Relocation plan: United States of America

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

1. 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.
2. Wait for the approved petition, then book the visa interview at the US embassy or consulate.
3. Taxes are federal, state and sometimes local, so the net pay depends a lot on the state: ask the employer for a net estimate.
4. 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

1. Apply for your Social Security Number.
2. Open a bank account and give the details to your employer.
3. Join the employer's health insurance plan.

First month

1. Get your state ID or driving licence.
2. Check the federal and state withholding on your first payslip.