Hiring your first US leader from France: visas, packages, timeline

First decision: hire locally, or move someone from France

Both can work, and they don't solve the same problem. A local hire already knows the market, the buyers and the way Americans sell. They don't know your product, your head office or the people who decide in France. Someone moved from head office knows all of that, but has to learn the US market and needs a work visa.

Look for someone who has opened a market, not someone who has managed one.

Whichever you choose, for the first year this person is your company in the US. A local hire also needs a US employer: your own US entity, or a provider that employs them on your behalf. That choice belongs to your lawyer and your accountant, and it should be made before the offer, not after.

The visas a French company actually uses

If the person moves from France, the visa sets part of the calendar. These are the routes that come up for a first US leader. Your immigration lawyer decides which one fits.

Applying for an E-2 usually happens at the US embassy or consulate in your country of residence, with Forms DS-160 and DS-156E. Since January 31, 2022, the I-94 record of an L-1 or E-2 spouse carries an S annotation that proves they may work.

On the H-1B, a $100,000 payment on certain new petitions for workers outside the US was extended by proclamation to September 21, 2027. As of early October 2026, it was blocked by court orders and not being required, with an appeal pending. Check its status with your lawyer at the time you file.

An ESTA or a B-1 visa lets the person meet clients, negotiate contracts and attend conferences. It does not let them be employed in the US, do productive work, actively manage the business or receive a US salary.

What a US leadership package contains

A US package has four parts: base, variable, equity and benefits. In tech sales roles, pay is read in two figures: the base, and the on-target earnings, which add the variable paid at 100% of quota. For a sales role, the variable is usually about as much as the base.

Base and variable: the reference points in tech

These figures come from tech: job postings published in New York by French and European companies, which must show a pay range there, compensation studies for software sales roles, and salaries declared for H-1B visas. Public statistics mix all sectors and give much lower levels.

Boston pays at New York level for these roles (our estimate, from JRG Partners and Betts Recruiting). In Miami, count 10 to 20% less for a leadership role (our estimate, from the regional gaps published by JRG Partners). For a sales rep, the gap between cities is small: in Miami, Telnyx and Razorpay declared base salaries of $150,000 and $155,000 for account executives in 2025.

The detail, role by role, with every posting named, is in our guide in French: Le premier recrutement aux États-Unis.

Equity

If your parent company is a French SAS, it can in principle grant BSPCE to employees of a company it owns at 75% or more, under article 163 bis G of the French tax code. How the US taxes that grant is a separate question, for a US adviser.

Health coverage and retirement

Employers usually pay most of the health insurance premium. In 2026, the average annual premium was $9,804 for single coverage and $28,303 for family coverage. Workers paid on average $1,672 and $7,471 of it. The employer paid the rest. The second benefit to budget is the 401(k) retirement plan: according to Vanguard, the median employer match promised is 4% of salary.

What the employer pays on top

Social Security takes 6.2% from the employer on wages up to $184,500 in 2026, and Medicare 1.45% with no cap. Federal unemployment tax is 6.0% on the first $7,000 of wages, 0.6% after the full credit for state taxes paid. State unemployment tax comes on top: for a new employer, 4.1% on the first $17,600 in New York State, and 2.7% on the first $7,000 in Florida.

On tech salaries, taxes weigh less than people expect, because Social Security stops at $184,500. Health insurance and the 401(k) make up most of the extra cost. The table applies these rates to two examples in New York, with a 4% 401(k) match. The sales rep reaches 100% of quota.

Before equity, workers' compensation insurance and other benefits. In France, for comparison, a €100,000 salary costs the company about €145,000.

The rules that change the offer

Non-competes depend on the state

There is no federal ban: the Federal Trade Commission gave up defending its non-compete rule in September 2025. California voids most non-competes. Florida enforces them: since July 1, 2025, its CHOICE Act allows non-competes of up to four years for employees earning more than twice the annual mean wage of their county. Read a candidate's current clauses before the offer.

Notice is short, and either side can leave

Under at-will employment, the employer or the employee can end the job at any time. Two weeks' notice is customary, but no federal or state law requires it. A local hire can start soon after an offer. In France, a manager under the Syntec agreement gives three months.

Salary ranges must be published in some states

New York, Massachusetts, California, Colorado and Washington, among other states, require a salary range in job postings for roles based there. Florida doesn't.

E-Verify in Florida

Since July 1, 2023, Florida private employers with 25 or more employees must check new hires through E-Verify.

The timeline, from kickoff to the first day

What we do, and what we don't

Frequently asked questions

Can our French employee start working in the US on an ESTA?

No. An ESTA covers business or tourism trips of up to 90 days. A business visitor can meet clients, negotiate contracts and attend conferences, but cannot be employed in the US, do productive work, actively manage the business or receive a US salary.

Which visa fits a manager transferred from our French head office?

Most often the L-1A, if the person has worked at least one continuous year for your group in the three years before the petition. The E-2 is another route when your US company is at least 50% owned by French nationals and the person is French. Your immigration lawyer decides.

Can the spouse work in the US?

Spouses of L-1 and E-2 holders are authorized to work because of their status. Since January 31, 2022, their I-94 record carries an S annotation, L-2S or E-2S, which proves it.

Is the H-1B a realistic route for a first US leader?

Rarely. Registrations are selected once a year in March, by a lottery now weighted by wage level, and work can start no earlier than October 1. A $100,000 payment on certain new petitions was extended to September 2027, but as of early October 2026 it was blocked by court orders.

How much does a US leader cost on top of salary?

For a country manager on a $300,000 base in New York, employer taxes, the employer share of an average family health plan and a 4% retirement match add about $49,000 a year, or 16.5%. That is before variable pay and equity.

How long does it take, from kickoff to the first day?

For a local hire, we present the first profiles within 10 to 15 days and a shortlist in two and a half weeks, and two weeks' notice is customary once the offer is signed. For a move from France, add the visa timeline.

Go further: how we run a first US hire search, our US fees, line by line, and relocation for the people who move.