Cities are magnificent works of excellent craft. Today, the rivalry has extended to who builds superstructures faster and better.Â
Beyond the emerging rivalry between the world’s biggest economies regarding who has the most built-up cities, there is a need for critical infrastructure. Chief among them are housing, bridges, roads, etc.
In the US, which happens to be one of the most expansive countries on the planet, construction is crucial to the very survival of the country as cities and towns are connected by road, rail, or even via waterways.Â
In all of these, heavy construction work is required. Take, for instance, the real estate sector, most of the population relies on civil engineers and other building construction experts to make and maintain homes.
There’s a race to beat the rest in erecting the most solid, iconic, and reliable structures, but beyond that is the need to build critical infrastructures that make life more efficient and provide shelter to America’s population. The focus of the construction sector now includes erecting iconic structures that may improve not only the standard of living in the country but also tourist appeal.
With this drive, out-of-the-world structures have become a pursuit. Migrants who possess outstanding qualifications and competent skills in the sector can benefit from the construction worker-friendly policies of different US states to migrate to the United States via a construction work employment visa sponsorship.
Why do US corporations usually outsource Construction Workers?
• Improved Skills and Diversity: Sometimes, the craftsmanship or skills to build such a structure may require different know-how from what is attainable in the US.
• High Cost of Local Labor: To reduce labor cost, construction firms often outsource workers from countries with a high number of construction experts but cheaper labor. Such a move can significantly reduce costs.
• Absorbing Surplus Construction Experts from Other Countries: Some countries also produce a high number of construction experts, yet may not prioritize superstructures. In such countries, simple residential or commercial buildings may be preferable to skyscrapers and other complex structures. Qualified and passionate experts in construction or related fields may need to seek employment somewhere else.
Absorbing such experts will improve the competitiveness of the US in the construction market, where even individuals from countries that prefer simple structures may patronize the US for tourism.
• Lack of sufficient home supply of qualified construction experts: The most justifiable reason for migrating construction workers is the limited supply of qualified and affordable experts. Homegrown construction experts may be available, but the best ones may already be engaged. This shortage of skillful workers pushes corporations to outsource.
Responsibilities Associated with Pursuing Visa Sponsorship for Construction Workers
Most employment visa sponsorship has similar procedures and requirements; however, the nature of the construction industry means that additional responsibilities may apply. Below are the common ones for the sponsor:
• Verify the migrating construction laborer’s competence.
• Possess the required license to establish and run a construction firm.
• Gain the required approval to migrate foreign construction laborers.
• Provide additional training, equipment, and support to migrating laborers.
Steps to a Successful Construction Job Employment and Migration to the US
While both the employer and the potential employee are in a state of need, we feel that a lot more responsibilities are expected from the applicant. This is because while the employer is most likely an entity domiciled and known in the US, the migrating employee is unknown to the system. The potential migrant must aspire to meet labor and employment criteria as well as critical immigration requirements. Let’s start with immigration requirements for migrating construction workers:
• Passport (indicating the privilege of the holder to travel overseas under the authority of the issuing country)
• Photograph (crucial for easy identification of the application and details sorting)
• Birth Certificate (Essential for understanding vital details like age and background)
• Health check procedures (vital for ascertaining the health condition of the applicant and determining if such a candidate represents a public health risk)
Employment Justification: To justify employment, potential migrant must provide proof of their abilities, thus:
• Potential construction workers must earn the required education and licensing.
• If required, the applicant must participate in a language proficiency test and provide the result.
• Tender a CV or resume to the sponsor (employer) during the screening stage.
• Participate in interviews and other means of indicating competence in employment; if required, video or other evidence of expertise may need to be presented.
Seeing to Security Concerns
Security while pursuing a US migration can be seen from two perspectives: financial security and real security concerns. For financial security, the applicant is to make available records of personal bank transactions. This is important in proving the ability to afford travel and other related funding requirements.
Regarding allaying real security concerns, the applicant must be issued a recent character assessment certificate. Such a certificate must be obtained from the police. Depending on what aspect of the construction work the migrant will be working on, the process may include security clearance.
Ideal Visa for Construction Laborers
Determining the right visa for construction workers can be a bit complicated. The industry takes a diversified direction when it comes to the qualification and expertise level of employees.
Visas can be qualification or duration-of-stay-sensitive. While the H-2B visas may be effective for a majority of skilled construction workers, unskilled workers may rely on temporary visas like the H-1B. Other visa categories can also be effective. Your employer and their attorney may be able to provide a more elaborate visa guide upon employing you.
Eligibility
Ensuring that quality workers are employed usually comes from an intentional approach to construction workers’ recruitment. Poor construction work can result in destructive disasters. Construction sector employers must employ qualified individuals. To attain this, eligibility may be used to discover the best and screen out the unqualified.
• Attention to detail and safety measures: Standard is a priority in the construction industry. Ensuring quality delivery starts with the employee. Construction work laborers must be individuals who pay attention to details and safety.
• Practical knowledge and experience: Construction is a practical sector. Practical knowledge backed by formal education is crucial, especially in the case of skilled construction workers. Unskilled workers may not need formal education; however, practical knowledge is important. Employers prefer that employees have gained substantial experience in the sector.
