Living in USA

lil_lisa

Hey,

So I thought I'd start off a thread and see who's currently living in the USA, or who has, where abouts you're situated and how you've been finding it?

I'll start! I'm in San Diego for almost a year, been back and forth for two years but have finally settled. Waiting to win the lotto or go back to college here to stay. I love it here!

silja

I've been living in Arkansas for just over a year now. We moved here as my husband is from the area, and once we had the twins we felt it was a better family environment, plus so much cheaper (we bought a four bedroom house here for 1/3 of the price of our one bedroom Dublin flat).

I love the nature here and many things, but I must admit I had culture shock far worse than I imagined, considering I have been to the USA- and Arkansas- many times before moving here.

lonestargirl

I'm a 25 yr old Irish girl living in Houston, TX. My husband is a doctor and came here in June to do residency. I followed in September (avoided the heat of summer). Not working at the moment but applying for a PhD to start in September.

Houston is nice, we got a lovely house in a great area. It's a much better city to live in than to visit as a tourist, great cafes, restaurants and sports facilities.

lonestargirl

lonestargirl wrote: »

I'm a 25 yr old Irish girl living in Houston, TX. My husband is a doctor and came here in June to do residency. I followed in September (avoided the heat of summer). Not working at the moment but applying for a PhD to start in September.

Houston is nice, we got a lovely house in a great area. It's a much better city to live in than to visit as a tourist, great cafes, restaurants and sports facilities.

I would love to live in the US when I'm older. One place I'm interested in is Texas, specifically Dallas. How is the heat in Houston? I heard it's horribly warm because of the sun heat as well as the humidity and it's the most air conditioned city on earth! Although millions of people live there so it ain't that bad I suppose!

lonestargirl

Deleted User wrote: »

I would love to live in the US when I'm older. One place I'm interested in is Texas, specifically Dallas. How is the heat in Houston? I heard it's horribly warm because of the sun heat as well as the humidity and it's the most air conditioned city on earth! Although millions of people live there so it ain't that bad I suppose!

I haven't been through a summer in Houston yet, I waited until September to come over so I wouldn't be arriving in the worst of the heat. I did come over for a week in July to visit my husband, it was pretty hot and the humidity is so high that you break out in a sweat just by walking out the door. But as you said everywhere is air-conditioned and it's only 2 months of bad weather in the summer and the rest of the year it's fantastic.


America is one of the more difficult countries in the world to immigrate into unless you (a) marry a US citizen, (b) are sponsored by an immediate relative who is a US citizen (and you'll have to wait a long time for that to happen, they are processing applications from around 1997 at the moment). We are here on student visas and although we may end up being here 6-7 years before my husband finishes training once he finishes we have to return to Ireland for 2 years before we are eligible for any immigrant visa. If you want to come to the US it is worth working out a long-term plan of education / job that might get you here.

lil_lisa

Does the 2 year home rule apply to students? What kind of visa does your husband have?

lonestargirl

lil_lisa wrote: »

Does the 2 year home rule apply to students? What kind of visa does your husband have?

Hubby has a J1 (and I have a J2). Specifically the 2yr home rule (2YHR) applies to J1s, but it's not quite that simple. It basically depends on who is paying for you, if it's the government (eg in a public hospital, in a public university) then the 2YHR applies. For example if you get a Fulbright scholarship then the 2YHR applies.If your tuiton is funded through a private bursary then it doesn't necessarily apply. These are just the broad guidelines, I would investigate thoroughly any program you are applying to.

lil_lisa

Well I'm on a 1 year J1 visa at the moment but it states specifically that the two year home rule does not apply! So I'm just trying to figure out what determines it. The funding does make sense!

InTheTrees

Twenty years for me. Ten in the bay area and ten up here in Seattle.

lonestargirl

lil_lisa wrote: »

Well I'm on a 1 year J1 visa at the moment but it states specifically that the two year home rule does not apply! So I'm just trying to figure out what determines it. The funding does make sense!

Lucky you :-)
Unfortunately for us it always applies for physicians (we had to get a letter from the Dept of Health 'releasing' us to go to the US).

Would you like to stay in America long term?

