San Francisco Work & study

Work

Foreign visitors are not legally allowed to work in the USA without the appropriate working visa. The type of visa you need depends on the type of work, namely:

H visa For temporary workers.

L visa For employees in intra-company transfers.

O visa For workers with extraordinary abilities.

P visa For athletes and entertainers.

Q visa For international cultural-exchange visitors.

The most common, the H visa, can be difficult to obtain. It usually requires a sponsoring organization – ie the company you will be working for in the US. The company will need to demonstrate why you, rather than a US citizen, are most qualified for the job. If you’d like to line up a job before you go, monitor the extensive employment listings on CraigsList (sfbay.craigslist.org).

Doing business

To help your meetings or convention run smoothly in San Francisco, check in with the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB; 415-974-6900; www.sfcvb.org; 900 Market St; 8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri). If San Francisco’s history of boom and bust doesn’t scare you off, consult the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce (415-392-4520; www.sfchamber.com; 12th Floor, 235 Montgomery St; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) for information about business climate, loans, leasing, and other start-up essentials.

Fax machines are easy to find in the USA at packaging outlets, photocopy services and hotel business service centers. The San Francisco Main Library also offers fax services. Mail Boxes Etc. (415-834-1555; www.mbe.com; 588 Sutter St; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat; &Powell St) offers fax machines and can take care of all your shipping needs.