How I got a job at Amazon USA from India

Summary

In this video, the narrator, AIS, a software developer from India, shares his journey of securing a job in the US without prior Amazon employment. He details the process from the initial LinkedIn contact to his arrival in Seattle, including the L1B visa application, Amazon's interview process, and the relocation experience. The video also explores alternative pathways to US employment like H1 and F1 visas, and obtaining a green card.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker, AIS, is a software developer who received a job offer in the US from India.
• 🔍 AIS was contacted by a US-based recruiter for a job opportunity at Amazon without applying for it.
• 🇺🇸 AIS was eligible for an L1B visa due to previous experience at Amazon India, which qualifies as specialized knowledge.
• 📝 The application process involved an online coding test and multiple interviews focusing on coding, system design, and Amazon's leadership principles.
• 📆 The interview process and visa application took about five months from the initial contact to arriving in the US.
• 💼 AIS was the first in their family to secure a job outside India, which was a significant and exciting achievement.
• 🏢 The job offer included the option to choose a preferred US location and the possibility of remote work.
• 💰 Salary expectations were discussed, and AIS provided a figure aligned with market rates based on research.
• 📈 The visa process involved biometric and interview appointments, with all travel and hotel expenses covered by Amazon.
• 🛫 AIS relocated to Seattle, with Amazon providing a relocation package that included temporary accommodation and a rental car.
• 🌐 There are three common ways to secure a job in the US for non-US citizens: H1 visa, F1 student visa, and obtaining a green card.

Q & A

How did AIS initially get contacted about the job opportunity in the US?

AIS was contacted through a message on LinkedIn from a US-based recruiter about an opportunity to work at Amazon in the US.

What was AIS's initial reaction to the unexpected job offer?

AIS was surprised because they didn't apply for the job and weren't even working at Amazon at the time.

What type of visa did AIS qualify for and why?

AIS qualified for an L1B visa due to their previous experience at Amazon India, where they worked for more than a year, which is the requirement for specialized knowledge under this visa category.

What was the first step in the application process after AIS expressed interest in the job?

The first step was to complete an application form, followed by a 2-hour long online coding test.

What did the coding test consist of and how did AIS perform?

The coding test consisted of two medium difficulty coding problems and multiple-choice questions on system design and behavioral aspects. AIS solved both problems within 45 minutes and answered the MCQs to the best of their ability.

How many interview rounds did AIS have and what were they about?

AIS had four interview rounds, three of which were coding rounds and one was a system design round, all focusing on Amazon's leadership principles.

What was the duration of the entire process from the first call with the recruiter to arriving in the US?

The entire process took close to 5 months.

How did AIS prepare for the interviews?

AIS prepared by revising fundamental data structures and algorithms and going through most liked problems on LeetCode and common questions asked at Amazon interviews.

What was the process like for AIS after receiving the job offer?

After receiving the offer, AIS went through team matching calls, chose their preferred job location, and then initiated the visa and relocation process.

What were the challenges AIS faced during the visa application process?

AIS had to book two round trips to Chennai for the biometric and interview appointments, and there was a 5-day gap between the two appointments.

What additional ways did AIS mention to secure a job in the US for non-US citizens?

AIS mentioned the H1 Visa obtained through a lottery system, the F1 student visa for those pursuing education, and obtaining a green card as additional ways to secure a job in the US.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Journey to a US Job Offer from India

The speaker, AIS, a software developer, shares their experience of securing a job in the US without applying directly. The process began in June 2022 with a LinkedIn message from a US recruiter about an Amazon opportunity. Despite not being an Amazon employee, AIS was eligible for an L1B visa due to previous experience at Amazon India. The application process involved a comprehensive online coding test and multiple interview rounds focusing on coding, system design, and Amazon's leadership principles. After clearing the interviews, AIS was offered a position and had to choose a location, opting for Seattle. The offer discussion included salary expectations and team matching, culminating in an official offer letter, albeit with a tentative joining date pending visa acquisition.

