Moving to America

mrhoppy

I feel a large lack of opportunity here in Ireland and plan to move to the United States after my studies. Anyone else feel the same?

whomitconcerns

Depends on what your doing. And if you can't get something here, how do you propose getting a visa to work there?

kerry4sam

Thread moved to where it would be better suited.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

mrhoppy

whomitconcerns wrote: »

Depends on what your doing. And if you can't get something here, how do you propose getting a visa to work there?

It's my intention to become a citizen. Migrate legally, get a job and contribute to American society, and become a citizen after whatever amount of time. Not coming back here.

Jim2007

I would suggest you need to do a lot of research on this and realise that just like in Europe the bar for allocation of work permits is set high. If you want to have a reasonable chance of success you will need to have a good degree from a well recognised college to possibly get graduate sponsorship or alternatively be well qualified and experienced so you have actually something to offer a company that might consider sponsorship for a visa.

As for the not coming back part, I have know lots of people who were very happy to return to Ireland after a few months. You will not know that until you have lived abroad for six months or so. So don't burn any bridges, you may need them later.

Wompa1

Been in the US since early 2012. Chomping at the bit to get back. All that glitters is NOT gold. Grand for making and saving money, not sustainable for a good quality of life, health and happiness but good luck!

yew_tree

You just can’t decide to move to the US unfortunately. The only avenues I know of are get a company to sponsor you through H1B visa for example or win the green card lottery.

I have a few friends in the US working legally and I have been on numerous occasions including a few J1 summers. It’s a Great country if your young and wish to work. Not sure I’d like to bring up a family there unless I had a really top paying job. Having lived abroad myself life in Ireland ain’t all that bad.

There is more to life than living to work. Work to live is the better approach.

Mongfinder General

I was very much in a similar situation to you many years ago. I had an American girlfriend who had moved home. I was young, hungry and could work long hours. So I tried to move there. I got a J1 but we had broken up by the time it came to move there. I went anyway and moved in with another friend. Now you would think that should be enough of a social floor to get started. However, certain things we take for granted can weigh you down or hold you back. Public transport doesn't exist outside the big cities. You will need to know how to drive. There's the gun and race problem. You will miss certain types of food. The climate. Healthcare. Friends and family won't be around to help. It's a bigger leap from some people. You have to think about yourself down the line. You may not have the same energy and desire in 20 years time but your career path may require it. I ended up in the public service here. Nowadays the thoughts of having to go back into the private sector and work for a living terrifies me.

mrhoppy

yew_tree wrote: »

You just can’t decide to move to the US unfortunately. The only avenues I know of are get a company to sponsor you through H1B visa for example or win the green card lottery.

I have a few friends in the US working legally and I have been on numerous occasions including a few J1 summers. It’s a Great country if your young and wish to work. Not sure I’d like to bring up a family there unless I had a really top paying job. Having lived abroad myself life in Ireland ain’t all that bad.

There is more to life than living to work. Work to live is the better approach.

See my perspective comes from the will to have a fresh start. I don't want anything to do with the people I know here, or the system of how things work. I just feel like I can do better than I'm doing and I just can't have a better life in Ireland. It reminds me of those areas in role playing games where you start off in a really basic area but you don't really progress into the game unless you leave and branch out a bit. It's like Ireland is that basic area and the rest of the world is where you can move onto bigger and better things.

whomitconcerns

mrhoppy wrote: »

yew_tree wrote: »

You just can’t decide to move to the US unfortunately. The only avenues I know of are get a company to sponsor you through H1B visa for example or win the green card lottery.

I have a few friends in the US working legally and I have been on numerous occasions including a few J1 summers. It’s a Great country if your young and wish to work. Not sure I’d like to bring up a family there unless I had a really top paying job. Having lived abroad myself life in Ireland ain’t all that bad.

There is more to life than living to work. Work to live is the better approach.

See my perspective comes from the will to have a fresh start. I don't want anything to do with the people I know here, or the system of how things work. I just feel like I can do better than I'm doing and I just can't have a better life in Ireland. It reminds me of those areas in role playing games where you start off in a really basic area but you don't really progress into the game unless you leave and branch out a bit. It's like Ireland is that basic area and the rest of the world is where you can move onto bigger and better things.

