Do you need a visa?
Yes, for every nationality, EU citizens included. To work in the United States you need a work visa, almost always requested by the employer. The main routes for skilled jobs:
- H-1B (specialty occupation): a job that needs a degree, and a degree or equivalent experience. There is a yearly cap (65,000 visas plus 20,000 for US master's graduates): employers register candidates every March, a selection is made, and approved workers usually start on 1 October. Since September 2025 an extra payment of US$100,000 applies to certain new petitions for people outside the US; it is being challenged in court, so check the current situation with USCIS.
- L-1: a transfer within the same company, after at least a year working for it abroad.
- O-1: for people with extraordinary, documented achievements in their field.
- TN (citizens of Canada and Mexico) and E-3 (citizens of Australia): simpler professional visas.
USCIS: H-1B · US Department of State: employment visas
Documents and where to get them
In your country, before you leave
- Passport, valid for the whole move; the visa is issued in the passport.
- Birth certificate (and marriage certificate, if married). Usually with an apostille (or legalisation) and a certified translation; check with the embassy.
- Criminal record certificate from your country of nationality and, if different, from where you lived recently: visa applications often require it. Request it close to the date it will be used.
- Degree, transcript and references from previous jobs, digitally, with certified translations if the visa asks for them.
In the United States
- Social Security Number (SSN): needed for your salary and taxes; requested from the Social Security Administration after you arrive.
- State ID or driving licence from the state where you live; it is the everyday ID.
- Health insurance through your employer's plan: there is no public system for working-age people, so check what the offer covers.
Step by step
Before you leave
- Confirm in writing the gross annual salary, the visa the employer will sponsor and who pays its fees, the start date and the relocation support.
- Wait for the approved petition, then book the visa interview at the US embassy or consulate.
- Taxes are federal, state and sometimes local, so the net pay depends a lot on the state: ask the employer for a net estimate.
- In your country, tell the authorities you are moving: update your registered address and your tax residence. In the year you leave, tax may be due for the part of the year you were still resident.
First week
- Apply for your Social Security Number.
- Open a bank account and give the details to your employer.
- Join the employer's health insurance plan.
First month
- Get your state ID or driving licence.
- Check the federal and state withholding on your first payslip.