United States (US)

The United States is a federation of 50 states and the District of Columbia spanning six time zones from the Atlantic to the Pacific, plus Alaska and Hawaii.

Capital: Washington, D.C.

Region: Americas

Language: English

Currency: USD ($)

Cost of living: Expensive (index 75)

Emergency: 911

Jobs & Work Permits

Everything you need to find work and get authorised to work in United States.

State Workforce Agencies / CareerOneStop

State Workforce Agencies (e.g., California EDD, New York Department of Labor, Washington ESD)

The US has no single national employment service — each state operates its own workforce agency (typically the Department of Labor or Employment Department). CareerOneStop is the federal Department of Labor portal that aggregates state services. Register with your state's unemployment insurance if eligible; apply for jobs on the state job bank. American Job Centers (AJCs) provide in-person help across the country — find the nearest via careeronestop.org.

Services offered:

✓Unemployment insurance benefits (if eligible after losing job through no fault of your own)
✓State job bank — employer postings and candidate search
✓Resume review and career counselling
✓Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) training vouchers for eligible displaced workers
✓Career counselling and interest assessments
✓Hiring events and job fairs
✓Veterans employment services (priority of service)
✓Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for workers displaced by trade

Expat eligibility: Work authorisation is required to use most services and to receive job placements. Valid forms: US citizenship, Green Card (LPR), H-1B, H-4 EAD (Employment Authorization Document), L-1, L-2 EAD, O-1, TN, OPT/STEM OPT for F-1 students, asylum/refugee EAD. Services for unauthorised workers are not available through these channels.

Visit State Workforce Agencies / CareerOneStop

💼 Work Permits

EU Citizens

EU citizens have no special treatment under US immigration law — you need a work visa like any other non-citizen. Common routes: H-1B (specialty occupation, lottery-based), L-1 (intra-company transfer), O-1 (extraordinary ability), E-1/E-2 (treaty trader/investor — available to EU treaty countries), TN (Canadians/Mexicans only under USMCA — not EU), F-1 OPT (students), H-2B (seasonal).

Non-EU Citizens

Same process as EU citizens — all non-citizens (except Canadians/Mexicans via TN under USMCA) require an employment-based visa or Green Card. Most common: H-1B (annual lottery, 85,000 visas, registration in March), L-1 (employer transfer), O-1 (extraordinary ability), E-2 (treaty investor from treaty country), F-1 OPT/STEM OPT (post-study). Employment-based Green Cards: EB-1/2/3/4/5 (multi-year process with country-specific backlogs especially for India/China).

EU Blue Card

The US does not have an equivalent to the EU Blue Card. The H-1B is the closest analogue for skilled workers — requires bachelor's degree in a specialty occupation, employer sponsorship, and winning the H-1B lottery (about 25% odds in recent years). The EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) is a self-sponsorship path for exceptional professionals that leads to a Green Card without employer sponsorship — increasingly popular.

Freelancer Visa

There is no US freelance visa. O-1 extraordinary ability visa can be used by high-profile freelancers (musicians, artists, scientists). E-2 treaty investor visa allows citizens of treaty countries to operate a US business. Otherwise, self-employment in the US requires a Green Card. B-1 business visitor visa allows business meetings but not income-earning work in the US.

⏱️ Work Culture

Typical hours 40-hour work week is nominal but rarely the reality for white-collar professionals. Tech and finance routinely 50–60 hours/week; law and investment banking 60–80+. Hourly workers more likely to stay close to 40 hours (employers avoid overtime costs). Office culture varies hugely by region: Northeast (NYC, Boston) and West Coast tech are high-intensity; Midwest and South often more balanced.

Annual leave 10–15 days/year typical for year 1; increasing with tenure. Senior professionals: 20–25 days. Tech companies increasingly offer "unlimited" PTO (often results in employees taking less). Hospitality and retail: 5–10 days. Compared internationally, Americans take much less vacation — often leaving days on the table.

Sick leave Varies by state and employer. No federal paid sick leave entitlement. 15 states + DC mandate paid sick leave. Many employers combine sick and vacation into unified PTO. Tech/finance often offer separate 5–10 sick days.

Trial period Introductory period of 30–90 days is common but legally still at-will — the employer can terminate at any time. Some benefits (health insurance, 401(k) match) may not begin until after the probationary period.

Notice period 2 weeks notice from employee is customary courtesy but not legally required (at-will employment). Employers have no notice obligation except under the WARN Act for mass layoffs (60 days for 100+ employee firms). Senior executives may have contractual notice periods.

Salary range Huge variance by region, industry, and role. Median full-time worker: ~$60,000/year. Entry tech SWE: $100,000–$160,000. Senior tech SWE: $200,000–$500,000+. BigLaw associate year 1: $225,000. Investment banking analyst: $150,000–$200,000 base + $100K+ bonus. Median teacher: $65,000. Healthcare: enormous range ($40K nursing assistant to $500K+ specialist physicians).

