To live in the US

northdubgal

This isnt exactly a PI but I didn't know where to put it, so mods feel free to move it..

After spending 4 weeks in the US (mainly California) I really have fallen for their lifesyle and I cannot stop thinking of living there. A couple of years ago I spent 4 weeks in NY and felt the same way. There is something about America where I just feel at home and every time I come back to Dublin I keep planning my next holiday.

During this holiday I really looked at people's lifestyles and checked out job adverts, the rent on accomdation (I wanted to view a few places but my frient thought I had gone la la!) My whole time in the states I viewed it from a residents perspective and I couldnt fault it in any way.

Now my partner is quite easy going and I know he would be up for moving to America but the only problem is getting a fec kin visa..

It's so tough to get into the US and I know nobody legal over there and have no relations, my partner's the same. I doubt I could go over illegally - I would be a nervous wreck!

So my question is how do poeple do it when it's so hard to get a visa?

jester77

The easiest would be to get a job for an international company that would faciliate relocation to the US, the company would sort you out with a visa.

Apart from that you could look for a US company to sponsor you a visa but this would not be easy as the company would have to justify giving you a job as opposed to a US citizen.

towel401

Find a nice girl there and marry her. then they let you stay.

you might get sick of it though. even if you think you can't get enough of it right now

northdubgal

towel401 wrote: »

Find a nice girl there and marry her. then they let you stay.

you might get sick of it though. even if you think you can't get enough of it right now

I'm engaged already and as my username suggests (northdubgal) not really into women:D

How often does the Visa lottery take place?

towel401

northdubgal wrote: »

I'm engaged already and as my username suggests (northdubgal) not really into women:D

How often does the Visa lottery take place?

fair enough. you have to get some sort of a job there like jester77 said. that's going to be hard though

visa lottery is every year apparently http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-10/2007-10-30-voa68.cfm?CFID=39109088&CFTOKEN=66136683

Silverfish

Moved from PI.

magick

be careful for what u wish for, a few weeks in CA or NY seems amazing and u do fall in love with the lifestlye, but its completely different when u actually have to confront the realities. Now it depends if u have most of ur friends at home or dont have any connections.

If you dont have any real connections then go for it and see how u like it for a while. I have been visiting the US for 10 years and made the move this year, yes i do enjoy it,though their are aspects of home i do miss as well though parents/friends etc......

A friend of mine when for 3 months came back in 2 because it was just one long big session for him. But if u do plan on goingn heres one important peice of advice if u have a 3rd level Education, it means nothing here. Im not trying to put a damper here, but its a fact that any employer wont hear of any of the colleges that u went to or will recognize the qualification so be prepared to start from the bottom and work ur way up.

I know this as friends and family all had to go though the same process.

spinandscribble

i'm making the move for 18mths come next month thanks to a internship in psych, going on that HB1 visa (think thats what its called). if you're a graduate in some field look into whats on offer.

A Primal Nut

magick wrote: »

be careful for what u wish for, a few weeks in CA or NY seems amazing and u do fall in love with the lifestlye, but its completely different when u actually have to confront the realities. Now it depends if u have most of ur friends at home or dont have any connections.

If you dont have any real connections then go for it and see how u like it for a while. I have been visiting the US for 10 years and made the move this year, yes i do enjoy it,though their are aspects of home i do miss as well though parents/friends etc......

A friend of mine when for 3 months came back in 2 because it was just one long big session for him. But if u do plan on goingn heres one important peice of advice if u have a 3rd level Education, it means nothing here. Im not trying to put a damper here, but its a fact that any employer wont hear of any of the colleges that u went to or will recognize the qualification so be prepared to start from the bottom and work ur way up.

I know this as friends and family all had to go though the same process.

Hmm depends in what field. Engineering degrees, for example, are recognised all over the world. I worked as an intern in the states this year and found out that with a degree, its certainly possible to move over permanently, although if i did a masters then a visa would be no problem and I'd have a better chance of getting a job offer.

I am however, hoping to make the switch with the company I'm with now or alternatively, have my fingers crossed Chicago get the 2016 olympics.

Edit: I realise that post wasn't very helpful for the OP. I guess you could find out if any qualifications/skills/experience you or your fiance have are useful over there. Bear in mind if one of you get over, then the other can follow as soon as you get married.

