first shot.  The INS
  >    just screws it up randomly (and fairly frequently) by losing the form,
  >    or sending it to the wrong address,  or whatever. This is not a random
  >    horror story,  I'm doing no more than quoting from personal experience,
  >    and other people have had similar experiences.
  >
  >    With the approved job offer you then can get an H-1 Temporary Worker's
  >    visa from the consulate. This is normally valid 3 years and can be
  >    extended for twice one year.
  >
  > b) Universities have exchange visitor programs which work a bit easier
  >    because they have a blanket arrangement with the INS and just have to
  >    request to add your name. This will take one to three months, and the
  >    approved form will get you a J-1 Exchange Visitor's visa from the
  >    consulate.
  >    The problem with a J-1 is that *some* programs stipulate that you
  >    *must* leave the US on termination and not come back for two years,
  >    or whatever.


> 2.      What is the best way of finding a job overseas??  Preferably I
>         would like to have a job to go to somewhere before I leave NZ.

Not to much info here except people seemed to think local papers were
a good idea and perhaps employment agencies.


> 3.      What countries can I obtain work in by using my British passport.

Quite a few gave me the answer to this question.  A British passport
gives me the chance to work in any country that is a member of the
EEC.  This includes to following countries...

Ireland, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain,
Portugal, Greece, Luxembourg and Belgium.

I don't know if this is a complete list??  Does anyone know of any
other countries that are included in the EEC??


Thanks,
Ken.
--
System Administrator             Phone:     (64)(03) 639-527
IS Dept, Southpower,             Fax:       (64)(03) 639-816
Private Bag,                     Internet:  fowler@southpower.co.nz
Christchurch,                    PSI:       0530147000090::galaxy::fowler
New Zealand.                  or PSI:       0530130010083::galaxy::fowler