• Stamina: In several scenarios, construction work requires stable individuals. This includes health, physical, and mental stability. Construction workers may have to be able to withstand long hours of work under the sun or in cold weather. There are several harsh natural realities faced by construction workers, migrating employees should be able to withstand such.
• Relevant hardware or software handling: Machines are the backbone of modern construction works. Design models may be rendered in soft format while using different construction hardware for implementation. Effectiveness in handling such required machines or tools is vital.
• Appropriate licensing: Several construction activities, especially those requiring heavy machine driving or handling, may need licensing before an employee will be able to operate in the United States. Such licensing ought to be obtained before employment, or upon arrival in the United States, before starting duty.
Effective Employer Targeting that May Lead to Employment
With the global rise in unemployment, you certainly aren’t the only one seeking overseas employment. In a sea of options, employers want the very best. How can you make yourself employable? By standing out and reaching out. Let’s discuss further:
• Standing out: Why would your employer choose you? Certainly, you are not the only international applicant. There could be several others. You can have an edge simply by maintaining a polite personality. Since it is an overseas job application, the most viable means of discovering your personality will be through your online activities. Standing out starts with maintaining a value-oriented personality online.
• Reaching Out: There are several ways of reaching out to your potential US-based construction sector employer. Nowadays, social media seems to be the most effective approach. Beyond social media, construction companies usually have an online portfolio or website where they conduct business, which may include vacancy announcements.
Smart overseas job seeker can use search engines to discover construction firms and their online portfolios. Through such web resources, more information can be gathered about target corporations. Another means of reaching out is through third parties. Such third parties could be staffing companies or US-based contacts.
Different Construction Sectors and their Top Employers of Migrants
The construction industry is huge and includes several sub-sectors. Migrating Engineers should be able to identify their areas of expertise and seek employment accordingly. Common construction industry sub-sectors that employ foreign laborers include:
• Real Estate: The real estate sector in the US is a multi-trillion-dollar market. It encompasses commercial and residential purpose structures. As the population and economy continue to grow, there’s a simultaneous need for commercial and residential properties. This high demand has overwhelmed the home supply of quality engineers. Outsourcing seems to be the most viable option now, and CBRE Group Inc. is a firm in the sector that is heading in the direction of migrating workers. You can learn more about CBRE Group Inc. here.
• Road and Bridge Construction Works: Road works and bridges are a significant part of the US master plan. The need to make locations more accessible continues to be a challenge. It is not just about the insufficiency in the home workforce supply; bridge construction, especially, can be delicate; experts are always sought, even if they have to come from other countries.
Several US multinational construction companies focusing on bridges and road construction also operate in other countries. To make the transfer of the labor force more effective, these corporations sponsor visas for their employees. An example of a US road construction company that sponsors visas is Kiewit Corporation. You can check opportunities at Kiewit Corporation here.
• Ports and Port Infrastructures: Ports and shipping structures often require out-of-the-ordinary talent. Some of these talents may be sourced from other countries, depending on what needs to be done. Several US marine structures, were constructed through collaboration with experts from other countries. Today, the tradition remains, and several Iconic seaport and airport constructors have to be outsourced.
Government establishments are usually the biggest market for this kind of projects. PCL Construction is a critical player in the US marine construction market. Being a multinational, visa sponsorship enables the firm to transfer workers from its other branches to the USA and from the US to its other countries’ operations.
Benefits
Construction work in the US is unlike other places; it offers a unique experience, especially given what the country offers. Life experiences can be perceived differently by different people; however, common striking benefits of working in construction corporations in the US include:
• Advanced projects that may lead to career growth: Working on advanced projects can improve the experience and skills of laborers. At the same time, it can greatly influence the value of a worker, especially when advanced skills are attained over time by being part of sophisticated projects.
• A deliberate effort to improve employees’ lives: From insurance to sometimes provision of accommodation, construction firms are upping their game to make the sector even more appealing. Every business sector has associated hazards. The construction sector usually experiences some unfriendly scenarios, and through insurance and other supports, migrant laborers’ standard of living can be improved.
• Good Wages: Hourly pay for construction workers in the US is among the best in the world. Given that the construction industry has different wage models for different categories of workers, the exact wages of construction workers may require some specific information to be accurate. Entry-level construction work may go for around $24.9 per hour.
• Improved value of earnings: Good salary is one thing, but for migrant workers, there’s a secondary value to working in the US, where the USD is the legal tender. It raises hope for migrant workers who will certainly take this money to their home country. The valuation differences are often in favor of workers who earn in USD, especially when compared to the migrant’s local currency.
Conclusion
The construction sector is way more versatile and in high demand than most people understand. Even though the US population is almost stabilizing, people’s shelter taste keep evolving, thereby the need for new structures or maintenance of existing ones keeps rising.
The construction sector is broad. This sector has so much skilled and unskilled labor demand that meeting through the home supply isn’t feasible. Instead of staying back in your country where the sector may not be booming to the maximum, why not make efforts to get to the United States, where several factors are increasing the demand for foreign construction laborers?