Unfortunately none of that will help you get a work visa... Sorry to be blunt

CelticRambler

mrhoppy wrote: »

It's like Ireland is that basic area and the rest of the world is where you can move onto bigger and better things.

I know about a dozen people who have moved to Ireland for bigger and better things. They've all moved from one or other of the big European economies too!

Why the US? You've 27 other countries in Europe that you can work in without any of the visa/immigration hassle. What exactly does the US offer you that isn't available on this side of the Atlantic?

I'm only asking the question to make you think. I happen to believe that everyone should get away from where they grew up for a while. Good for the soul, good for the CV.

mrhoppy

CelticRambler wrote: »

I know about a dozen people who have moved to Ireland for bigger and better things. They've all moved from one or other of the big European economies too!

Why the US? You've 27 other countries in Europe that you can work in without any of the visa/immigration hassle. What exactly does the US offer you that isn't available on this side of the Atlantic?

I'm only asking the question to make you think. I happen to believe that everyone should get away from where they grew up for a while. Good for the soul, good for the CV.

Language barriers are an obstacle for going anywhere in Europe. Anyway, much more to explore and much more opportunity in the U.S.

CelticRambler

Opportunity for, or to do, what? What are you studying (in Ireland!) that would be "much more" in the US?

Language is only a barrier if you let it be. Any of us who live and work in Europe don't have any problem with it!

Jim2007

mrhoppy wrote: »

See my perspective comes from the will to have a fresh start. I don't want anything to do with the people I know here, or the system of how things work. I just feel like I can do better than I'm doing and I just can't have a better life in Ireland. It reminds me of those areas in role playing games where you start off in a really basic area but you don't really progress into the game unless you leave and branch out a bit. It's like Ireland is that basic area and the rest of the world is where you can move onto bigger and better things.

Have you ever actually lived a way from home or visited the USA? I have to ask because you sound like you have not! Only someone how has never gone through it would come out with that kind of crap to be brutal.

Jim2007

mrhoppy wrote: »

Language barriers are an obstacle for going anywhere in Europe. Anyway, much more to explore and much more opportunity in the U.S.

The US is great to visit every now and then, but they could not pay me enough to live there full time. I kinda like the idea that my kids can go to school without worrying that they might be shot by a school mate during the day!

splinter65

mrhoppy wrote: »

Language barriers are an obstacle for going anywhere in Europe. Anyway, much more to explore and much more opportunity in the U.S.

You need to do a lot of realistic research before you go any further down the path you want to take.
Whatever you do, don’t try to break any laws about US immigration in the hope and expectation that things will sort themselves out later on.
Half of Europe arrived in US and were waved in, but that was 100 years ago.
It’s a whole different ball game now.

blindside88

What are you studying OP?

redcup342

mrhoppy wrote: »

It's my intention to become a citizen. Migrate legally, get a job and contribute to American society, and become a citizen after whatever amount of time. Not coming back here.

Have you applied for the Green Card Lottery ? That would be your best bet and it costs nothing to enter, if you do get it (It's about a 1 in 20 chance) it costs around 1400 euros for the medical and other costs (if you are successful and want to apply)

Many people apply every year and never end up getting it.

If you get a H-1B you are at the mercy of your employer, if you quit or are fired you have 60 days to find a new job where the employer is willing to re-apply for you:
https://www.quora.com/How-many-days-can-an-H1B-worker-stay-in-the-US-if-he-is-fired-Does-he-need-to-go-back-to-India-or-can-he-look-for-another-job-here-under-the-B1-visa

If you are a student you could go for a J1 to try things out.

I've heard from co-workers that went on H-1B that they employer holds this over their head for weekend, holiday work and pay. (e.g. Would be a shame if you had a problem with your visa, I guess you can come in over Christmas ?)

Moving to the US will be expensive, you'll need flights obviously but also money for a deposit + rent.

You'll pretty much be guaranteed to need a car so you'll need money for that too.

