Moving to california from ireland

Stephen crossan

Hey guys. Im thinking of moving to california, Im 25 my girlfriend is also 25 and we have 2 children 7 and 1. Id love to move over in about 3-5 years time. Can anyone tell me what iv to do to get us all ober there. Im thinking off saving my ass off for 3 5 years, then just pack up and go over rent a house get our children into a school then just live off my savings till i get a job there. Or is that just a dumb idea ? Help please this is our dream to live in america but feel lost on knowledge 😓

Mongfinder General

Stephen crossan wrote: »

Hey guys. Im thinking of moving to california, Im 25 my girlfriend is also 25 and we have 2 children 7 and 1. Id love to move over in about 3-5 years time. Can anyone tell me what iv to do to get us all ober there. Im thinking off saving my ass off for 3 5 years, then just pack up and go over rent a house get our children into a school then just live off my savings till i get a job there. Or is that just a dumb idea ? Help please this is our dream to live in america but feel lost on knowledge 😓

Do you have American citizenship or a visa for you and your family to live there?

jme2010

Get ready for disappointment pal.

It's an eye opener but the only realistic way in at the moment is through the lottery.

Other slim to none chance is are you a talented programmer or superb manager? Then you could go through a US company based here but that's after min 1 year service and they'd have to sponsor you etc etc.

Oh and that all only covers you, not your gf. If you ever got approved you'd need to marry her here, then in some situations the visa would only allow your wife to go with you and restricts if she can work.

Stephen crossan

Mongfinder General wrote: »

Do you have American citizenship or a visa for you and your family to live there?

No i dont. Thats another thing I need info on.

Feenix

Stephen crossan wrote: »

Hey guys. Im thinking of moving to california, Im 25 my girlfriend is also 25 and we have 2 children 7 and 1. Id love to move over in about 3-5 years time. Can anyone tell me what iv to do to get us all ober there. Im thinking off saving my ass off for 3 5 years, then just pack up and go over rent a house get our children into a school then just live off my savings till i get a job there. Or is that just a dumb idea ? Help please this is our dream to live in america but feel lost on knowledge ��

Is this really your dream though?

CelticRambler

Stephen crossan wrote: »

Im thinking off saving my ass off for 3 5 years, then just pack up and go over rent a house get our children into a school then just live off my savings till i get a job there. Or is that just a dumb idea ?

Not dumb, just illegal. California's not in the EU. :cool:

How much time have you spent in California so far, on your own and as a couple/family? That's got to be your starting point - a four-week (or longer) self-catering holiday in a proper house/apartment. The only Californian I know said they best thing they ever did was move (themselves and their family) to Arizona.

I don't have any experience of moving to the States, but have "lived the dream" in three other countries besides Ireland, and while you've taken a reasonable first step in asking the question, it sounds like you're starting from way behind where you need to be for a move in 3-5 years.

So what's the dream? What do you think living in California is going to offer you that makes it worth jumping through the numerous hoops?

Stenth

I moved from Ireland to California about two years ago. Best decision of my life.
It is not easy, though. I would really, really, really advice against moving illegally, and you can't just show up and sort the visa stuff out later.
Unless you are already a citizen or married to a US citizen, your best bet would be, in order of how realistic they are:

1. Get a job in a large company with a branch both in Ireland and California. Work for a year. Let them know you want to be transferred to the US. Convince them they want to spend the expense to move you. The process will take several months and cost the company several thousands of dollars, at least. If you want your girlfriend to come with you, you need to marry before you move. This is what I did.
+ You and your wife can both work in the US.
- This will take a couple of years.

2. Get a job offer from a company in California. Convince them to pay several thousand dollars to prepare the H1-B visa application. This can only be done once per year, the deadline is in April. As there are more applicants than visas, hope you get randomly selected. Wait for six months for the paperwork to process.
+ Faster than an internal transfer
- Your wife (yeah, you need to marry in almost all cases, unless she get a visa independently from you) will not be allowed to work until you get green cards, which will take years.
- You need to convince the company to hire you despite the fact that you can't start until the end of the year, and getting the visa is not certain.
- You need to convince Immigration that you can do a job no one in the US can do. Your employer needs to prove that they have tried to hire Americans for the position.