What's the one piece of advice you would give someone contemplating a move?

ro75

Hey,

Great idea for a thread! I'm in Chicago on the new J1 IWT visa since September. Bit cold over here at the minute, wouldn't mind being in San Diego like lisa

spideog7

I'm in Pittsburgh on a J1 internship visa, here since June, lovely city enjoying it loads. Mind you it's cold as at the minute, this is the first day it's been above freezing in about 3 weeks and it feels so warm, I had to take off my coat walking to work!! Hoping to get the new year long J1 visa before August (that's when I graduated) maybe stay on another year, so I'm looking to see if I'm eligible for that.

Black Swan

Full-time university student living in Newport Beach of OC. The commute on the freeway system to USC is a pain, but other than that, a grand place to live and play.

macca1983

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

Full-time university student living in Newport Beach of OC. The commute on the freeway system to USC is a pain, but other than that, a grand place to live and play.

Do you mind me asking how you arranged that one?! Can it be easily done? I have always contemplated going to university there but i presume the cost is astronomical, no? Are you doing a PHD or you a regular Uni student so to speak?

Black Swan

macca1983 wrote: »

Do you mind me asking how you arranged that one?! Can it be easily done? I have always contemplated going to university there but i presume the cost is astronomical, no? Are you doing a PHD or you a regular Uni student so to speak?

It's a bit complicated in my case...
Born Galway, Da's Irish, but Mum was American, so I have dual citizenship, which helps a bit in the USA applying for Pell Grants, etc. Was raised by relatives on both sides of the pond, so in addition to mixing my Irish and American idioms, I know how to survive in the States on a starving student budget. Also, part-time work.

I am a faculty brat and know how to jump through the academic hoops, plus I had connections at USC's George Lucas School. Have a free ride (scholarship and stipend), having tested well (SATs), good prior grades, top recommendations, grand faculty networking, and a killer portfolio.

Now finishing a 4-year degree programme in drama-film with top grades, scored well on the GRE, and have applied for masters programme at USC, hoping for a paid internship at Lucas Ranch (known for film and Fx) up north this fall.

macca1983

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

It's a bit complicated in my case...
Born Galway, Da's Irish, but Mum was American, so I have dual citizenship, which helps a bit in the USA applying for Pell Grants, etc. Was raised by relatives on both sides of the pond, so in addition to mixing my Irish and American idioms, I know how to survive in the States on a starving student budget. Also, part-time work.

I am a faculty brat and know how to jump through the academic hoops, plus I had connections at USC's George Lucas School. Have a free ride (scholarship and stipend), having tested well (SATs), good prior grades, top recommendations, grand faculty networking, and a killer portfolio.

Now finishing a 4-year degree programme in drama-film with top grades, scored well on the GRE, and have applied for masters programme at USC, hoping for a paid internship at Lucas Ranch (known for film and Fx) up north this fall.

Fair enough..Was hoping you were just a dude like myself - Irish, no American connections and somehow managed to sneak into an American University in my dream place to live - Southern California...

Black Swan

macca1983 wrote: »

Fair enough..Was hoping you were just a dude like myself - Irish, no American connections and somehow managed to sneak into an American University in my dream place to live - Southern California...

If you are dead serious about matriculating Stateside, as well as getting funded, it might help if you started getting to know several faculty at Trinner's in your course of study (what they call a degree major in the States). Many at Trinner's have a grand rep at Stateside universities, and often collaborate in research, publications, and teaching subbaticals. If you made a grand connection with a respected Trinner's professor, he/she could help you make the connections for admission and part-time work opportunities associated with the US university. There are also student exchange agreements between Irish and American universities that cross the pond, that could serve to get your feet wet in the States, allowing for them to see you in action, and perhaps get an invite to stay (and be funded)? I'm a networking fool, and it has paid off for me.

avalon68

macca1983 wrote: »

Fair enough..Was hoping you were just a dude like myself - Irish, no American connections and somehow managed to sneak into an American University in my dream place to live - Southern California...

You might be able to get a funded PhD in the states. Or do a PhD here and postdoc in the states. Lots of people postdoc in the states - a PhD gives you good opportunities to work abroad

lil_lisa

lonestargirl wrote: »

Would you like to stay in America long term?