BuffyBot

Not a Travel/Holidays issue. Moved to Abroad

silja

Well, I am moving with a spousal visa, but that is not an option in your case...
I have several friends who work for Google and American based airliens who moved over there for work and then after a few years were able to apply for their own greencards, thus enabling them to find work in other companies if they so chose.

Depending on your age, going to study over there (undergrad or post grad) may also be an option, but an expensive one unless you get a scholarship.

Overheal

Well you can get a green card for military service, if you find that an option. That will also entitle you to buttsecks load of priveledges awarded to veterans, included cheaper mortgages and tuition discounts.

heyarnold

i honestly dont see the attraction there anymore. i was in santa cruz and loved the place, but live there, well unless i want a jack and the box on my doorstep I see no reason to move.

northdubgal

Well a bit of background..

I am starting a beautican's course soon, an intense year ahead of me which at the end I will a a fully accredited beautician.

My other half is a fully qualified welder.. So we will both have trades but they are not enough for us to get in I suppose..

I will just have to wait for the lottery to open

Benedict XVI

northdubgal wrote: »

Well a bit of background..

I am starting a beautican's course soon, an intense year ahead of me which at the end I will a a fully accredited beautician.

My other half is a fully qualified welder.. So we will both have trades but they are not enough for us to get in I suppose..

I will just have to wait for the lottery to open

The DV visa lottery happens around December. And they give out about 100 or so to Irish people every year.

A work permit (H1B) may also be an option, but a company has to sponsor you and I think a degree or many years experience in your filed of work is a minimum requirment.

Have a look at www.uscis.gov, it probably has all the deatils about all options.

northdubgal

Thanks!

The lottery opens on the 2nd October and its bookmarked and penciled into the diary

I just realised that my mam has an english passport, I know its a long shot but does that help in any way?

spideog7

The DV2010 lottery opens on October 2nd, so that's only 2 and a half weeks. The results won't be out until this time next year mind. Last year 162 Irish people won visas.

northdubgal

spideog7 wrote: »

The DV2010 lottery opens on October 2nd, so that's only 2 and a half weeks. The results won't be out until this time next year mind. Last year 162 Irish people won visas.

I know, but I might as well plan ahead. I have been thinking about this for years and I have always missed the lottery deadlines..

162 is a bigger number than I expected. (I am being very optimistic!)

I am also trying to convince my partner to the idea of the under 35 working visa for Canada so hopefully we will do that in the meantime... I tried to apply for it the year before I met him but I was on a waiting list for ages. I have been told that the numbers aren't as high for the past couple of years.

kmick

northdubgal wrote: »

Thanks!

The lottery opens on the 2nd October and its bookmarked and penciled into the diary

I just realised that my mam has an english passport, I know its a long shot but does that help in any way?

No a mother having an English passport does not help. British people do not even qualify for the green card.

Benedict XVI

kmick wrote: »

No a mother having an English passport does not help. British people do not even qualify for the green card.

Soory for being pedantic but

People born in the UK (excluding NI) are not eligible to enter the DV program.

They are entitled to a green cards by all other means

kmick

Benedict XVI wrote: »

Sorry for being pedantic but

People born in the UK (excluding NI) are not eligible to enter the DV program.

They are entitled to a green cards by all other means

Yes agreed. However I think it is the lottery green card we are talking about here. I may be wrong.

dave2pvd

northdubgal wrote: »

Well a bit of background....My other half is a fully qualified welder..

Now that's a qualification that is in shortage right now in the US. Especially for good set-up guys that can weld stainless and run a TIG machine.

heyarnold wrote:

i honestly dont see the attraction there anymore. i was in santa cruz and loved the place, but live there, well unless i want a jack and the box on my doorstep I see no reason to move.

Fine, that's 1 city among thousands. Hardly representative. Horses for courses, etc.

magick wrote:

But if u do plan on goingn heres one important piece of advice if u have a 3rd level Education, it means nothing here. ......... its a fact that any employer wont hear of any of the colleges that u went to or will recognize the qualification so be prepared to start from the bottom and work ur way up.

I wouldn't be following this advice. Certain degrees are worth more or less than others, sure. If you have a qualification and the degree to prove it and there is demand for said qualification, you can do very well.

I've been here permanently for 11 years now. I love the place. No, it's not for everyone. You miss family and friends; nothing makes up for that. There are many things you don't miss though. Like rain :cool:

northdubgal

dave2pvd wrote: »

Now that's a qualification that is in shortage right now in the US. Especially for good set-up guys that can weld stainless and run a TIG machine.

that is exactly what he does..