05:00

🛫 Relocation and Alternative US Job Routes

After receiving the job offer, AIS coordinated with Amazon's relocation services for moving personal belongings from Bangalore to Seattle. The journey to the US involved a long flight and arrival in Seattle, where temporary accommodation and a rental car were provided as part of the relocation package. AIS experienced a postponed start date due to onboarding issues but used the time to settle and explore Seattle. The video also discusses alternative pathways to secure employment in the US for non-US citizens, such as the H1 visa obtained through a lottery system, the F1 student visa with potential for a work visa post-education, and the green card which allows indefinite living and working in the US. The speaker concludes by inviting questions and topics for future videos.

Keywords

💡Software Developer

A software developer is a professional who designs, codes, and maintains applications or systems software. In the video script, the narrator is a software developer who received a job offer in the US, which is central to the theme of international job acquisition and relocation.

💡L1B Visa

The L1B Visa is a type of non-immigrant work visa in the US for individuals with specialized knowledge who are transferring within a company from a foreign office to a US office. The narrator qualified for this visa due to their previous experience at Amazon India, which is pivotal to the story of their relocation.

💡Recruiter

A recruiter is a professional responsible for finding and hiring new employees. In the script, a US-based recruiter contacts the narrator on LinkedIn, initiating the journey to secure a job in the US.

💡Interview Process

The interview process is a series of meetings and assessments conducted by employers to evaluate job candidates. The narrator describes their interview experience, including coding and system design rounds, which are essential to understanding the job acquisition process.

💡Amazon

Amazon is a multinational technology company that offers a wide range of products and services. The video script mentions Amazon as the company where the narrator was offered a job, highlighting the role of large corporations in international employment.

💡System Design

System design is the process of defining the architecture, components, modules, interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy specified requirements. The narrator's interview included a system design round, demonstrating the importance of this skill in software development interviews.

💡Behavioral Questions

Behavioral questions are used in interviews to assess a candidate's past behavior and performance in various situations. The script mentions that the narrator was asked behavioral questions based on Amazon's leadership principles, showing the company's interest in a candidate's values and behaviors.

💡Visa Process

The visa process involves the steps and requirements needed to obtain permission to work in a foreign country. The narrator describes the timeline and details of their visa application, which is a critical part of the job relocation narrative.

💡Relocation

Relocation refers to the act of moving the place of residence or business location. The script details the narrator's relocation experience from India to the US, including the logistics and emotional aspects of such a move.

💡H1 Visa

The H1 Visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. The video script mentions the H1 Visa as one of the common ways to secure a job in the US, indicating alternative pathways for international employment.

💡Green Card

A green card is a form of Permanent Residency in the US, allowing individuals to live and work in the country indefinitely. The script briefly discusses the green card as the most difficult but long-term solution for working in the US, providing viewers with a range of options for US employment.

Highlights

The speaker, AIS, shares their journey of securing a job in the US as a software developer from India.

Received an unexpected job opportunity message from a US-based recruiter on LinkedIn while working at hobi India.

Learned about the possibility of moving to the US for work without being currently employed at Amazon, through an L1B Visa.

Eligibility for L1B Visa is based on specialized knowledge and previous experience at Amazon India for over a year.

Application process initiated with an online coding test consisting of two medium difficulty problems and multiple-choice questions.

Interview preparation included revising data structures, algorithms, and common Amazon interview questions.

Interview process consisted of four rounds: three coding and one system design, focusing on Amazon's leadership principles.

Successfully cleared the interviews and received an offer for an SD2 role after a week of evaluation.

Offer discussion included choosing a preferred job location in the US and salary expectations based on market rates.

Initiated the Visa and relocation process with Amazon's support, completing forms and booking appointments.

Visa interview preparation included answers to common questions about accommodation, salary, and specialized knowledge.