What's the one piece of advice you would give someone contemplating a move?

Hopefully as long as I can. My best advice would be to build up reliable contacts. Go over on a three month holiday or working visa if possible and build up connections, get to know people, places and how everything works, then it will be easier to decide where to go and what to do. If you have a job already set then try find people in that area you may know from someone else. There's always someone. I've met a few people in San Diego who are related to my mothers colleagues or friends of friends from school, the world is not that big. and when you know you know someone around its more comforting to move.

lil_lisa

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

Full-time university student living in Newport Beach of OC. The commute on the freeway system to USC is a pain, but other than that, a grand place to live and play.

How long have you been over?

lil_lisa

spideog7 wrote: »

I'm in Pittsburgh on a J1 internship visa, here since June, lovely city enjoying it loads. Mind you it's cold as at the minute, this is the first day it's been above freezing in about 3 weeks and it feels so warm, I had to take off my coat walking to work!! Hoping to get the new year long J1 visa before August (that's when I graduated) maybe stay on another year, so I'm looking to see if I'm eligible for that.

How did you manage getting a job? Did you have any difficulty getting the visa? I'm on the same one!

Lockstep

macca1983 wrote: »

Do you mind me asking how you arranged that one?! Can it be easily done? I have always contemplated going to university there but i presume the cost is astronomical, no? Are you doing a PHD or you a regular Uni student so to speak?

Most PHD programs offer tuition waivers and a living stipend in exchange for teaching assistantships. On the east-coast anyway (my old man's speciality is Irish emigration so is over there a fair bit).
Undergrad financial aid for international students is a lot thinner on the ground to my knowledge.

Like Blue says, networking is fairly important (somewhere down the line, might go for the PHD myself, if I can get funding from Boston College or Notre Dame. Done a fair bit of networking with visiting American professors and so on)

I'm not sure about SoCal though. Don't know how uniform the US system is.

macca1983

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

If you are dead serious about matriculating Stateside, as well as getting funded, it might help if you started getting to know several faculty at Trinner's in your course of study (what they call a degree major in the States). Many at Trinner's have a grand rep at Stateside universities, and often collaborate in research, publications, and teaching subbaticals. If you made a grand connection with a respected Trinner's professor, he/she could help you make the connections for admission and part-time work opportunities associated with the US university. There are also student exchange agreements between Irish and American universities that cross the pond, that could serve to get your feet wet in the States, allowing for them to see you in action, and perhaps get an invite to stay (and be funded)? I'm a networking fool, and it has paid off for me.

I've done 5 years at University already. I was hoping you could possibly just sign up to a year of University over there and try figure something out from there. I doubt i could even afford a year really as i believe tis bloody expensive. I just really want to live in Venice, Santa Monica or Ocean Beach down in San Diego. Era i'll just say a prayer the green card pops up!

avalon68

lonestargirl wrote: »

Hubby has a J1 (and I have a J2). Specifically the 2yr home rule (2YHR) applies to J1s, but it's not quite that simple. It basically depends on who is paying for you, if it's the government (eg in a public hospital, in a public university) then the 2YHR applies. For example if you get a Fulbright scholarship then the 2YHR applies.If your tuiton is funded through a private bursary then it doesn't necessarily apply. These are just the broad guidelines, I would investigate thoroughly any program you are applying to.

Do you know if its possible to swith from a J-1 visa to another type once you are there? Just thinking I will probably be subject to the 2yr rule too....hadnt occurred to me before:o I guess I can always apply for a waiver if everything works out over there.

Lockstep

macca1983 wrote: »

I've done 5 years at University already. I was hoping you could possibly just sign up to a year of University over there and try figure something out from there. I doubt i could even afford a year really as i believe tis bloody expensive. I just really want to live in Venice, Santa Monica or Ocean Beach down in San Diego. Era i'll just say a prayer the green card pops up!

If you already have a degree, you could always go down the PHD route?
No harm in trying.

macca1983

kickoutthejams wrote: »

If you already have a degree, you could always go down the PHD route?
No harm in trying.

