anal_reactor parent
Even before this whole shitshow I thought about moving to the US because 2x the salary compared to Europe, but jumping through the visa application hoops just isn't worth it.
Funny thing about US salaries: Based on my limited reasearch, freelance rates and hourly rates for employees seem pretty close there. For employees, there's also no particular job security, sick leave, vacations in any guaranteed way, it comes down to the benevolence of the company.
In Europe, freelance rates differ from hourly employee pay by a factor of 2-3. As an employee, it's pretty difficult for a company (except small companies, which are exempt) to get rid of you, and the common approach is that they just offer you a relatively high severance payment.
So all things considered, I would think being an employee in the US is pretty similar to being a freelancer in Europe. Pay-wise and security wise. The major difference is that you have to find clients. Realistically multiple, due to "fake freelancing" regulations.
> jumping through the visa application hoops
I think your second sentence answers your first: if the visa process were straightforward, one wouldn't need to hire specialists.
Are there any highly developed nations where job applicants submit their own visa applications? I never heard of it once in my career.
Yes. E.g. https://www.uscis.gov/i-765