Health Insurance you should get sorted as soon as possible, it's a massive risk and some colleagues/friends have either had crippling debt from a small accident (e.g. broken leg) whereby it took them 10 years (after length negotiation to reduce the debt with the hospital) to pay it off or they simply skipped the country and went back to Europe.

Another hurdle for renting is new migrants to the US won't have a credit history, this will severely restrict your ability to rent (it's linked with your Social Security Number) so that would be another thing to get on straight away.

If you really want to go then I'd say get some money behind you, do your research.

US isn't for me personally, too cut throat and the public transport is brutal.

Each to their own though

seachto7

mrhoppy wrote: »

Language barriers are an obstacle for going anywhere in Europe. Anyway, much more to explore and much more opportunity in the U.S.

WHen you say "much more", what do you mean? As others have mentioned, language is only a barrier if you let it.

If you're in college, try J1, then graduate visa, then green card lottery.

What about Canada? Might be "America" enough for you, but not America, and might be easier to get into. You'd then have the US on your doorstep more or less.

Do you know about cost of living, work hours, holiday allowance, health insurance etc in the USA?

I'm sure it's a fantastic country, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side. It's just as hard to mow!

CelticRambler

Here are a couple of articles on the not-so-green grass that you might like to consider (unless you're Norwegian! ):

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/10/america-punish-poor-debtors-drivers-license-suspension

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/01/25/why-it-costs-so-much-to-be-poor-in-america/?utm_term=.08673c1bc95a

Declaration of interest: I've been doing some in-depth research on the States in advance of an extended trip there later in the year. The more I read, the more I'm excited to see if it's really as primitive a society as the non-tourist brochures suggest. The most recent shocker, set against the backdrop of Ireland's upcoming referendum, was the death rate for mothers in childbirth ... :eek:

boreder

redcup342 wrote: »

I've heard from co-workers that went on H-1B that they employer holds this over their head for weekend, holiday work and pay. (e.g. Would be a shame if you had a problem with your visa, I guess you can come in over Christmas ?)

Like anywhere in the world, if you work for a**holes, you'll get treated like one. If you work for a reputable company, they will treat you just fine. And if your co-workers were to mention this to the USCIS on their relinquishing of the visa, they would absolutely follow up and reprimand the employer. It's something they're cracking down on a lot now.

The real issue with the H1-B as a worker is that you're essentially stuck in the job during certain stages of the visa. For example, if you have an approved I-140 and need to wait an amount of time (can be up to 12 years depending where you're from) for the green card, you cannot move jobs without resetting the I-140 and starting again. Not much of a problem if you're Irish, because the wait times are low, but folks from India can wait for a decade before their case is heard.

redcup342 wrote: »

Moving to the US will be expensive, you'll need flights obviously but also money for a deposit + rent.

Again, if you're working for a reputable company who require your expertise, they will cover all of this. If you're working for a company who are abusing the H1-B system, then as above, you should expect underhand behavior. H1-B isn't for regular people who want to live in America. It's for highly skilled individuals who can offer expertise US companies need and cannot source locally.

redcup342 wrote: »

Another hurdle for renting is new migrants to the US won't have a credit history, this will severely restrict your ability to rent (it's linked with your Social Security Number) so that would be another thing to get on straight away.

This is a myth. As an immigrant, I had landlords / companies falling over themselves to have me rent their property a week after I got off the plane. Granted, they will usually ask for a larger deposit, but you would do the same if the roles were reversed.

redcup342 wrote: »

US isn't for me personally, too cut throat and the public transport is brutal.

Each to their own though

My experience is don't believe everything you read. I work for one of the industries often described as cut throat and I have never seen anything untoward going on, or felt like I'm on the cutting block. Sure, you have to work hard, but I have a comfortable work / life balance, work on interesting things and get paid relatively well.

The public transport thing always makes me laugh. Like Dunboyne or Athlone has an amazing light rail / bullet train / buses every 2 minutes or something. Public transport is exactly the same almost everywhere in the world - big cities have it, suburbs kind of have it, and everywhere else is patchy.

redcup342

boreder wrote: »

The public transport thing always makes me laugh. Like Dunboyne or Athlone has an amazing light rail / bullet train / buses every 2 minutes or something. Public transport is exactly the same almost everywhere in the world - big cities have it, suburbs kind of have it, and everywhere else is patchy.

