Hi guys, I am a research scientist in Germany and I got recently an offer from a US company. I am a non-EU passport holder then my visa is tied to my job here, so if I quit the German company I have to leave Germany. The american lawyer’s company has started my O1 visa process but it takes time, according to him 3-5 months. I have no experience in this regard, so my doubt is, should I quit my German job and go to my home country and work homeoffice for US while the visa comes through as they offered? or only start when the visa is ready? I am alfraid of my visa getting rejected, although they said that there are other visa options like H1B, J1. I am also afraid of quitting Germany and the US visa does not work (I have already visited US twice with B1, not sure if it matters) or the company gives up on me and i lost both jobs. TC europe : 80k TC US offer: 230k
Don't quit your job until your visa is approved. US visa is unpredictable, so don't make any assumptions that it will be approved. H1B is lottery, so it's also random. Stay where you are for the meanwhile, unless you really want to go back to your home country. Which country are you from? The only advantage I can think of is maybe if the US embassy in your home country is less busy, so it can process your case faster.
Brazil, but I can say that the US embassy in Germany is way faster than the one in Brazil
Don't quit. My friend did it to join his wife in the USA hoping this own h1b will work out and was jobless for 1 year. He finally went back to Europe again as he couldn't find work/sponsorship. Yours is o1, a different storyt still...
Wait for USCIS to approve your O1. This has nothing to do with your embassy and is processed in the US. It’s also the most uncertain part even though a good lawyer will know if you can have it or not. After this going to the embassy to get the stamp on your passport should not be a problem. You can still wait for this to be done. Do you have to stay at your job for a certain time after giving notice?
Yep, I have to stay for 30 days
I think it’s really fine to give your notice once the visa is approved by USCIS and before you get the stamp at the embassy
I went myself through J-1, then O-1. As others said, don’t quit before it got approved. Also, I am not sure you can work “home office” for the US company until then, unless that company will pay social security in Germany, withhold taxes there, pay health insurance etc.
Where in US? Location matters
San Jose, California