My questions are: 1. What states do you recommend considering the weather & tax rates. 2. How should I start? Do I start interviewing asking them for H1B right away? 3. Any employers to avoid on? 4. Any concerns/tips on moving to the states from Canada.
Thanks in advance.
Just a caveat emptor.
Also, if you lose a job that was covering your health insurance, you have some interesting situations.. 'cobra' can temporarily keep you a float, but most people can not afford it when they are between jobs.
So I'd say it's comparable and not all that different.
Plenty of places here will refuse to take care of you if you have no insurance.
Some places will do the minimum to keep you from dieing, but not help you fix health problems.
Insurance 'lapse' could bankrupt you just trying to buy meds.
If your fam already needs meds in Canada, might want to call around the pharmacies and ask how much they cost here.
Even if you get insurance from a co, it may not cover the same drugs that you get elsewhere.
The system has room for improvement, but is not broken in the way the IS system is.
The problem with H1B visas (at least when I was a manager) was that there was a quota and it was about 3x oversubscribed: so most applicants won't get the visa. (There is a separate queue for people with an MS degree from a US university, but it sounds like that doesn't apply for you).
Have you considered just using a TN-1 visa to get started and then trying to switch to a H1B every year until you pass the lottery? That should make you eligible for employment right away. I think the downside to TN-1 is that it's not considered an immigrant visa, so you can't transition to permanent residency, which is why you would want to continue to transition to H1B once you've gotten employed.
(Interested in what others have to say: maybe my opinion is out-of-date. IANAL.)
Regarding states: the best salaries are in Silicon Valley, obviously, but the taxes and living expenses there are high. If I were looking for work, I'd go to Austin, Texas. The salaries aren't as high but there are still a lot of tech employers and there is no state income tax. You might also consider the Research Triangle Park area in North Carolina.
For the OP: entering the US with TN status is relatively trivial. FANG companies recognise this, and will interview you more or less as if you had work authorisation in the US. Totally doable also for smaller employers, and is honestly easy enough for you to do on your own if needed.
Either your employer will provide you with documents to show CBP at the border when you first enter and they'll adjudicate your application on the spot, or your employer will apply for the TN a priori which takes only a few weeks - this allows you to enter in a sort of pre-authorised way.
One note on permanent residency: there are limits for employment-based green cards on the basis of your country of birth (not your country of citizenship). This makes things difficult if you were born in India or China.
2 - it's generally very easy to get a job with an American firm since there is lax regulation and an emphasis on bringing the best talent into the economic sphere ("braindrain"). Due to the current situation, they're more likely to want to hire you remote though. If they are wanting to bring you into the office, you have to verify that they do sponsorships from the outset (else they'll expect you to make your own visa arrangements). If they sponsor you, this is the easiest route and would require an H1b. If you believe your skills are in high demand, you're an asset in your field and have an impeccable background; you can self-sponsor (H2B) or, even more unlikely, get an extraordinary talent visa (O). There's also the TN1 visa, but I'm less informed regarding it and generally is less intended for your use case.
3 - there are literally millions of employers in the US and thousands in the sphere you're targeting. It would be impossible to give an exhaustive list. First find employers that are willing to sponsor, in your area, with a job you qualify for. Then go about crossing them off via Glassdoor.
4 - only the ones you probably know. Guns are more prevalent. You'll need to pay for your medical insurance; in your field this will probably be provided by your company at something like 30-150/mo individual or 100-400/mo family (depending on plan and generosity of your company, make sure to ask about this during your initial interviews). You'll need to get a local driver's license. You will need to have a hefty chunk of cash in the bank if you want a decent apartment, to prove fiscal responsibility (as you have no credit).
Also on a big tech salary you can probably afford to “snowbird.” Get a little condo in the south for the winter.
If OP gets a good tech job the healthcare will be annoying but easily manageable.
The pay bump alone is worth it.
Its very easy for Canadians to work in the US as compared to some other countries.
Cost of living may be a bit higher here, a bit lower there - but I think you will find the job market much more competitive.
On the flip side I absolutely love Phoenix with its 360 days of sunshine every year. A 2% state tax rate is also very appealing.
