It’s not a secret that the U.S. has an interest in highly-skilled and talented people.The acceleration of technological developments in the information and communication technology sector has led to an increased demand for highly skilled IT specialists. In this article we will go deeper into details about ways to move to the U.S through work and talent visa programs for IT specialists.
Being at the forefront of the information and communication technology, the United States has a lot to offer to IT professionals coming from abroad. For one, there are limitless career opportunities as the world’s largest Tech Giant Companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc. are clustered here.
How much does an IT specialist make in the U.S.?
The average salary for an IT worker in the U.S. is around $70 thousand a year. But of course, the salary varies from company to company. For example, Google’s software engineers can make more than $300,000, according to Business Insider, the U.S. online media company.
Computer and information research scientists at Apple make from $102 thousand to $198 thousand a year. Meanwhile, the annual income of a data scientist can reach up to $225 thousand. At the same time, the lowest-paying positions at Apple are operation-research-analyst and business system analyst, who make $72,450 annually, which is slightly above average on the market.
Top Best IT Jobs of 2022 with an average annual salary
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top IT jobs of 2022 are as follows:
- IT Manager — $159,010
- Software Architect — $131,490
- Cloud Architect — $133,222
- Computer Research Scientist — $131,490
- Computer Hardware Engineer — $128,170
- Digital Marketing Manager — $127,150
- Machine Learning Engineer — $123,363
- Big Data Engineer — $120,813
Since IT specialists are in high demand in the U.S., there are many ways for foreign professionals to immigrate to the country. Here are the most common ones.
EB-1A Visa
This immigration visa is a great option for people with extraordinary abilities like Information Technology professionals, who have profound knowledge of computer science. The greatest benefit of this visa program is that you will receive your green card once the EB-1 is granted. This means that the EB-1 holder gets permanent residency in the U.S. This type of visa does not require any investment or a job offer from a U.S. company.
The EB-1A is a first-preference visa, which means it has the most stringent requirements among all green card categories. Despite the fact that this immigration program has a demanding list of criteria, you don’t need to satisfy all of them. In order to get your case approved, you only have to meet 3 out of 10 visa requirements! The key to receiving an EB-1 is to prove that you are in the top percentile in your field, meaning your achievements are recognized at the national or international level.
O-1 Visa
This visa has a lot of similarities to the EB-1A visa since both of them are talent visas. Just like the EB-1A program, O-1 does not require any investment. However, unlike the EB-1A, the O-1 visa is a nonimmigrant one, which means you won’t get a Green Card right away. It only allows temporary residency in the country.
Even so, throughout the O-1 program, you can change your status to EB-1 and get your Green Card. It’s important to mention that all O-1 applications demand sponsors or an employer in the U.S. The O-1 visa has lower standards for special talent, which makes it easier to obtain.
EB-2 Visa
The EB-2 is an immigration Green Card visa type, providing its holder permanent residency. It’s very important to emphasize that it’s also a work visa, which means having a sponsor or a job offer is crucial here. Being the second preference employment-based visa, it has a lower standard for the initial qualifications than the EB-1 visa, which makes it easier to prove. This immigration program is for specialists with advanced degrees (a baccalaureate + 5 years of progressive work experience in the field). However, getting this visa approved requires more waiting time if compared yet again with the EB-1 visa.
EB-3 Visa
It’s not hard to guess that this immigration visa is a third preference category. If you are a skilled worker, or professional, having at least 2 years of training or experience in your field and a bachelor’s degree. Notably, the EB-3 visa requirements are relatively lower than those of the EB-2, making it far more accessible. Remember, this visa program requires a permanent job offer from a U.S. employer.
You are a highly-skilled IT specialist thinking of moving to the United States to fulfill your potential but you don’t know which talent visa to apply for? Fill in our work visa questionnaire or talent visa questionnaire . We’ll review this information to determine which visa program fits you the best. And this is absolutely at no cost! Within 48 hours after filling the questionnaire you’ll receive my recommendations on what visa program you should apply for.