Working in US

[Cristi]

Hello, my name is Cristi. Im from Europe but I always wanted to move to USA. Im considering become transgender for long time now. After university (next year) I would like to start with hormone therapy. After that, I'd like to leave Europe and move to US. I have solved all (for me) important issues (like family, friends, etc.) but there's still one issue, that I dont really know about. Its working is US. I found some texts about this, but I'll be more calm, If i read a real story, real experience. I'd like to work in IT (as programmer). Do I have good chances to find job in programming field in US as transgender then ? Working in IT field is very important for me, so thats why Im asking. And because here in Europe (especially in my country), there's no much understanding for transgender workers, Im little bit scared of working in US. Thanks for any responses.

[Jacqueline]

Cristi,

Welcome to the site.

I have little information about emigrating and getting a job in the US. I know there a large number of trans folk that work in IT. I suspect you may get some replies from others.

I also want to share some links with you. They are mostly welcome information and the rules that govern the site. If you have not had a chance to look through them, please take a moment:

Things that you should read

Site Terms of Service & Rules to Live By	Standard Terms & Definitions	Post Ranks (including when you can upload an avatar)
Reputation rules	News posting & quoting guidelines	Photo, avatars, & signature images policy

Once again, welcome to Susan's. Look around, ask questions and join in.

With warmth,

Joanna

[Amber42]

Hi Cristi,

Welcome to the site :-)

I live in Canada and we are similar to some areas in the US.  I have worked in the IT sector for over 20 years.  I can tell you that it is mostly male dominated.  This is changing however.  I managed a department of over 70 people and I only had 6 females. 

With that said, acceptance is usually dependent on the area you live in.  I live in a relatively liberal area so it has been done successfully.

I am not out yet.  I have many hurdles because of age, family etc. 

You are young.  Your path will be different and the future will hopefully move to a more accepting place for trans.

As for immigration to the US.  That can be tricky, and based on some people I know who have gone through it, it's very important to take the right steps, so things don't get delayed or worse, denied.   Contact the us embassy, and discuss where you are living, what you want to do, etc to get an appropriate answer and path forward.  Do it early, because it can take some time.




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[Cristi]

@Joanna50 : I will read it for sure. Thanks for replay.

@Amber42 : I always had the point of view, that they don't want to hire people with some sign of wildness (for example person with tattoo on the neck or yeah, transgender) because it throws bad light on the company. So I'm little scared, that everyone will say "no, you're not the right person for us".

[FTMax]

Is there a specific reason why you want to live in the US? Like Amber mentioned, your best bet for getting the ball rolling is to contact the embassy in your home country and discuss what you'd like to do. They will be able to tell you what kind of qualifications you need to get a visa, which would be your path towards staying in the US for an extended period of time.

Personally, if I lived in a country with state funded medicine, I would probably do as much as I could to get my medical transition out of the way before moving to a place that didn't offer that. The US has a lot of great medical options, but they are very expensive and often inaccessible without insurance.

Programming and IT in general I've read are very accepting of trans people, but YMMV based on location and company.

[Gwen Rhydderch]

@Cristi

If you are seriously contemplating emigrating to the US you should first study the information at the USCIS website:
http://www.uscis.gov

Then, if you wish to pursue it further, contact a US immigration lawyer in your country of domicile. It is a minefield of paperwork and a good immigration lawyer is worth every penny. Applications have been known to be rejected for the most (seemingly) minor of errors.

Hope this helps,

Gwen

[Cristi]

Ok, thanks to eveyone.

[Katja69]

IT person here.  Do what others have said, take care of medical first (if you have the "good" medical).  Take care of ID and gender markers then passport (if not already done or in progress).  Contact the embassy and visit proper web sites for more information.  Once in the U.S., options are many as is starting your own IT company (granted programming might be a bit more difficult until you find that niche).

[sarah1972]

IT-T girl here too. And immigrated from Europe to the US.

Before I start: I am not a lawyer, so the following info is based on a what I went through and learned in the process. Each persons circumstances are different so what works for one may not work for another.

As some had mentioned, getting the right paperwork (Visa and Work Permit) will be key. You can always try the green card lottery. I tried 8 times without luck but know a bunch of people who had luck. This is carte Blanche for living and working in the US. Pretty much any other work visa has some sort of restrictions. There are basically two types: you are working in another county and that company sends you to a US subsidiary and sponsors your Visa. Or you find a US company which sponsors your Visa.

Once you have lived and worked in the US for a while, you or your employer can apply for a green card.

Very last option is a student visa which allows you to work part time. These ones are currently under a lot of scrutiny since they have been widely abused.

You do not have to work for a multi-national company, I came to the US working for a 75 people software company expanding into the US. international companies have more possibilities.

Overall I would say that most IT companies are pretty open. The place I work for now has very strict (and good) policies to protect Anyone from from any kind of harassment based on gender or sexual preference which includes transgender. Would it help on a daily basis? Don't know. Only one person in the company knows.

So - overall: even though we have been facing a few issues, looking back moving across the ocean was a great decision. And while it is getting harder, I can still say we have been living the American Dream...