I'm talking about the big cities.

Miami takes around 1 1/2 half hours to travel 4 kilometers using the bus network

Most of Florida its non existant, you can't even walk in many places as there is no sidewalk.

Manhattan is ok

I'm talking about the big cities, bus service is completely rubbish.

Compared to Germany it's in the stone age, you need a car end of unless walking distance to work, even cycling is dangerous in many places.

Fr Tod Umptious

OP

I was like you back in 1996 and was lucky enough to get a H1B and head over.

As another poster said reputable companies that sponsor H1Bs treat their people very well. H1Bs are hard come by, you are there because you have a skill they need. I got a relocation allowance etc etc.

I never heard of anyone being mistreated on a H1B.

Anyway I loved it, I spent 6 years there and I'm back home now and I love that too.

It's certainly well worth a try and see how you get on.

As for things like guns, race and public transport I'll give you the following.

I lived in Boston and travelled all over the country, I never saw a single gun in the years I was there.

As regards race places like Boston are very segregated, white people live in certain areas, blacks in others. I worked with a few black people over the years but that was it.
My experience of the US was in no way diminished because I did not know or hang around with more black people.

In older cities like Boston, NY, Philly, etc there are good public transport systems, and they are much cheaper than places like Dublin, so for the first while a car is not essential, butt west forget about it, you need a car.

What are you studying OP ?

Jim2007

boreder wrote: »

If you work for a reputable company, they will treat you just fine.....

boreder wrote: »

Again, if you're working for a reputable company who require your expertise...

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

As another poster said reputable companies that sponsor H1Bs treat their people very well....

That is the thing, your rights should not depend on your employer. They should be fully enforceable and people should not be afraid of loosing their jobs when they claim them.

Every time we have either a US transferee or recruit someone from the States, they are surprised that:

• Their holidays are 2.5 or 3 times more that in the US
• They get holidays in the first year of employment
• People take all their holidays (this is seen as a negative in their eyes)
• There is no limit to sick days
• Sick days don't come out of your holiday entitlement
• If you get sick on holidays it does not count as holidays
• People go home at the end of the day and don't hang around the office for the extra half hour in they'd give a bad impression by going home on time!
• Constantly working overtime is a negative as it suggest you're not up to the task

If they are in their 40s you can expect they will have a lot of visits to the doctor and specialists, getting their health sorted out since they now have cover - things that their employers healthcare did not cover, things that were denied to them, medicines they should have but could not afford... Your health shouldn't be a bargaining chip with your employer.

Next shocker - we don't have huge student loans to by back, people in the 40s holding management positions struggling to pay back student loans, seriously! And of course the follow on, we don't have college funds, are not slavishly saving in the hope to put kids through college.

And then there's the pensions: US companies are not required to accrue pension benefits and as a result they many not be able to pay you your pension in retirement, a case in point right now is GE, a well known multinational who are facing serious difficulties because of this practice.

boreder wrote: »

The public transport thing always makes me laugh. Like Dunboyne or Athlone has an amazing light rail / bullet train / buses every 2 minutes or something. Public transport is exactly the same almost everywhere in the world - big cities have it, suburbs kind of have it, and everywhere else is patchy.

We're not talking about the poor service in Ireland nor the none existent US services. We're talking about mainland European services, which not only cover cities but the countryside as well. I live in a market town on the edge of the Emmental. I have trains every half how to the nearest cities and I now that if I catch the 7:57 bus to the local train station I can be sitting at my Desk in Zurich at the very latest by 8:28. Based on your comments one can only assume you are ignorant of what good public transport is.

Fr Tod Umptious

Jim2007 wrote: »

That is the thing, your rights should not depend on your employer. They should be fully enforceable and people should not be afraid of loosing their jobs when they claim them.