Passed the visa interview and received the Visa delivered to their apartment in Bangalore.

Coordinated with Amazon's relocation service for the transportation of belongings from Bangalore to the US.

Experienced a 25-hour flight to Seattle and a week of jet lag upon arrival.

Explored Seattle and adjusted to life in the US before the official start date, which was postponed by a week.

Discussed alternative ways to secure a job in the US, including the H1 Visa lottery system and F1 Student Visa.

Mentioned the possibility of obtaining a Green Card for long-term work and residence in the US.

The entire process from the first recruiter call to arrival in the US took approximately 5 months.

Transcripts

hi everyone my name is AIS and I'm

currently working as a software

developer in the US in this video I want

to share with you the story of how I got

my job offer in the United States

directly from India I will take you

through the entire Journey starting from

my first call with the recruiter to

finally arriving in the US I will also

talk about the interview process

including the types of questions I was

asked and how long the Visa process took

I will sayare three more ways you can

get a job in the US in this video so

stay tuned so it All Began in June of

2022 while I was working at hobi India

one fine day after coming back from work

I found a message on LinkedIn from a US

based recruiter about an opportunity to

work at Amazon in us this came as a

surprise to me as I didn't apply for

this job and wasn't even working at

Amazon I knew that many people who join

Amazon India moved to us after few years

of working but I wasn't aware that it

was possible to make the move even if

you're not currently working at Amazon

as someone who had never been outside of

India this felt like a once in a

lifetime opportunity for me I replied to

the recruiter that yes I'm interested in

the job soon after the recruiter SED a

call to explain explain me the process

and why I was eligible to work in the US

during the call I learned that I

qualified to move to us under l1b Visa

due to my previous experience at Amazon

India where I worked for more than a

year l1b Visa is an intra company

transfer visa for people with a

specialized knowledge so if you're

working as a software developer or other

similar role at a company which has

headquarters in US you are eligible for

this Visa in my case the situation was

slightly different since I wasn't

currently working at Amazon to confirm

my eligibility I researched the L1 visa

on Wikipedia and learned that you are

elig for an intra company transfer if

you have worked in offices outside of

the US for at least one continuous year

within the previous 3 years I had worked

at Amazon India for nearly 1 and a half

year before joining Adobe in March 2021

soon after the call with the recruiter

my application process started I

received an email with a link to apply

for the US role after completing the

application form I received a 2-hour

long online coding test which needed to

be completed within a week I set aside

some time on a Friday evening to

complete the test the coding test

consisted of two coding problems of

medium different difficulty along with

multiple choice questions on system

design and behavioral aspect I managed

to solve both coding problems within 45

minutes and answered the mcqs to the

best of my ability two days later I

received the results and the recruiter

informed me that add progress to the

next stage which was the interview

knowing that I needed time for

Preparation I requested 3 weeks of time

before my interviews the recruiter

agreed and provided me with resources to

use during the preparation to prepare

for my interview I revised fundamental

data structures and algorithms and went

through most like problems on lead code

and common asked questions at Amazon

interviews all of my interviews were

scheduled on the same day these

interviews were for sd2 RO and there

were total of four rounds three of which

were coding and one was a system Design

Round first round was low level design

and coding where I was asked to design

and code a real world system following

good coding principles the complexity of

the problem increased gradually As Time

progressed second round was system

design requiring me to come up with apis

databases schemas and high level design

for a real world system the third and

the fourth round were coding rounds

where I had to solve problem s using

data structures and algorithms Amazon

also focuses on behavioral questions and

in all of my rounds I was asked

questions based on Amazon's leadership

principles after completing the

interviews I was eagerly waiting for the

results and after not getting the

response for 5 days I reached out to the

recruiter on LinkedIn to check if there

is any update I was relaxed to know that

my interview evaluation process was not

yet complete the following day the

recruiter informed me that I had

successfully cleared the interviews for

sd2 roll I was very happy to hear the

news and shared it with my family and

