So how is this with work visa for the USA?

[Steppenwolf]

I got a job offer from a acknowledged american games company as Level Designer. But honestly i doubt that i would get a work visa for the USA if i say yes. I don't have a university degree or something. I'm 27 now.

Has anyone experience with that? Are there ways this could work?

[ginsengavenger]

Does the company have experience with getting visas for people? That's probably the first thing you should ask.

[skdr]

Do you have a college degree?

edit: doh I just read your post again and you said you don't have it. I guess youre out of options then

What company is it?

[Steppenwolf]

I'm about to find out if they have experience with visa stuff and supporting industry noobs (haven't worked yet in the games industry and a foreign country).

I don't have much hope tho that i would get a visa. I have informed myself about that some time ago when i applied for a different company and it didn't looked good. I just thought that maybe someone here knows a way that could work, that i haven't read about.

[Fletch]

The good news:

You're working in a highly specialized field.

The bad news:

No long-term employment history in the field and no degree in the field.

If Company X has a history of acquiring visas, you might be in a better position.

[mikezilla]

Canadian companies it's still possible. With American companies it has now become almost completely impossible. The company that is offering the job would have to go to bat major big leagues time for you, and spend a LOT of money in the process... and even then it's a long arduous crapshoot.

[Fletch]

/me hugs the Patriot Act

[Bic-B@ll]

fly to mexico and follow the line going north

[Tequila]

fly to mexico and follow the line going north

That's that last we'd hear of Stepp.

[kleinluka]

OK here's the short version:

requirements for H1B temporary work visa:

- 4 year university degree OR 3 years of related work experience for every missing year of college -> 12 years.

There is an annual quota limit on this type of visa so only 65000 can be handed out every year (so the most qualified people are selected, the rest is refused)....

There's also the O1 visa but that is impossible to get unless you have won internationally recognized awards like the grammy.

For a full explanation on all visa types and their requirements, go here:

http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20030425/rose_pfv.htm

The information there is from April 24, 2003 so some things might have changed but it gives you a good idea of how hard it is to get a work visa for the US.

Oh and before anyone says "JUST GET MARRIED TO AN US CHICK".... visa officers aren't stupid... They are required to view your relationship like you're faking it for immigration purposes when they process applications and it is YOUR responsibility and obligation to prove visa officer wrong by providing proof like letters from bank showing joint bank account for at least 1 year, holiday photos, bills, statements from neighbors and employers, and so on.... so forget about that

Steppe, ask your company if you can work offsite contract.... That's what IR did with Valve when they couldn't bring him over.

[Thrik]

Heh, Klein. That article at the bottom of the page is slightly depressing.

Ultimately I decided against continuing the battle, though. I had depleted almost all of my financial resources, I was wary of entering a long legal case that I might not win, and I had just received a solid offer from Acclaim in the UK. As such, I felt it better to cut my losses.

Looking back, I try to view the experience as character forming. Perhaps I was naive about United States public officials. But I can't complain too much: my career in the UK has prospered since I returned from the United States.

Wonder what he's doing now.

[kleinluka]

I like this one too

A "Brazil"-like story recently emerged from the INS California Service Center regarding one immigration official's creative approach to reducing backlogs. The INS measured the productivity in their mailroom by how quickly they processed applications, from the time of receipt to the time of ultimate approval or denial. The INS California Service Center was running behind the desired rate, which was going to reflect badly on the people responsible for processing cases through the mailroom. Accordingly, the supervisor in charge of the INS mailroom decided to shred 90,000 immigration applications stacked up on their shelves. This did wonders to reduce the backlog and produced a seemingly great productivity rate. It was, of course, not great for the foreign nationals whose applications were shredded, and it took took months to straighten out the mess.

[Minos]

I told you should have gone to college stepp

No seriously, raise the middle finger to the US immigration laws, and apply at some european or canadian studio. I bet your chances will be a lot higher.

[Taylor]

Do two 2 year diploma's count as one 4 year diploma?

[von*ferret]

probably not