Working in the United States
Working in the US
Almost every major tech company in the US hires Canadians and will sponsor you for a visa (usually an application will specify if they won't sponsor a visa). US companies tend to pay significantly more and offer great opportunities.
Visa
You'll need a visa to intern/work full-time in the US. A common misconception is that you can get a visa yourself - this is not true. You need a company who is willing to sponsor your visa to work in the United States. Once you find this company they will do most of the work for you, you'll just have to submit some documents/forms. Don't stress about this step.
| Visa | Job Type | Citizenship | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| J-1 Visa | Internship | Any | Generally straight forward; you'll get a 30 day grace period before/after your internship period |
| TN Visa | Full Time | Canadian Only | Generally quicker/easier to obtain than an H1-B |
| H1-B Visa | Full Time | Any | Only 65k are given every year; lengthier/harder visa to obtain |
Getting Paid
You'll need an American bank account or a cross-border banking account (e.g. TD Cross-Border Banking) to get paid if you're working in the US. This is very easy to obtain - just go to your preferred bank once you're in the US and bring your passport, job offer letter, and visa documents just in case. They may ask for a US address to open an American bank account.
Some companies will require you to obtain a Social Security Number in the US. It's also a very good idea regardless so that you can apply for a credit card and build up a credit score in the US (can be helpful in many ways in the future). This is also straight-forward, but you need to wait until you're in the US for at least 10 days before you can apply and you might also need to wait for your employment to start.