Pay frequency Biweekly (every 2 weeks — 26 paychecks/year) is the most common for salaried employees. Semi-monthly (15th and last day — 24 paychecks/year) also common. Weekly for some hourly workers. Monthly is rare.

Contract types

·Full-time W-2 employee (standard — employer withholds taxes, provides benefits)
·Part-time W-2 (fewer than 30–35 hours, often reduced benefits)
·1099 Independent Contractor (self-employed, no benefits, pays own taxes including self-employment tax 15.3%)
·Temp / Staffing Agency (W-2 through the agency, assigned to client)
·Intern (paid or unpaid — unpaid internships heavily restricted for for-profit companies post-2018)
·Fellow / Resident / Trainee (specialised postings in medicine, academia, non-profits)

🔍 Job Boards

Dominant professional network in the US. Most white-collar jobs are posted here. Essential for networking, applications, and being found by recruiters. Optimise your profile as your primary online resume.

Indeed

Largest US job aggregator by volume. Strong across all sectors and seniority levels. Easy apply function attracts many applications per posting.

Glassdoor

Job board combined with company reviews, salary data, and interview experiences. Essential for researching employers before applying and for salary benchmarking.

ZipRecruiter

AI-powered job matching platform. Strong for small-to-mid-market employers and various sectors.

Monster

Longstanding US job board. Diverse range of industries and seniority levels.

Handshake

The dominant platform for college student and new-grad hiring in the US. Most major employers recruit here for entry-level roles. Required for most F-1/OPT candidates.

Dice

Specialised tech/IT job board with strong H-1B sponsor representation. Engineering, DevOps, data science, security roles.

Wellfound (formerly AngelList)

Startup-focused job board. Equity ranges often disclosed. Direct application to founders and small teams.

FlexJobs

Curated remote, hybrid, and flexible job board. Subscription required but scam-free. Popular for remote-first roles.

USAJobs

Official US federal government job board. All federal civilian positions posted here. Complex application process; security clearance and citizenship required for most roles.

🌍 Expat-Friendly Resources

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MyVisaJobs

Searchable database of H-1B and Green Card sponsorship by employer. Essential for non-US citizens to find visa-sponsor employers.

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H1B Grader

H-1B sponsorship data including approval rates, salaries, and processing times by employer.

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Teleport

City comparison and relocation research tool — cost of living, quality of life, and employment data for US cities.

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Relocation.net

General resources for relocating to the US, including employment and settlement advice.

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MovingFromUK / UKtoUSA subreddits

Community resources for UK nationals moving to the US. Immigration, tax, and job-search advice from people who have made the move.

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Alumni networks

Many international universities (Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD, HEC, IIMs, IITs) have active US alumni chapters in major cities — powerful networking channel.

📝 Application Tips

CV format: US resume is 1–2 pages maximum (not a CV as understood in Europe). Reverse chronological order. Quantified achievements preferred ("Increased revenue by 30%"). Do NOT include: photo, date of birth, marital status, nationality, or religion (illegal for employers to ask about these). Include: contact info (name, email, phone, LinkedIn URL, city/state), optional summary, work experience, education, skills, optional certifications/volunteer/awards. Use action verbs. Tailor to each job.

Cover letter: Expected

Language: Professional English is required for virtually all US jobs. Additional languages (Spanish, Mandarin) can be significant advantages in specific roles/regions. No formal language certification required for most jobs (unlike immigration processes).

Interviews: Multi-round process typical: recruiter phone screen (30 min) → hiring manager interview (45–60 min) → technical/case interviews (1–4 rounds) → team/panel interview → executive interview. Total process: 2–8 weeks. Behavioural questions use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). "Tell me about yourself" and "What's your greatest weakness" are staples. Salary negotiation is expected — employers typically offer 10–20% below max. Always counter-offer.

🤝 Networking Tips

→Optimise your LinkedIn profile relentlessly — photo, banner, headline, summary, detailed experience. LinkedIn is the #1 US professional platform
→Coffee chats and "informational interviews" are a normal part of US professional culture — reach out to 2nd-degree connections for 20-30 minute conversations
→Leverage university alumni networks — most major universities have active alumni groups on LinkedIn and active city chapters
→Industry associations and conferences (SXSW, RSA, HIMSS, AWS re:Invent, industry-specific events) are major networking venues
→Meetup.com and Eventbrite have many professional networking events in major cities
→Employee referrals have the highest hire rate of any application channel — 40–50% of hires at major companies come through referrals
→Engage authentically with company social media posts, comment thoughtfully, and share insights before applying
→Reach out to recruiters directly on LinkedIn with a brief, tailored message
→Join professional Slack communities, Discord servers, and industry-specific subreddits — particularly strong in tech, design, and writing
→If relocating to a new city, join city-specific professional groups (e.g., "NY Tech Alliance", "Boston New Tech") immediately upon arrival
→Give before you ask — offer to help, share insights, make introductions before requesting favours
→Follow up interviews within 24 hours with a thank-you email — still expected in US business culture

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