India to United States
Applying for US Jobs From India
Indian CVs are built for Indian job portals and IT services recruiters: CTC and notice period up top, projects listed client by client, and a personal profile with father's name. A US resume asks for a different document entirely.
Chanuka Jeewantha
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To apply for US jobs from India, rebuild your CV as a US resume: remove CTC, expected salary, father's name, date of birth and the declaration; turn project-by-project IT listings into role-based accomplishment bullets; state your degree and CGPA as awarded; and cut to one or two pages. Present ICAI, NCEES or nursing status accurately, and verify US work-authorization routes on USCIS.gov or travel.state.gov.
Overview
Indian professionals compete strongly for US roles, above all in technology, healthcare, engineering and finance, and a large share already work with US clients through global delivery and IT services models. The friction is less about ability and more about format: Indian CV habits come from job portals built around CTC-based filtering, long notice periods, and IT services documents organized around client projects rather than personal contribution. A US reader finds these long, repetitive and hard to scan for impact. The fix is structural: reorganize around what you personally built or led, and remove the details that belong to the Indian hiring process rather than the US one.
Convert the CV
From a India CV to a US resume.
| Common in India | What US employers expect |
|---|---|
| 'Current CTC', 'Expected CTC' in lakhs, and 'Notice period' listed at the top of the resume | Remove salary figures entirely. Mention notice period, if it comes up, in the cover letter or an application-form field rather than the resume header |
| A 'Personal Details' section with father's name, date of birth, gender, marital status, nationality and languages known | Name, city and country, phone with +91, email and LinkedIn only. Languages go in a brief additional-information line if relevant |
| IT services format: Project 1, Project 2, each with client, duration, team size, environment and 'roles and responsibilities' | Organize by employer and role. Summarize the technology stack once, and write accomplishment bullets that show what you personally built, improved or led across projects |
| Class 10 and Class 12 board percentages listed alongside the degree | Remove once you have a degree and professional experience. State the degree with institution and CGPA or percentage as awarded |
| A 'Career Objective' and a long list of personal 'Strengths' | A short, optional summary with your level, specialty and target US role, or none at all if your experience section carries the weight |
| 'I hereby declare that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge', with place, date and signature | Remove it entirely. US resumes have no declaration, place, date or signature |
| A skills block listing every tool ever touched, written for job-portal keyword filters | A grouped, relevant skills list, with each important item proven inside your experience section |
| Indian job titles such as 'Associate Consultant', 'Technical Lead' or 'Senior Executive' presented without context | Keep the real title, and add scope, such as team size and reporting line, so a US reader understands the actual level |
Qualifications
How your qualifications are read.
Indian degrees are familiar to many US employers, particularly in technology, but grading conventions and institution names still need clarity. State the degree as awarded, such as B.Tech or B.E., with the institution and CGPA out of 10 or the percentage awarded, rather than converting it yourself. A NACES member organization can issue a formal credential evaluation when a US employer, university or licensing process actually requires one. Chartered accountants should state ICAI membership in full and treat the US CPA license, which is issued state by state through NASBA and individual boards, as a separate qualification rather than an automatic equivalent; some professional bodies hold mutual recognition arrangements enabling pathways such as NASBA's International Qualification Examination, so check NASBA directly for which bodies currently qualify. Engineers can use the NCEES international credentials evaluation process for US licensure; Indian engineering programs accredited by the National Board of Accreditation fall within the Washington Accord framework, a useful reference point rather than a substitute for state licensure. Nurses generally need CGFNS credential evaluation and the NCLEX exam, alongside the specific state board's requirements.
Sectors where India candidates commonly compete
- Software engineering, cloud, data and cybersecurity
- IT consulting and business analysis, often with direct US client experience
- Nursing and allied health, through CGFNS and NCLEX pathways
- Finance, audit and accounting
- Engineering, where NCEES licensure applies
- Pharmaceuticals and life sciences
Steps
What to do, in order.
