If you are currently a Journalist in your home country and interested in moving to the United States, you may be able to make your dreams come true! There are a few occupations that tie with being a journalist in the US. As technology has grown tremendously, you not only see journalists in the industry about also reporters, copyeditors, or photojournalists.
Job Description (SOC 27-3020)
The duties of a journalist are to gather information, write news pieces, and present the news in an honest and balanced manner. In addition to investigating and reporting on current events, they also work on articles and features that update and influence public opinion.
Salary Average: $40,000 USD per year
US Journalist Requirements
When interested in being a journalist in the United States you will want to consider obtaining a bachelor’s degree before making the move. It is typically for a journalist to have a bachelor’s degree in areas such as:
- Communications
- English Literature
- Creative Writing
It is not necessary to major in journalism to find a journalism, but it is does help your chances of success. Employers expect that a journalism graduate will know the basics of the job and need less training and supervision then a graduate from another major.
The best thing you can do to score a journalism job in the United States is to gain experience. Job applicants with work experience will be more appealing to employers. Employers will also want to see clips or writing samples which will need to be translated into English if the originals are in another language. International students attending journalism school in the US should have plenty of opportunities to write for campus newspapers, magazines, radio stations, or broadcast stations and a long stack of clips ready once it comes time to apply for jobs.
Occupation Visa Options for Immigrating to the US
Working Visas
The H-1B Visa is available to many works who are eligible to migrate to the US as a skilled worker considering you have the required background.
Treaty Visas
There are several treaty visas that allow nationals of certain countries to immigrate to the US.
Canadians and Mexican can apply for the TN visa.
Australians can apply for the E-3 visa which acts very similar to the H-1B Visa.
Singapore and Chile nationals can apply for the H-1B1 Visa.
More than 50 countries are eligible for the E-1 and E-2 Visa.
A journalist can enter the US as a visitor under the B-1 Business Visitor. Under the B-1 Visa, it allows an individual to: participate in meetings, consult with business clients/associates, assist clients negotiating contracts, engage in independent research, assist investor clients to find investment opportunities, and attend trade shows.
Extraordinary Ability Visa
The O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa will allow those who demonstrate they have the extraordinary ability to enter the US. This is a rare way to immigrate as a journalist, this is for someone with exceptional experience and work. HBO journalist John Oliver is a great example of journalists coming to the US through an O-1 visa. There are requirements to prove that you have shown extraordinary ability in your profession in which you should consult an immigration lawyer.
Permanent Residency
If you are looking to permanently move to the US there are several options depending on your unique case.
Temporarily Coming to the US as a Journalist
Let’s say you are interested in or assigned a project in the United States temporarily, luckily there is a specific visa for those journalists or reporters to do so which is called the I-1 Visa. The I-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued by the US for foreign media representatives and journalists who need to travel to the United States for the purpose of working exclusively in their profession. All applicants must meet eligibility criteria, which requires them to be residents of foreign countries, working for foreign information outlets headquartered in their respective countries.
Are You Interested in Migrating to the United States as a Journalist?
Immigrating to the US is not a completely straightforward process. The laws are somewhat complex, and for this reason, it helps to work with an immigration professional to help you.
If so, Contact VisaPlace today. All our cases are handled by competent and experienced immigration professionals who are affiliated with VisaPlace. These professionals consist of lawyers, licensed paralegals and consultants who work for VisaPlace Legal an award winning immigration firm that adheres to the highest standards of client service.
Ready for the next step? Book your 1 on 1 consultation now or call us at 1-877-296-0874.
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VisaPlace Immigration News Contributor
Ella Bergquist
Hello! I am one of VisaPlace's many immigration news contributors. Comment below if you have any questions or comments about this article.
