How to get a job in the USA from the UK (2026)

What are the US work visa routes for UK citizens?

There is no general work visa and no working holiday visa for UK professionals. USCIS says that to work temporarily in the US, your prospective employer must generally file a petition for you. Some routes you may have heard of are not open to British citizens: the E-3 is for Australians, the H-1B1 for Chile and Singapore, and the TN for Canada and Mexico.

These are the main routes for British professionals, named as US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) names them. Glo is not an immigration adviser. Check eligibility on the official pages, and take legal advice only from someone USCIS recognises as able to represent you, such as a licensed US attorney or a Department of Justice accredited representative.

What changed for the H-1B in 2025 and 2026?

Two things, and both affect UK applicants.

First, the $100,000 payment. A Presidential Proclamation of 19 September 2025 required certain new H-1B petitions filed from 21 September 2025 to include an extra $100,000 payment. It applies mainly to people outside the US who do not hold a valid H-1B visa, which describes most applicants in the UK. On 8 June 2026 a federal court in Massachusetts vacated the guidance implementing the payment, and on 24 July 2026 the appeals court refused to pause that order. The Department of Homeland Security says it will comply while it considers its next steps, and that it still plans to collect the payment if the order is lifted. Check the USCIS H-1B page for the position on the day you apply.

Second, the lottery is no longer equal. From fiscal year 2027, when there are more registrations than visas, USCIS runs a weighted selection based on the wage level of the job offer. A registration at the highest wage level, level IV, goes into the pool four times, level III three times, level II twice and level I once. A senior, well-paid offer now has much better odds than an entry-level one. The FY 2027 cap has already been reached.

How does hiring work in the USA?

It is fast and volume-driven. CareerOneStop says employers may process the first 50 to 100 applications they receive and stop if they find enough good candidates, so apply soon after a job is posted. It also says a person typically scans a resume for 15 to 20 seconds, and that applicant tracking software is now common in US hiring.

Expect a recruiter phone screen, then interviews with the hiring manager and team, sometimes a test or presentation, then references and background checks before an offer. CareerOneStop says networking is still the best way to get your resume into a hiring manager's hands, which matters even more when the employer has to take a chance on a visa.

For most UK applicants, sponsorship is the deciding issue. An H-1B means an employer registering you, waiting for the selection, filing a petition and paying fees, with no guarantee of success. Many employers will not do that for an overseas candidate they have not met. That is why the most realistic path for many British professionals is a transfer with their current employer, or a role with a company that already sponsors.

Where are jobs in the USA advertised?

Start with the employers who can actually hire you, then use the boards.

• Your own employer: if it has a US office, ask about an internal move. An L-1 transfer avoids the H-1B lottery completely.
• UK and multinational companies with US operations: they are the most likely to understand transfers and treaty visas.
• LinkedIn and Indeed: for volume, recruiter contact and research on who is hiring.
• CareerOneStop's Job Finder: the free job search on the US Department of Labor's CareerOneStop site.
• Company careers pages: apply directly, early, and follow the posting's instructions to the letter.
• USAJOBS: the federal government's job site. Read each posting's citizenship and eligibility lines before you spend time on it.
• Universities, nonprofit research organisations and government research bodies: their H-1B petitions are not subject to the annual cap.

How do you apply for US jobs from the UK?

Expect video interviews in the early rounds. US time zones are all behind the UK, so offer your afternoon and evening, and confirm the time zone in every invitation.

Be clear about your route from the first conversation: 'I am transferring with my employer on an L-1' or 'I would need H-1B sponsorship'. If you hold or are applying for an E-2, say so. Recruiters move faster when they know exactly what they are dealing with.

If you fly over for final interviews, remember what your travel authorisation covers. The Visa Waiver Program, which you enter with an ESTA, allows business or tourism visits of up to 90 days. The UK government's great.gov.uk service says that if you plan to work in the US, you need a non-immigrant visa, and GOV.UK warns that visa appointments at the US Embassy in London are limited, so plan your application as far ahead as you can.

Will your UK qualifications be recognised in the USA?

There is no single national recognition body. Employers decide for most jobs. For visa purposes, the H-1B needs a US bachelor's degree or a foreign degree that is its equivalent, or equivalent education, training and experience. Equivalence is usually shown with an evaluation from a private credential evaluation service. NACES, a trade association of these services, says there is no US government agency that monitors them, so ask your employer or licensing board which evaluators they accept.

Licensing is largely handled state by state. CareerOneStop's License Finder says requirements vary by state and lets you check them, and USCIS notes that where a state requires a licence for an H-1B occupation, the worker needs it to practise. Nurses, for example, face specific rules: for the US Department of Labor's Schedule A, a professional nurse needs a certificate from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, a full state licence, or a pass in the NCLEX-RN exam.

How long does it take to get a job in the USA from the UK?

Months at best, and for the H-1B the calendar decides. These are the fixed points we could confirm.

• H-1B: employers register candidates in an annual window, typically in March. The FY 2027 window ran from 4 to 19 March 2026. Selected candidates' employers then file petitions, which cannot be filed more than 6 months before the start date, and the earliest start is 1 October.
• L-1: you must first complete 1 continuous year with the employer abroad within the 3 years before the transfer, so the clock starts with your current job.
• O-1: the petition cannot be filed more than 1 year before the job starts, and USCIS suggests filing at least 45 days before.
• J-1: the sponsor cannot issue your DS-2019 until a placement is secured and the training plan (Form DS-7002) is signed.
• Visa interview: for routes that need a visa, book early. GOV.UK says London appointments are limited.
• After you arrive: apply for a Social Security number, which you may need to start a job. USCIS says generally only people with permission to work can apply.

Which sectors have documented demand in the USA?

We could not find a general US shortage occupation list like the UK's. The closest official statement is the Department of Labor's Schedule A, which lists occupations where it has determined there are not enough US workers who are able, willing, qualified and available. Group I covers physical therapists and professional nurses who meet the licensing conditions.

Schedule A applies to employer applications for permanent labour certification, not to temporary visas, so treat it as a signal rather than a route. Outside it, demand is decided job by job. The H-1B wage-level weighting means senior, well-paid roles in any sector now have the best odds in the lottery.