friends it was a truly exciting moment

for me and my family and I was the first

one to get a job outside India few days

later the offer discussion began and I

was given the option to select my

preferred job location in the US I was

presented with five options to choose

from and was also offered the

possibility of working remotely I choose

Seattle as my preferred location since

that's where Amazon's headquarter is

during the offer discussion I was also

asked about my salary expectations after

conducting thorough research on salary

benchmarks from sources such as lead

code blind and other platforms I

provided a figure that aligned with the

current market rates for someone with my

levels of experience and role before

receiving the official offer letter I

went through team matching calls with

the hiring manager and I was ultimately

matched with the team that I likeed

finally in the second week of August I

received my offer letter however the

initial joining date mentioned in the

offer letter was tentative as it

dependent on the speed at which I could

obtain my Visa a few days after

receiving the offer letter Amazon

initiated the Visa and relocation

process on my behalf I completed various

forms and applied for the visa

application after the application I

booked Visa appointment slots for the

biometric and interview and the Chen

office my appointment dat for 3 weeks

later on September 23rd and 28th due to

the 5-day gap between the biometric and

the interview appointment I had to book

two round trips to Chennai all the hotel

and travel expenses were covered as part

of relocation process in my visa

interview I was asked questions like

where I would be staying how much is my

base salary and what is my specialized

knowledge I had prepared answers to

commonly asked questions which helped me

perform well in the interview I passed

the interview and a week later my Visa

were delivered to my apartment in

Bangalore after receiving the Visa I

informed the relocation team and

requested the hiring team to update my

joining date a few weeks later I

received my updated offer letter with a

new joining date of 28th November after

my start date was confirmed I contacted

the relocation service provided by

Amazon to arrange for the pickup and

transportation of my belonging from my

apartment in Bangalore to us on 24th

November I boarded at a late night Qatar

Airways flight from bangaluru airport to

Seattle this was my first time leaving

India while I was excited for the new

opportunity I was also a bit sad that I

would be staying away from my family and

home country my flight took around 25

hours and I finally arrived in Seattle

on 25th November from the airport I took

a cap to my temporary apartment which

was part of the relocation package

provided by Amazon the package included

45 days of temporary accommodation a

rental car for 30 days and a relocation

bonus to help me sustain myself until I

received my first salary upon reaching

my temporary accommodation I collected

my laptops and other work related

equipment which had already been sent to

my address however due to an issue in

the onboarding process my start date was

postponed by a week I took that extra

time to relax settle into my new

apartment and overcome the jet lag which

bothered me for the first 3 days I also

took this opportunity to explore popular

places in Seattle such as the space nle

overall it took me close to 5 months

from the first call with the recruiter

to finally arrive in the US while I

obtained my job offer through l1b Visa

there are three other common ways to

secure a job in us if you're not a US

citizen first option is the H1 Visa

which is obtained through a lottery

system where applicants are selected

randomly if your H1 Visa gets picked up

in the lottery you can work in the US as

an H1 Visa older you have the

flexibility to apply directly to the Us

locations however it's important to note

that in order to pursue this option your

employer must be willing to sponsor your

hon Visa they will be responsible for

filing the necessary paperwork and

supporting your visa application process

the second way is through the student

visa also known as F1 Visa the F1 Visa

is a non-immigrant Visa that allows

foreign students to pursue education in

the US if your degree is in a stem field

which stands for science technology

engineering or mathematics you may be

eligible for a work visa for up to 3

years after completing your education

during these three years you can keep

applying for H1 Visa if approved you can

continue working in the US another

option is through obtaining a green card

although this method is the most

difficult to achieve and can take a long

time for individuals on other visas

green card holders have the ability to

live and work in the US for as long as

they want so that's all for this video I

hope you found it helpful and

informative if you have any questions or

want me to make a video on any other

topic let me know in the comments thank

you for watching and I will see you in

the next one