- 1
Reorganize around roles, not projects
If you have spent years on client projects at an IT services firm, group them under your employer and title, then choose the four to six accomplishments that show the most personal responsibility. A US reader wants your trajectory, not a list of every engagement.
- 2
Make US client experience visible
If you worked for US clients, onsite or offshore, say so in the relevant role, with the sector and your scope, without naming confidential clients if your contract restricts that. It signals familiarity with US working norms directly.
- 3
Remove the Indian process details
CTC, expected salary, notice period, father's name, declaration and signature all belong to Indian hiring processes and have no place on a US resume. Removing them usually saves close to a page.
- 4
Plan around your notice period honestly
Indian notice periods often run longer than US norms. Do not put this on the resume, but be ready to state a realistic start date clearly in the cover letter and first conversation, since US employers plan hiring timelines around it.
- 5
Check the applicable route early
Read the current visa categories and eligibility on USCIS.gov and travel.state.gov before you apply broadly, since the right route depends heavily on your role, employer and individual circumstances.
- 6
Schedule around the time difference
India is roughly 9.5 to 10.5 hours ahead of the US East Coast, and 12.5 to 13.5 hours ahead of the US West Coast, depending on US daylight saving time. Offer interview windows in US time explicitly, and suggest US morning slots, which land in your evening.
Mistakes
What costs these applications interviews.
- Leaving CTC and expected CTC on the resume, which US employers find unusual and which can anchor a salary conversation badly
- Keeping the project-by-project IT services layout that runs to four or five pages
- Listing Class 10 and 12 percentages years into a professional career
- Including father's name, date of birth and a signed declaration
- Converting CGPA into a guessed US grade equivalent instead of stating it as awarded
- Keyword-stuffed skills sections copied directly from a job-portal profile
Work rights: orientation only
Indian nationals generally need a visa or other work authorization to work in the US. Most employer-led hires depend on a specific job offer and, often, sponsorship through a temporary employment visa category, with separate immigrant pathways for longer-term relocation. Requirements, eligibility and forms such as Form I-765 change and depend on individual circumstances, so check USCIS.gov and travel.state.gov directly and use a licensed immigration attorney for anything beyond general orientation. This is orientation only, not immigration advice.
Official sources
- CGFNS International
- NCLEX: Nursing licensure examination
- NCEES: International credentials evaluation
- NASBA: CPA Exam
- NACES: Member organizations
Orientation only, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change: always check the official source.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should I mention my CTC on a resume for US jobs?
No, do not put your current or expected CTC on a US resume. US employers do not expect salary on the resume, and figures in lakhs mean little to them without conversion and context. Compensation comes up later, in the application form or a conversation, usually against the relevant US salary range. Use the space for accomplishment evidence instead.
How do I convert an Indian IT resume into a US resume?
Reorganize it by employer and role rather than by client project, summarize the technology stack once, and write four to six accomplishment bullets per recent role showing what you personally built, improved or led. Remove CTC, notice period, the personal details block and declaration, then cut to one or two pages. A US reader wants your trajectory, not every engagement listed separately.
Should I convert my CGPA to a US grade equivalent?
No, state your CGPA as awarded, for example 'CGPA 8.4/10', alongside the degree and institution. Converting it yourself can read as an overclaim. If a US employer, university or licensing process needs a formal comparison, a NACES member organization can issue one to a recognized standard.
Is ICAI membership the same as a US CPA license?
No, they are separate credentials. ICAI, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, is India's statutory accounting body, while the US CPA license is issued state by state through NASBA and individual state boards. State your ICAI status accurately and check NASBA directly if you plan to pursue a US CPA license, since requirements and any mutual recognition pathways can change.
Can Indian nurses work in the United States?
Yes, Indian nurses can pursue US practice through CGFNS credential evaluation, the NCLEX licensing exam, and the specific requirements of the state board where they intend to work, alongside the relevant visa process. These steps run on their own timeline and are worth starting well before a job offer is in hand.
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