3. Win the lottery. Drawings are once per year.
+ Doesn't cost anything to apply. You can move right away and find a job later.
- Something like an 1-2 percent chance to win each year.

4. Start a company and hire a number of people. Apply for an investment visa.
+ Really easy to get, only problem is...
- You need to invest at least $1 million.

There are a number of other ways, but they are either temporary and require you to be a recent graduate, or you need to be internationally famous-level good at something.

Why California? Depending on your reasons for that choice, there might be other countries who are easier to get in to.

CelticRambler

On another thread, the OP has said that he's a commis chef. Without re-training, options 1 and 2 are possibly about as likely for him as winning the lottery. If his girlfriend has a more unique and in-demand skillset, she might be in a better position to jump the hurdles.

jme2010

Add another broken dream to the boards US thread pile lads!

Stephen crossan

CelticRambler wrote: »

On another thread, the OP has said that he's a commis chef. Without re-training, options 1 and 2 are possibly about as likely for him as winning the lottery. If his girlfriend has a more unique and in-demand skillset, she might be in a better position to jump the hurdles.

What if i had 100k in the bank !

Peregrinus

Stephen crossan wrote: »

What if i had 100k in the bank !

If you had a million (US dollars) in the bank and were willing to invest it all in buying or setting up a US business which would generate employment, you could take the investment visa route.

100k doesn't buy a visa. What it might buy, possibly, is retraining and qualification in a profession/occupation that is in short supply in the US, so that US-based employers are willing to deal with the cost and hassle of sponsoring your for immigration on an employment-linked visa.

VeVeX

Stephen crossan wrote: »

What if i had 100k in the bank !

100k is 6 months wages in the parts of California that are desirable to live in.

jme2010

Move to Vancouver instead, it's just a cold California and very easy to obtain a visa.

thebeerbaron

With the current and planned changes to the visa system underway by Trump to answer your question:
Can anyone tell me what iv to do to get us all ober there
Best bet is an L1 visa. H visa is being clamped down upon. Lottery, well your changes are in the name...
No amount of money in your bank account will matter

Third_Echelon

Myself and the wife moved to California 2 and a half years ago. I already had the L-1 visa and was traveling for work, so decided to shorten the commute from Dublin

Realistically, the way the majority of people do it is with an internal transfer within a large company. I've had nearly 5 years worth of L visa when my current one runs out and my company is beginning the H-1 application for this year. As others have said, the H visa is a lottery system, so never guaranteed. If I don't get it this time, then we try again next year.

The one major downside of California is the cost of living. It's ridiculously expensive in the nice places to live (groceries, rent, child-care, petrol). 6 figure salaries in the SF Bay Area are considered low income! https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/04/22/in-costly-bay-area-even-six-figure-salaries-are-considered-low-income/

Average 2 bed apartment on the San Francisco, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, San Jose corridor (aka Silicon Valley) is anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000 per month!

Lots of companies are giving employees the option to move to other offices etc. A lot of smaller tech hubs popping up in places like Austin, Texas for example and people are jumping at the chance to reduce their costs. May have to consider it myself at some stage. It's just not sustainable year on year...

circular flexing

Third_Echelon wrote: »

\I've had nearly 5 years worth of L visa when my current one runs out and my company is beginning the H-1 application for this year.

Just curious - why do you not have a greencard yet?

Third_Echelon

circular flexing wrote: »

Just curious - why do you not have a greencard yet?

That's the next step alright. It can be done in parallel to H-1 application and my boss has mentioned that he will trigger that process soon.

My wife is also able to work as she is on an L-2 based on my L-1 and could get the EAD card (work permit).... so green card wasn't an immediate priority. We are good until early 2020 on the L visa and it gives us a bit of flexibility.