Every time we have either a US transferee or recruit someone from the States, they are surprised that:

• Their holidays are 2.5 or 3 times more that in the US
• They get holidays in the first year of employment
• People take all their holidays (this is seen as a negative in their eyes)
• There is no limit to sick days
• Sick days don't come out of your holiday entitlement
• If you get sick on holidays it does not count as holidays
• People go home at the end of the day and don't hang around the office for the extra half hour in they'd give a bad impression by going home on time!
• Constantly working overtime is a negative as it suggest you're not up to the task

If they are in their 40s you can expect they will have a lot of visits to the doctor and specialists, getting their health sorted out since they now have cover - things that their employers healthcare did not cover, things that were denied to them, medicines they should have but could not afford... Your health shouldn't be a bargaining chip with your employer.

Next shocker - we don't have huge student loans to by back, people in the 40s holding management positions struggling to pay back student loans, seriously! And of course the follow on, we don't have college funds, are not slavishly saving in the hope to put kids through college.

And then there's the pensions: US companies are not required to accrue pension benefits and as a result they many not be able to pay you your pension in retirement, a case in point right now is GE, a well known multinational who are facing serious difficulties because of this practice.




We're not talking about the poor service in Ireland nor the none existent US services. We're talking about mainland European services, which not only cover cities but the countryside as well. I live in a market town on the edge of the Emmental. I have trains every half how to the nearest cities and I now that if I catch the 7:57 bus to the local train station I can be sitting at my Desk in Zurich at the very latest by 8:28. Based on your comments one can only assume you are ignorant of what good public transport is.

Did you yourself ever work and live in the US ?

Did you ever experience any of the above situations you listed ?

I lived and worked there for 6 years for numerous companies big and small, as an employee and as a contractor, and was always treated well.

I've always had holidays from the start.

I've always taken all my holidays

I've always had 7 un-certified sick days a year (I'm very healthy and used these for hangovers)

I was never expected to hang around to make a good impression.

As an employee I always had the option to join a company pension plan with matched employer contributions.

mrhoppy

Jim2007 wrote: »

Have you ever actually lived a way from home or visited the USA? I have to ask because you sound like you have not! Only someone how has never gone through it would come out with that kind of crap to be brutal.

I have actually, I lived in Spain for a while and I have to say it's much more enjoyable with a lot more opportunities and what feels like a better quality of life

mrhoppy

redcup342 wrote: »

Have you applied for the Green Card Lottery ? That would be your best bet and it costs nothing to enter, if you do get it (It's about a 1 in 20 chance) it costs around 1400 euros for the medical and other costs (if you are successful and want to apply)

Many people apply every year and never end up getting it.

If you get a H-1B you are at the mercy of your employer, if you quit or are fired you have 60 days to find a new job where the employer is willing to re-apply for you:
https://www.quora.com/How-many-days-can-an-H1B-worker-stay-in-the-US-if-he-is-fired-Does-he-need-to-go-back-to-India-or-can-he-look-for-another-job-here-under-the-B1-visa

If you are a student you could go for a J1 to try things out.

I've heard from co-workers that went on H-1B that they employer holds this over their head for weekend, holiday work and pay. (e.g. Would be a shame if you had a problem with your visa, I guess you can come in over Christmas ?)

Moving to the US will be expensive, you'll need flights obviously but also money for a deposit + rent.

You'll pretty much be guaranteed to need a car so you'll need money for that too.

Health Insurance you should get sorted as soon as possible, it's a massive risk and some colleagues/friends have either had crippling debt from a small accident (e.g. broken leg) whereby it took them 10 years (after length negotiation to reduce the debt with the hospital) to pay it off or they simply skipped the country and went back to Europe.

Another hurdle for renting is new migrants to the US won't have a credit history, this will severely restrict your ability to rent (it's linked with your Social Security Number) so that would be another thing to get on straight away.

If you really want to go then I'd say get some money behind you, do your research.

US isn't for me personally, too cut throat and the public transport is brutal.

Each to their own though

I don't think the green card lottery will be lasting much longer, Trump wants to end it 😂 I'm fully intending to do my research, as I need to decide what state to live in, what I'm looking for out of it, that kinda thing

BorneTobyWilde

People talk of US like it's a nice old town. US is like 50 different countries in one.
Can't compare one place to the others, most states are bigger than Ireland, and every state is different to the other.
Can't compare Alaska to Hawaai , Or New York to La , or Florida to Oregon.

mrhoppy

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

OP

I was like you back in 1996 and was lucky enough to get a H1B and head over.

