

Ask HN: Kiwi programmer keen to work in the U.S. for 1-2 years. Bad idea? Any advice? - benhoyt

My wife and I (and our two-year-old daughter) are keen to move to the U.S. for a year or two, in a year or two. A couple of years back I probably would have just gone for it, but with this whole Global Economic Cooling thing, I'm not so sure.<p>What do you guys think are the prospects for a decent software engineer finding work in the U.S. at present? I'm good at both firmware (C, C++, micros) and web development (Python, HTML, SQL, etc).<p>I've lived in New Zealand most of my life, but I'm a U.S. citizen, so I don't think work permits will be an issue.<p>Here in N.Z. I operate as a consultant or contractor (and I've been involved in a couple of startups). What are the pros and cons of contracting vs employment in the U.S.? Do you think we should wait and see how the economy goes for a while?<p>Any other comments or advice you have would be much appreciated.
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brk
Being in a position to say "no" always helps with your negotiations. I would
start looking for something about 12 months early. Scout around online, talk
to people doing things you're interested in, etc.

I personally think that if you're skilled and flexible you could find
something without too much effort. One thing that comes to mind is looking for
some startup companies in a very early stage, where you could work from NZ for
a bit before actually relocating. Then everyone knows it's a good fit and
worth the hassle.

Downturn economies are often a good time for motivated people to do well, but
it takes a lot of effort.

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ObieJazz
I haven't been job hunting recently but from everything I hear the tech
employment sector is doing fine. (I'm in the US)

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anamax
> I've lived in New Zealand most of my life, but I'm a U.S. citizen, so I
> don't think work permits will be an issue.

The US doesn't have work permits for its citizens.

Do other countries have work permits for their citizens? On what grounds are
they denied? If they're not denied, what's the intent? What's the effect?