Stenth

Third_Echelon wrote: »

My wife is also able to work as she is on an L-2 based on my L-1 and could get the EAD card (work permit).... so green card wasn't an immediate priority. We are good until early 2020 on the L visa and it gives us a bit of flexibility.

Heads up: I got a H1-B visa as well but haven't activated it, as the immigration lawyers hired by my employer told me that you can't have both an L1 and a H1-B visa at the same time. If I would get a H1-B visa my wife's L2 visa would be converted as well, meaning that her EAD card would immediately be invalid.

(We have started the green card process instead. Hopefully that will be done before my L visa runs out.)

Of course, don't trust a random guy on the internet, I am not a lawyer, check with your boss, etc. However, please do check it before you activate the H-1 visa. It will probably not be an issue unless your wife wants to switch jobs. But again, ask a lawyer.

Third_Echelon

Stenth wrote: »

Third_Echelon wrote: »

My wife is also able to work as she is on an L-2 based on my L-1 and could get the EAD card (work permit).... so green card wasn't an immediate priority. We are good until early 2020 on the L visa and it gives us a bit of flexibility.

Heads up: I got a H1-B visa as well but haven't activated it, as the immigration lawyers hired by my employer told me that you can't have both an L1 and a H1-B visa at the same time. If I would get a H1-B visa my wife's L2 visa would be converted as well, meaning that her EAD card would immediately be invalid.

(We have started the green card process instead. Hopefully that will be done before my L visa runs out.)

Of course, don't trust a random guy on the internet, I am not a lawyer, check with your boss, etc. However, please do check it before you activate the H-1 visa. It will probably not be an issue unless your wife wants to switch jobs. But again, ask a lawyer.

Yeah, I made sure to check that out so she wouldn’t be affected. We are going with the activate later option. I think they called it ‘pick up at embassy’ option?! Something like that. Basically we’ll activate if required.

HDMI

Stenth wrote: »

It is not easy, though. I would really, really, really advice against moving illegally, and you can't just show up and sort the visa stuff out later.

Sure if Nancy Pelosi gets her way everyone is welcome in California, who cares if she bankrupts the state in the process. :P;)

TeaBagMania

Couldn't pay me enough to live in California but if any Irish ladies are looking for an American husband and a move to the states, im interviewing

Palmy

Over the past Ten years 1 million more people have moved out of California than moved in. I love Southern California but I couldn’t afford to live there as well with all the social issues like having the biggest homeless population.

Manic Moran

I'm probably joining the exodus. The expensive parts these days are just not suitable for families. If you're on your own, it's a lot of fun. Do your research on what you think you will earn and what you can get for your money.

When it was just the wife and me, both breaking six figures, we lived OK. Its not tenable for me on merely $140k to cover the mortgage and bills for two adults, a baby, in a small three bedroom thirty miles from SF.

Mongfinder General

Manic Moran wrote: »

I'm probably joining the exodus. The expensive parts these days are just not suitable for families. If you're on your own, it's a lot of fun. Do your research on what you think you will earn and what you can get for your money.

When it was just the wife and me, both breaking six figures, we lived OK. Its not tenable for me on merely $140k to cover the mortgage and bills for two adults, a baby, in a small three bedroom thirty miles from SF.

What happens if you end up on welfare over there? Do you end up in a housing project?

TeaBagMania

Mongfinder General wrote: »

What happens if you end up on welfare over there? Do you end up in a housing project?

You end up holding a cardboard sign next to a freeway off ramp

CelticRambler

One version of life in LA, away from Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbjMs8V3YBo

Manic Moran

There are alternatives which result in a lesser cost of living, if you're on your own, such as shipping containers or vans.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-people-are-leaving-san-francisco-2018-3#san-franciscos-housing-crisis-has-created-a-dire-homelessness-situation-there-are-about-7500-people-living-on-the-street-and-many-more-find-shelter-with-friends-and-family-37

If you've a family, you're more likely to end up with some State-run housing, otherwise, the backup plan is generally to move back in with the parents.