As another poster said reputable companies that sponsor H1Bs treat their people very well. H1Bs are hard come by, you are there because you have a skill they need. I got a relocation allowance etc etc.

I never heard of anyone being mistreated on a H1B.

Anyway I loved it, I spent 6 years there and I'm back home now and I love that too.

It's certainly well worth a try and see how you get on.

As for things like guns, race and public transport I'll give you the following.

I lived in Boston and travelled all over the country, I never saw a single gun in the years I was there.

As regards race places like Boston are very segregated, white people live in certain areas, blacks in others. I worked with a few black people over the years but that was it.
My experience of the US was in no way diminished because I did not know or hang around with more black people.

In older cities like Boston, NY, Philly, etc there are good public transport systems, and they are much cheaper than places like Dublin, so for the first while a car is not essential, butt west forget about it, you need a car.

What are you studying OP ?

Guns, race and public transport aren't concerns for me

I'm studying electronic engineering

mrhoppy

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

People talk of US like it's a nice old town. US is like 50 different countries in one.
Can't compare one place to the others, most states are bigger than Ireland, and every state is different to the other.
Can't compare Alaska to Hawaai , Or New York to La , or Florida to Oregon.

I have some friends in the U.S. who said that Ohio would be perfect for me - a mix of urban and rural life, nice cities like Columbus, and easy to get in and out of via the interstate highways

EmmetWhitey

mrhoppy wrote: »

See my perspective comes from the will to have a fresh start. I don't want anything to do with the people I know here, or the system of how things work. I just feel like I can do better than I'm doing and I just can't have a better life in Ireland. It reminds me of those areas in role playing games where you start off in a really basic area but you don't really progress into the game unless you leave and branch out a bit. It's like Ireland is that basic area and the rest of the world is where you can move onto bigger and better things.

Just thought id throw it out there that 7 of the top 10 HDI countries in the world are in Europe, not to mention that Ireland ranks higher than the US...

BorneTobyWilde

mrhoppy wrote: »

I have some friends in the U.S. who said that Ohio would be perfect for me - a mix of urban and rural life, nice cities like Columbus, and easy to get in and out of via the interstate highways

Even that has a population of 3 Irelands. What City in Ohio ? The Cities in each state are very much like counties in Ireland.
I think Cities with populations of 100k- 250k would be great. Moving to cities with 8m people would be very different than living in Ireland.

Fr Tod Umptious

mrhoppy wrote: »

Guns, race and public transport aren't concerns for me

I'm studying electronic engineering

And nor should guns or race concern you. People like to throw them out in anti US ramblings.

Public transport I'd keep an eye on though, unless you plan on getting a car straight away.

As another poster implied, US is no just one place, it's loads of different places with different rules and regulations for the same thing, it even varies from city to city in a given state.

Electronic engineering is a good technical field to be studying.

Jim2007

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Did you yourself ever work and live in the US ?

Yes on and off over the past 30 years.

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Did you ever experience any of the above situations you listed ?

ALL of them are based on my experience of working with Americans over the past several years.

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

I've always had 7 un-certified sick days a year (I'm very healthy and used these for hangovers)

And if you were sick and out of work for three to six months, how would that work out for you? In my case it is 85% of my salary for an absence of up to two years. It is all well and good when you are young and healthy, but from your 40s on wards you start to have problems of some kind or other. And being concerned about medical bankruptcy etc is not much fun.

I have one very old friend from NY who is retired, he got his MBA at Columbia but unlike his colleagues he spend most of his working like in Ireland. Most of his colleagues did well in business and probably have more money than he does, but his is one taking trips abroad etc. while they stay at home. And the main reason is that all their health policies have life max limits and they are afraid to spend too much money in case they get seriously ill and their policy plus medicare will not be enough. That is not a way to enjoy retirement.

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

As an employee I always had the option to join a company pension plan with matched employer contributions.

