Relocate: Australia to USA

Question

Hi PMs,TL;DR: Have you moved from Australia to USA for work, and what was it like?I'm currently a Digital Product Owner (which I'm assuming is the equivalent of levels.fyi 'Product Manager' title) in the Financial Services industry, here in Sydney, Australia.I have an ambition to obtain a similar, or related role in any tech company within the United States, to uncover new learnings and unlock new experiences in one of the best tech hubs in the world.Before gaining employment, I need to know, and would like to hear the experiences of any Australians who have moved to the US for employment, or alternatively from any recruiters/HR personnel who have helped to facilitate such an onboarding. Specifically, I would like to know about the required visa(s) and sponsorship, the attitude of US companies towards hiring foreign candidates from Australia, the general length of process, and any other useful information to know.Thanks in advance!

Cloudv · Accepted Answer

Definitely easier to apply with E3 visa, rather than H1B. Not all US companies are familiar with E3 visa so you’ll need to explain to them what is it and how easy to get it. Big companies or matured startups that have Hr team are more welcome to E3 visa holders because they have resources to support the paperwork process. In my opinion, there’s no place on earth is better than the US when it comes to career in tech - both opportunities and compensation aspects.

pmsf · Answer

I moved over as a PM this year.Moved over on an E3 Visa.Overall, it’s well worth it. Here are some details:- Target large companies. They have awareness and resources to manage the visa process- Referrals is the best way to get in the door. Submitting CVs did not work for me-End to end it’s a 3-4 month process. The biggest delay is getting a consulate appointment in Australia. There has been a backlog of appointments. The timeframe would be a lot less if you could get an appointment.Happy to chat more. Just went through this and so all fresh for me.Definitely do it - the experience is awesome and many  more opportunities over here.

KudoMonkey · Answer

Generally, you need to disclose during the job application that you’ll require a visa (either an h1-b or an e-3); the process varies by company.Semi related: I have the opposite question… as a product manager in the US, what would be a good (well paying) tech role to transition to in Australia?

Infrasky · Answer

As an Australian you have an additional chance for getting the E-3 visa

Relocate: Australia to USA

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