I am up to a Masters level in Business but no intention of continuing to study that anymore! Wouldnt mind doing a diploma in psychology possibly but couldnt commit to anything more serious that a year more of study. Just going to say a prayer my name will be called out on green card day!

avalon68

macca1983 wrote: »

I am up to a Masters level in Business but no intention of continuing to study that anymore! Wouldnt mind doing a diploma in psychology possibly but couldnt commit to anything more serious that a year more of study. Just going to say a prayer my name will be called out on green card day!

Have you looked into that new J visa programme for graduates - think you can go over for a year. you could network with university people while there and see if there would be any possibility to go back and study

macca1983

avalon68 wrote: »

Have you looked into that new J visa programme for graduates - think you can go over for a year. you could network with university people while there and see if there would be any possibility to go back and study

Ive looked into everything - trust me! I graduated 3 yrs ago which rules me out. Probably go to Vancouver as that is the closest i will get to LA type place.

lonestargirl

avalon68 wrote: »

Do you know if its possible to swith from a J-1 visa to another type once you are there? Just thinking I will probably be subject to the 2yr rule too....hadnt occurred to me before:o I guess I can always apply for a waiver if everything works out over there.

Unfortunately not, once the 2YHR rule applies then you are not eligible for any other visa type until you spend the 2yrs at home. The only grounds on which you can get it waived are because of 'hardship' but that is relevent to very few. I know of someone who married a US citizen and had a child with them and still had to leave.

avalon68

lonestargirl wrote: »

Unfortunately not, once the 2YHR rule applies then you are not eligible for any other visa type until you spend the 2yrs at home. The only grounds on which you can get it waived are because of 'hardship' but that is relevent to very few. I know of someone who married a US citizen and had a child with them and still had to leave.

Bugger, thats a pity cos I could have applied for a H1B visa in the first place Ah well sure at least having experience of working over there will significantly improve my chances of getting a job back here after.

lonestargirl

avalon68 wrote: »

Bugger, thats a pity cos I could have applied for a H1B visa in the first place Ah well sure at least having experience of working over there will significantly improve my chances of getting a job back here after.

My explanation of when it does and doesn't apply was pretty rough, maybe it won't have to appy to you. Do you have your visa yet, it should say on it?

Black Swan

lil_lisa wrote: »

How long have you been over?

Left Dub when 18 and now 22 nearing completion of a 4 year degree at USC.

avalon68

lonestargirl wrote: »

My explanation of when it does and doesn't apply was pretty rough, maybe it won't have to appy to you. Do you have your visa yet, it should say on it?

I havent received it yet but it will probably apply as I will be funded by a US government agency. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I'm getting ahead of myself a bit anyway - I might be delighted to be coming home after a few years there

CathalMc

Doing a PhD in UCLA in Los Angeles, 4th year in West LA, between Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Bel Air. I absolutely love it here, will be making every effort to stay.

And I have almost no animosity towards Blue Lagoon whatsoever. I'll bring on the smack talk again when UCLA has a competent team.

spideog7

lil_lisa wrote: »

How did you manage getting a job? Did you have any difficulty getting the visa? I'm on the same one!

I got my job through IAESTE and my employer sponsored my visa, they offered to renew it for me for next year, but I'm hoping to get the new J1 myself to give me some more flexibility, the work I'm doing isn't really what I want to be at.

I'm not sure if I can get the new one while I'm on this one though, still waiting for the Embassy to get back to me.

I'm pretty sure I'm not subject to the 2 year rule, it specifically says on my DS form that I'm not, but I've been told that even if it says that on the form, that's not a guarantee.

Apparently they will tell you if you send them copies of all your forms.

You should mail copies of your DS-2019/IAP-66 forms and a request for an advisory opinion to:
U.S. Department of State
CA/VO/L/W, Visa Services
2401 E Street, NW, (SA-1)
Washington, DC 20522-0106

ToniTuddle

To the people on the J1 Internship Visa....
Can you only get that once?

I was considering deferring my college course and going on that internship for a year. But if I can only get it once, it might be better to wait until I am finished my studies. Then more likely to get a good job and have an employer sponsor me after that internship year would be up!!

EDIT: Also I never heard anything before about that going home for 2 years rule! :eek:

spideog7

ToniTuddle wrote: »

To the people on the J1 Internship Visa....
Can you only get that once?