In is not about the contributions, it is about the fact that under US GAAP, American companies do not accrue benefits. For example: US faces crisis as pension funding hole hits $3.85tn

Pensions are not something you think about much when you are young and healthy. But when within you're 10 years of retirement and there are major concerns about your pension fund and your ability to finance your retirement as a result, it is not the situation you want to be in.

The US is fine when you are young and health. But is is a poor choice when you are middle aged, trying to bring up a family, pay for their education and still put money aside for a pension.

Note that when it comes to median net wealth, the US falls way behind. It is even 7 places behind Ireland! America's middle class: Poorer than you think

CelticRambler

I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here! :pac: The OP is still a student so (unless very "mature") not yet burdened by mid-life challenges.

I'm still hoping to hear what he/she means or expects by "much more to explore and much more opportunity in the U.S." compared to learning/working/exploring opportunities in Europe and Asia. A company up the road from me here in France is desperate for electronic engineers, with opportunities for the lucky candidates to work for short periods in their sister companies on three other continents, aswell as using the local road and rail network to travel all over Europe. What does the US offer that makes it worth the effort and uncertainty of jumping through visa hoops, when you could just walk into this place and say "any chance of a job?"

mrhoppy

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

And nor should guns or race concern you. People like to throw them out in anti US ramblings.

Public transport I'd keep an eye on though, unless you plan on getting a car straight away.

As another poster implied, US is no just one place, it's loads of different places with different rules and regulations for the same thing, it even varies from city to city in a given state.

Electronic engineering is a good technical field to be studying.

I'm aware all the states are different

mrhoppy

CelticRambler wrote: »

I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here! :pac: The OP is still a student so (unless very "mature") not yet burdened by mid-life challenges.

I'm still hoping to hear what he/she means or expects by "much more to explore and much more opportunity in the U.S." compared to learning/working/exploring opportunities in Europe and Asia. A company up the road from me here in France is desperate for electronic engineers, with opportunities for the lucky candidates to work for short periods in their sister companies on three other continents, aswell as using the local road and rail network to travel all over Europe. What does the US offer that makes it worth the effort and uncertainty of jumping through visa hoops, when you could just walk into this place and say "any chance of a job?"

I mean much more to explore and more opportunity in the US as compared to Ireland

Kablamo!

mrhoppy wrote: »

I mean much more to explore and more opportunity in the US as compared to Ireland

In relation to what exactly though?

CelticRambler

mrhoppy wrote: »

I mean much more to explore and more opportunity in the US as compared to Ireland

But explore what ? And opportunity to do what ?

I understand (and support) your interest in getting out of Ireland - I did it myself twenty-five years ago and can't see myself moving back any time soon - but you don't seem to have any clear idea of what you're looking for.

seachto7

CelticRambler wrote: »

I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here! :pac: The OP is still a student so (unless very "mature") not yet burdened by mid-life challenges.

I'm still hoping to hear what he/she means or expects by "much more to explore and much more opportunity in the U.S." compared to learning/working/exploring opportunities in Europe and Asia. A company up the road from me here in France is desperate for electronic engineers, with opportunities for the lucky candidates to work for short periods in their sister companies on three other continents, aswell as using the local road and rail network to travel all over Europe. What does the US offer that makes it worth the effort and uncertainty of jumping through visa hoops, when you could just walk into this place and say "any chance of a job?"

Any chance of un commencement dans les plus brefs delais?

CelticRambler

Nah - they're not interested in French speakers! :pac:

Chinese, maybe, otherwise American-English is the language of "le Cluster" :cool:

From one of the current ads for an electrical engineer with Astronics PGA La maîtrise de l’Anglais technique est requise sur ce poste.
(mastery of technical English is required for this role)

seachto7

CelticRambler wrote: »

Nah - they're not interested in French speakers! :pac:

Chinese, maybe, otherwise American-English is the language of "le Cluster" :cool:

From one of the current ads for an electrical engineer with Astronics PGA La maîtrise de l’Anglais technique est requise sur ce poste.
(mastery of technical English is required for this role)

mmm. I guess the language warriors are angry with this en France?

