The quickest way for you to start working in the US is with a TN visa, which is a special visa for citizens of Canada (and Mexico) working in one of more than 60 professions (including those working in the fields of accounting, economics, management consultancy, etc.). A TN visa is valid for one year and can be renewed repeatedly (and without limitation) as long as you continue to be employed in a qualifying position.
The procedure for obtaining a TN visa is actually much easier (and quicker!) than for most other work visas as there is no preliminary application to submit to the USCIS. A TN application is submitted directly to a US immigration officer at the Canada-US border.
That being said, the application itself still has to be thoroughly prepared to show that you meet all of the TN legal requirements, the most important perhaps being that you have a valid job offer from a US employer. And, finding the job in the first place may be the most difficult part of the procedure. To find a job, you should use the same job search techniques that you invariably have used in Canada: searching on the Internet, job announcements in newspapers and other specialized publications, directly contacting those companies you would like to work for, etc.
At this point in your planning, you may find it helpful to arrange for a more detailed consultation with me so that we can fully discuss and explore your eligibility for a TN visa and other visa possibilities. This consultation will also allow me to explain the visa application process to you in more detail so that you then will be better equipped to explain your particular situation when you first contact employers in the US. Many US employers are unfamiliar with the visa application process and are reluctant to consider applications from candidates who do not already have authorization to work in the US. The visa application process, however, is not as byzantine as many employers think it is (particularly for a TN visa), and by being able to explain it to them in very general terms, you will be able to market yourself much better to them. Also the fact that you have already been in touch with an immigration attorney who will be able to prepare your visa application and assist them through the entire process will be of further reassurance to them.
Please contact my office directly if you’re interested in scheduling such a consultation
Attorney Edward Weiner
http://www.immigration-aux-usa.com/