According to this yes you can get it more than once. But bear in mind it is only a 5 year agreement and this is year 2. AFAIK uptake has been very slow so it may well be scrapped after the 5 years.

EDIT:

The IWT Pilot Program will be conducted under the existing Intern category of the Exchange Visitor Program.....

Citizens of Ireland traveling to the United States to participate in the IWT Pilot Program will do so under the Department’s existing Intern category regulations (22 CFR 62.22), and applicable sponsor program rules, with the exception of participant placement. The Form DS-2019 issued to an IWT participant should reflect this information in the Subject/Field Code Remarks Box which will print on the Form (e.g. IWT Pilot participant).

Also since I'm posing here and I'm reading about it, an interesting point to note is that this is (as has been mentioned in previous posts) just a variation on the existing J1 internship visa.

So for example I'm here on a J1 internship visa, I had to arrange the job prior to getting here and have my employer fill out a DS7002 Training Plan Form ('DS' forms are US Department of State forms) my DS2019 (work authorisation) was not valid without this DS7002 and I had to show both of them to get my visa (at the embassy and at immigration).

This "new" agreement allows Irish students and recent graduates to travel here without having a specific DS7002 filled out prior to leaving, which means you have 1-month to find an employer who will fill out this form for you, and it also means you can leave that employer and find another one (I believe), right now I cannot do that since my visa and my DS7002 are tied together.

In reality it's not a huge breakthrough but it certainly makes getting a job easier (still not easy) since you would be here in person to talk to potential employers and for interviews. It kind of pre-empts the people who talk about coming over on a Visa Waiver and search for an employer to sponsor them and then returning to go through to the paperwork.

This is my take on it don't blame me if any information here is misleading or inaccurate

ToniTuddle

spideog7 wrote: »

According to this yes you can get it more than once. But bear in mind it is only a 5 year agreement and this is year 2. AFAIK uptake has been very slow so it may well be scrapped after the 5 years.

Think that link is broken? Clicked it and nothing happens.
Well I will have an ordinary degree in about 2 and half years.
Everyone is telling me to stay here for the extra year and get an honours degree.
But if I wanted in on this internship I would need to go to the US after the ordinary degree then so!
So many terms and conditions at times >.<

lil_lisa

I'm on the J-1 Internship visa because it was the only option. For the IWT programme USIT wanted to keep me out of the country for 90 days straight between my summer J-1 and a new one, actually they wouldn't give me the internship visa either on that 'rule' but when I went to Sayit (the same day btw) they couldnt give me the IWT but they organised the Internship J-1 visa within two weeks. I was back in the country just under a month!

spideog7

Fixed that link.

lil_lisa wrote: »

I'm on the J-1 Internship visa because it was the only option. For the IWT programme USIT wanted to keep me out of the country for 90 days straight between my summer J-1 and a new one, actually they wouldn't give me the internship visa either on that 'rule' but when I went to Sayit (the same day btw) they couldnt give me the IWT but they organised the Internship J-1 visa within two weeks. I was back in the country just under a month!

Interestingly enough I checked into this recently and the official word I got (from the Embassy in Dublin) was that I don't have to go home at all I can go directly from my current internship visa to the new IWT visa, I just have to go to the US Embassy in Canada for the interview and to issue it!

lil_lisa

Don't you have to be within a year of graduating to get the IWT visa? And the internship visa is a year long, or did you get it for a shorter period?

Black Swan

CathalMc wrote: »

And I have almost no animosity towards Blue Lagoon whatsoever. I'll bring on the smack talk again when UCLA has a competent team.

And I'll see ye over on the American Football forum next season when we paint the Bruin our Trojan colours (just like this season).:cool:

Reindeer

Irish and American parents here as well. However, I am not the kid Lagoon is - I've been travelin' between our countries(and many others) since 1970. Ended up in college in the US in San Luis Obispo, with a masters from Stanford in Engineering. I have lived near Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Cruz(my brother currently resides there), San Jose, Palo Alto, Newport Beach, and San Luis Obispo, CA. Grew tired of California quickly after graduation when it started to go downhill in the late 90's and got a Field Engineering job in Texas that had me traveling throughout the country. I have been to all the States save Alaska, Iowa, The Dakotas, and Maine. Outside of California I have lived in Seattle WA, Austin TX, Dallas TX, San Antonio TX, Phoenix Arizona, Memphis TN, St Louis Missouri, Honolulu Hawaii, Juarrez Mexico, Tokyo Japan, Munchen W. Germany, Birmingham UK, and Dublin, Ireland - what a hole! - and I've been to Birmingham!