Thanks for your input dave, much appreciated!

If I want something badly enough it will happen, and I will make this happen for us! (fingers crossed!)

dave2pvd

northdubgal wrote: »

that is exactly what he does..

Thanks for your input dave, much appreciated!

If I want something badly enough it will happen, and I will make this happen for us! (fingers crossed!)

If you want to find a green card sponsor, look into industries relevant to what he does that are booming right now: medical and refining are the ones I am familiar with. Ethanol has created a big demand for stainless welders. Alas, that may put you in the Mid-West

Kernel32

I have been in the states 10 years now and personally love it, but my wife is american and I got my greencard through her.

I don't want to be negative but there is something you should keep in mind. The US has much less of a safety net for it's people if you were to hit hard times. In Ireland there is always the dole or welfare or some sort of help. Not so in the US, you can and will be cut off with nothing in certain situations and it can be difficult from Irish people to understand the possibility of that happening.

Not only that, you have huge health care cost increases over living in Ireland and even taxes can be a killer. Depending on where you live you can pay federal tax, state tax, local tax, tax on everything you buy, tax on your house etc.

It's one thing to observe the lifestyle and another to live in an area you want to live on an income that may not support the lifestyle you observed.

kraggy

Overheal wrote: »

Well you can get a green card for military service, if you find that an option. That will also entitle you to buttsecks load of priveledges awarded to veterans, included cheaper mortgages and tuition discounts.

How do you mean Overheal?

Someone from Ireland could offer to do some military service in return for a green card? Never heard of that.

Benedict XVI

northdubgal wrote: »

that is exactly what he does..

Thanks for your input dave, much appreciated!

If I want something badly enough it will happen, and I will make this happen for us! (fingers crossed!)

I really hate to be negative about thins but you have to be aware that if your fiance manages to get sponsorship (H1B) because of his work you will still not have any legal status in the US.

When you are married you will be able to get a H4 visa that will allow you to live in the US but will not allow you to work.

If your fiance gets a green card the situation is even worse

from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Permanent_Resident_Card

Green card holders and nuclear families

Green card holders married to non-U.S. citizens are unable to legally bring their spouses (or families) to join them in the USA. The foreign spouse of a green card holder must wait for approval of an 'immigrant visa' from the State Department before entering the United States. Due to a backlog in processing, such visas can take up to five years to be approved. In the interim, due to immigration intent, the spouse cannot enter the United States on any other visas not even as a visitor. This puts LPRs in a uniquely disadvantaged situation:

* visitors and non-immigrants coming to the USA on temporary visas for work, business, or study (including H1, L1, B, and F1 visas) can sponsor their dependent spouses to travel with them;
* U.S. citizens can sponsor their spouses to come to the USA in non-immigrant status; the spouse can then convert to an immigrant status under the Legal Immigration and Family Equity Act of 2000 (the "LIFE Act").

The issue of LPRs separated from their families for years is not a new problem. A mechanism to unite families of LPRs was created by the LIFE Act by the introduction of a 'V visa,' signed into law by President Bush. It effectively expired and is no longer available. Bills HR1823 and HR4448 are in the U.S. Congress. The proposal for reviving the V visa is based on something that has little controversy — family unity — but passing such a bill into law is not a small matter.

northdubgal

Did anyone else hear this announcement this morning on the radio?

It entitles people who have completed secondary school or who have a trade to work in the US for a year, very similar to the J1..

It should be coming out in the new year... I am delighted ..!!

ibh

northdubgal wrote: »

Did anyone else hear this announcement this morning on the radio?

It entitles people who have completed secondary school or who have a trade to work in the US for a year, very similar to the J1..

It should be coming out in the new year... I am delighted ..!!

Heard it this morn. Haven't looked into it yet though.

Benedict XVI

I wonder if a holder of this visa can go on and apply for a green card or is it re-newable, 1 year is fairly short.

northdubgal

Benedict XVI wrote: »

I wonder if a holder of this visa can go on and apply for a green card or is it re-newable, 1 year is fairly short.

It is short, but at leave it will give poeple like me a real taste of living and working in the US.

It will be interesting to see what the conditions are.. My partner is 32 and knowing my luck there will be a cut off age of 30 or something ridiculous like that..

Fingers are still crossed!