Contracting in USA and Canada ?

[europetractor]

Inspired by the contracting in australia thread, Can anyone provide any pointers on going contracting in either USA or Canada.?

Which is the best visa for IT contracting ?
Do you get the contract first and the VISA or vice versa ?

[stek]

Inspired by the contracting in australia thread, Can anyone provide any pointers on going contracting in either USA or Canada.?

Which is the best visa for IT contracting ?
Do you get the contract first and the VISA or vice versa ?

Not possible in USA (not sure about Canada but probs same).

Like most of the world, they have no freelance visa, work permits are tied to a sponsoring company. The only out are the Working Holidaymaker type visas some of the Commonwealth countries have (UK and Oz spring to mind).

For USA it's the H1-B visa, sponsor sponsors and employs you as a form of slavery, there is no other way. You need at least a Green Card to be able to contract, and even then contracting in US is looked on as a sort of temp job situation for those not good enough to get a proper job.

Forget it.

[northernladuk]

Fancy doing a modicum of research first and coming back with some more specific questions?

Overseas Guides - IT Contracting in Australia, USA, South Africa and Europe :: Contractor UK

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=us...hrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=us...s-contracts%2F

Use the same to search the accounting section as well.

https://www.google.co.uk/

[redgiant]

Not possible in USA (not sure about Canada but probs same).

Like most of the world, they have no freelance visa, work permits are tied to a sponsoring company. The only out are the Working Holidaymaker type visas some of the Commonwealth countries have (UK and Oz spring to mind).

For USA it's the H1-B visa, sponsor sponsors and employs you as a form of slavery, there is no other way. You need at least a Green Card to be able to contract, and even then contracting in US is looked on as a sort of temp job situation for those not good enough to get a proper job.

Forget it.

I'm currently working in the US. In there is a market although smaller than in the UK from what I have seen in my time in the North East US (Greater NYC area). I am on the the major US job boards (Indeed & Dice) and get frequent messages through them for contracts although I have a niche skillset so it may not be the same for you.

Here is a list of US visa types - https://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide...eur-visa-guide

You can move employers on a H1-B but your new sponsor and will need to complete forms and send documentation to USCIS (essentially it's another H1-B visa application but without the annual cap applied). There is not guarantee that it will be approved though and there are long lead times for GC applications through the H1-B route (>4 years from applying).

[Andy2]

Foregt about H1b visa now to trumpland

[europetractor]

Foregt about H1b visa now to trumpland

That probably applies mostly to Muslims, although I have heard nothing alike in the news. I think the inward immigration situation is probably comparable to UK's policy.

[northernladuk]

That probably applies mostly to Muslims, although I have heard nothing alike in the news. I think the inward immigration situation is probably comparable to UK's policy.

In tatters?

[m0n1k3r]

Inspired by the contracting in australia thread, Can anyone provide any pointers on going contracting in either USA or Canada.?

Which is the best visa for IT contracting ?
Do you get the contract first and the VISA or vice versa ?

The CETA agreement between the EU and Canada contains provisions for the free movement of people for providing services (Article 10).

Only trouble is that the UK won't be subject to it for very long.

[m0n1k3r]

Not possible in USA (not sure about Canada but probs same).

Like most of the world, they have no freelance visa, work permits are tied to a sponsoring company. The only out are the Working Holidaymaker type visas some of the Commonwealth countries have (UK and Oz spring to mind).

For USA it's the H1-B visa, sponsor sponsors and employs you as a form of slavery, there is no other way. You need at least a Green Card to be able to contract, and even then contracting in US is looked on as a sort of temp job situation for those not good enough to get a proper job.

Forget it.

Contracting is looked at as a sort of temp job situation for those not good enough to get a proper job in most of Europe as well. The UK form of independent contracting is for the most part called 'consulting' in the USA and elsewhere. The UK use a quite strict definition of consulting (e.g. mainly just advisory) that most other (interesting) countries don't quite share.

Once you have a green card, you can go on payroll (called W-2) or be an independent supplier, usually self employed (called 1099). The difference, as in the UK and elsewhere, is about who controls the work you do. There is not much point in incorporating if the business will be all about you. As there is no equivalence for an LLC in the UK, contracting through one might cause problems when back in the UK.

https://www.sba.gov/starting-busines...nt-contractors