My brother was born in Hawaii. I am currently retired and spend much of my time traveling. While in the US, I spend most of my time in Texas and Kentucky - my two favorite states. Right now I am chilling with some buds in Seattle, though. Next month it is off to Korea to meet with another bud, and Japan to do the same, and then a return to Europe for another tour to regain my sanity after a few weeks in Asia and see what property I can find in Provence, or thereabouts.

spideog7

lil_lisa wrote: »

Don't you have to be within a year of graduating to get the IWT visa? And the internship visa is a year long, or did you get it for a shorter period?

Actually the J1 internship can be up to 18months but it depends on how long your contract is for. I started in June but my graduation wasn't until August, so I have 2 months in between

lil_lisa

Reindeer wrote: »

I have lived near Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Cruz(my brother currently resides there), San Jose, Palo Alto, Newport Beach, and San Luis Obispo, CA. Grew tired of California quickly after graduation when it started to go downhill in the late 90's and got a Field Engineering job in Texas that had me traveling throughout the country. I have been to all the States save Alaska, Iowa, The Dakotas, and Maine. Outside of California I have lived in Seattle WA, Austin TX, Dallas TX, San Antonio TX, Phoenix Arizona, Memphis TN, St Louis Missouri, Honolulu Hawaii, Juarrez Mexico, Tokyo Japan, Munchen W. Germany, Birmingham UK, and Dublin, Ireland - what a hole! - and I've been to Birmingham!

Wow talk about travelling!

spideog7 wrote: »

Actually the J1 internship can be up to 18months but it depends on how long your contract is for. I started in June but my graduation wasn't until August, so I have 2 months in between

I'm going to move this topic to another thread and discuss it! Probably in the independent travel section.

eirestar

I've been living and working in NYC for 3.5 years now. My parents moved to Washington DC about 11 years ago for my dad's job. He eventually got a green card through his employer, and since I was under 21 at the time, I automatically got one too.

lil_lisa

Well that's pretty handy. Was your father working for an American company in Ireland?

Manic Moran

San Jose, California here.

Or at least that's my official home of record. Currently working abroad. Moved to the US exactly a decade ago, and have been converted/infected into believing in guns, babes in bikinis, and V8 engines (Hey, those are guy things, no?). Unfortunately, Central California coast isn't great for the first two, even the third is getting expensive.

Lived in San Francisco for a few years until my Iraqi jaunt, and moved to SJ after that. Should be back in San Jose in a couple of months. SF's a nice town, but truthfully, other than occasionally going for a pint down the pub or hitting Chinatown restaurants, I never really went into the city. San Jose's not exactly filled with 'character', but there are worse places to live.

We'll see what I get up to when I get back home. If I've a job waiting, great, if not, I'll think of something. Strongly considering CHP. Money's not bad, especially for pilots.

NTM

lil_lisa

How dense is San Jose as a city? What are the parks around it like?

Manic Moran

Parks? Can't say I've ever really gone looking for one. What would I want with a park?

It's not really dense. Certainly not megalopolis dense, you can walk outside, look up,and see sky, not buildings. On the other hand, it's very sprawling. Much of the Bay Area is just a bunch of suburban towns which have merged into each other.

However, it doesn't take much driving to get out into the countryside. Either go South to the Santa Cruz mountains, or go up I-280 past Palo Alto, you'll have plenty of green within fifteen miles or so.

NTM

Black Swan

lil_lisa wrote: »

How dense is San Jose as a city? What are the parks around it like?

In population density, San Jose ranks 64th in the US, with 1,764 persons per square km. See link: http://www.demographia.com/db-us90city100kdens.htm

Here's an interesting link on world population densities for comparison purposes:
http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/popdensity.htm