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I'm a Canadian with an MLIS degree, searching for a library job and I am interested in applying to jobs in the U.S. I am wondering what the difficulties may be involved with this as per work visas, etc. How does one go about fulfilling the requirements in being able to be hired when one is not a U.S. citizen? What is the protocol, what are the procedures?
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Hi,
I was an international student and I am currently working as an academic librarian in the US with a work visa. I am not sure about the procedures and protocols for hiring someone from Canada. If I were you, I would go ahead and apply to suitable jobs. Usually academic libraries sponsor a candidate for work visa if they select him/her for a job. Recently, our library hired a Canadian for a visiting librarian position.
Good luck with your job search!
Latha777
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Thanks so much for the reply! I was wondering about employers sponsoring work visas. When I was reading about that, sources said that an employer has to apply for a prospective employee's work visa 6 months in advance to hiring them? It seems unlikely that an employer would even bother with that. But in your experience/from what you've heard, is it possible that the work visa application process could be rushed so that a person wouldn't have to wait 6 months before an employer decided to hire them and the time that employee could start working?
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Canadian librarians who want to work in the U.S. (and U.S. librarians who want to work in Canada) can qualify for a TN visa under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) [see: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1274.html]. This visa (from my understanding) makes it much simpler for both the employer and the employee, and creates less burden on the employer. You apply for the TN visa at the border, after getting a letter from your new employer. Originally this visa was granted for one year, and would need to be renewed every year thereafter. The Department of Homeland Security recently changed this to three years [ http://www.cpvisa.com/tnvisas.html]. In order to get paid in the U.S., you will need to get a Social Security Card, which is different from your Social Insurance Card. So once you have your visa in hand, you can appy for a SSN card [ http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.html]. Go ahead and apply for jobs in the U.S., and do your homework on the TN visa under NAFTA so you are as informed, if not more, than your future employer. There are plenty of Canadians working in the U.S. as librarians. And the HR department at your new job should help you out once you are hired. I hope this helps. Good luck!
Susanne Markgren Digital Services Librarian Purchase College, SUNY
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I’m a Canadian librarian working in the US.
It is illegal for American employers to ask about citizenship, so prospective employers shouldn’t assume you don’t have dual citizenship. In other words, having a Canadian address shouldn’t dissuade them from considering you and it’s not something you are obligated to disclose. That means that the bureaucracy involved in securing a visa shouldn’t be a consideration until an offer is made/ accepted. At that point, there should be someone at the institution who can guide you through the process.
First, you would accept a job offer. Second, you would apply for a visa, which is dependent on showing various documentation--including a job contract--to homeland security at a designated ‘port of entry’ (note that the visa would start that day even though your job would start thereafter). Third, you would have to be physically in the US to apply for a social security card, and you need to allow a few days between getting the visa and making this application. Fourth, once you receive the card, which is usually within two weeks but could be up to ninety days, you can begin working.
Chances are, because you are Canadian, your employer will encourage you to apply for the TN- 1visa (it’s not technically a visa, but it functions as a visa, so it also referred to as a 'status') because it is much cheaper and quicker than alternatives like the H-1B or O-1. Your contract will need to jibe with homeland security’s expectations—i.e., if the TN-1 is for 1 year, your contract should be for one year. Fortunately, the TN1 can be renewed repeatedly and for that reason, it is likely that your employer would hesitate to go through the bureaucracy of applying for these other visas until they are really invested in you.
Best of luck,
Heather Saunders
Art Librarian
Purchase College, SUNY
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Although American employers cannot directly ask about your citizenship, I have noticed U.S. online application forms typically ask the questions "Are you legally eligible to work in the United States?" "Can you provide proof of this eligibility?"
Is this not tantamount to getting at the question of your citizenship without asking about it directly? I would presume that Canadians applying for U.S. jobs would not be able to provide proof of eligibility until after an offer is made, which then triggers the TN-1 Visa.
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If you are able to get the visa, you are eligible.
Brian C. Gray Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian Kelvin Smith Library Case Western Reserve University http://blog.case.edu/bcg8bcg8@case.edu
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You can't get a visa unless you have a job offer. And the question of eligibility is posed when you first apply for a position. Aye, there's the rub!
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Employers do not ask you to show your visa up front. They need to know if you are capable and allowed to get a visa. They are asking if you are eligible, not if you have it. There is a difference.
Brian C. Gray Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian Kelvin Smith Library Case Western Reserve University http://blog.case.edu/bcg8bcg8@case.edu
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Yes, that is an important distinction.
On a different tangent, I know of one Canadian colleague who was denied a TN Visa renewal because of his perceived "intent". The TN Visa is considered a temporary visa, so the expectation is that his intention would be to return to Canada after his one year. (This was a few years ago when TN Visas were only issued for one year at a time). After renewing his TN visa twice, the third time he was asked for verification that he was indeed planning to return to Canada...that is, that he still had ties to Canada. He was asked to produce evidence of a Canadian bank account, proof of ownership of land or a home in Canada, etc. He couldn't produce any of this, and was summarily denied.
I've also heard spending too many years on a (temporary) TN Visa can create challenges when applying for more permanent status.
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