Jim2007

'It's like a war zone,' says parent as expelled student shoots down 17 at Florida high school

This is exactly why I would not want to bring up a family in the US. No kid should have to head to school everyday, wondering if to day is the day he might get shot.

source

Palmy

You have to remember the U.S is a huge country with a population in excess of 320+ mil. I have never felt in a unsafe situation yet but I made sure I lived in a nice city in a nice neighbourhood. I have a great lifestyle for the amount of money I earn and I love the weather ( Florida ) . I don’t understand people who move and go to places like Ohio to live where it snows for 4 months of the year. I immigrated for a better lifestyle with a work life balance and nice weather year round. The gun culture here is everywhere but if you know your surroundings and be vigilant like anywhere else you are less likely to run into any problems.

Wompa1

Palmy wrote: »

You have to remember the U.S is a huge country with a population in excess of 320+ mil. I have never felt in a unsafe situation yet but I made sure I lived in a nice city in a nice neighbourhood. I have a great lifestyle for the amount of money I earn and I love the weather ( Florida ) . I don’t understand people who move and go to places like Ohio to live where it snows for 4 months of the year. I immigrated for a better lifestyle with a work life balance and nice weather year round. The gun culture here is everywhere but if you know your surroundings and be vigilant like anywhere else you are less likely to run into any problems.

You must have developed the American optimism. I've been to half of the states and of the states the one's I've spent the most time in are New York, Florida, Arizona and California. To me, the worst is Florida. It's reasonably affordable, particularly for a coastal state but it comes at another cost. I live in Arizona which has probably the most lax gun laws in the country and I still think well, at least I don't live in Florida!

I have stopped following local news on Twitter and stopped listening to the local talk radio to keep my sanity over here. We moved to a more quiet part of the Valley but it's still not without it's problems. I'll be happy to move back to Ireland. My wife is from here so we'll just come back on holidays (which we'll have more time for when back over there)

Also, Europe by land mass and population is larger than the US. The US is a union of 50 states. Europe is a union of countries. European countries follow some EU directives but also govern themselves. Ditto US states setting their own laws and control aside from federal laws. People here tend to say you can't compare Europe with the US. I don't get why not.

Palmy

It depends where in Florida you live. The east coast of Florida Miami etc I don’t care for. I live in Sarasota on the gulf coast. Our beach which is five minutes from my house is Siesta key, voted one of the best beaches in the U.S. I do agree if you go inland in Florida it’s backwards alright. I wouldn’t move back to Ireland if you payed me to be honest. I drove a cab in Dublin for 3 years after my construction business folded. I have seen and heard everything What a fricken kip . I would never bring my kids up there, my son looked out the kitchen window on a Dailey basis because it rained so much and he couldn’t go outside. If your not happy in the States you obviously haven’t found a good spot to live.

Wompa1

Palmy wrote: »

It depends where in Florida you live. The east coast of Florida Miami etc I don’t care for. I live in Sarasota on the gulf coast. Our beach which is five minutes from my house is Siesta key, voted one of the best beaches in the U.S. I do agree if you go inland in Florida it’s backwards alright. I wouldn’t move back to Ireland if you payed me to be honest. I drove a cab in Dublin for 3 years after my construction business folded. I have seen and heard everything What a fricken kip . I would never bring my kids up there, my son looked out the kitchen window on a Dailey basis because it rained so much and he couldn’t go outside. If your not happy in the States you obviously haven’t found a good spot to live.

Been to Sarasota and one of my work colleagues just moved back to Washington State from there after 18 months. He moved down there for the wife, she wanted the sun but they didn't like it. Most of my family live in Naples. It all probably depends on what you look for and what you can tolerate. My favorite parts of the US that I have been have to are central California (Monterey, Pacific Grove area) and Hawaii but both aren't affordable and have higher crime rates than Ireland. Also, even those states have quite a few shootings too.

Spent 26 years in Ireland. Tended to go out in the back garden and kicked a ball around rain or shine. The only time I wouldn't is when it was freezing. (except when going to training). During my time in Florida, I tended to get back in the house from about 10:30am-11pm other than going to and from the car or house. It's true what people say, at least with Arizona it's a dry heat. Anything below 110 degrees is manageable. I can't stick the humidity in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia or those other Southern states.