Emigrating to America

rachelgalvo

Are Irish people no longer interested in emigrating to the US? I have a friend who has decided to move to Canada in the future instead of the States after all the **** that's been going down in the last four year and especially since Trump's reelection. She even went for birth tourism in Canada so her child could have dual Canadian/Irish citizenship instead of American.

It seems opinions on America really have changed since I was a kid in the late noughties. Most of my young family/friends want to visit but not live there.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058395361/emigrating-to-america

impossible to move there unless you're a doctor or some other highly skilled profession, and nowadays why would they go to USA if they had better options in Australia etc. with the state of the US now.

irish people flock to Canada and Australia because it's easy to get a visa for a couple of years, there are no such schemes for the USA.

Fr Tod Umptious

Since the start of the century with the improved Irish economy, the availability of working holiday visas to Australia and New Zealand, the availability of visas for Canada and the post 9/11 crack down on illegal immigrants America has not been as attractive as it once was.

Still a good number go over on L1 transfer visas, H1B, student visas etc, but there is not the flood of illegals there once was.

America is a big diverse place so living in one part of the country may be very different to living in another.

What you see on the TV news in Ireland may be totally irrelevant to what is going on in many parts of America.

rachelgalvo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153385#Comment_123153385

I'm surprised birth tourism is not more common then with Irish people in America.

2ndcoming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153389#Comment_123153389

It really isn't that diverse. Downtown, suburbia, strip malls, churches, gas stations, scrub land, rinse & repeat. This covers a very large proportion of it.

The rest is basically empty.

rowantree18

I lived there, found it really diverse.

2ndcoming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153477#Comment_123153477

Are you aware heavily pregnant people can't fly?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153492#Comment_123153492

It is, believe me I've lived there and traveled all over it.

There is very little difference between Boston and Dublin, there is a huge difference between Montgomery Alabama and Dublin.

Attitudes to guns etc is very different in a place like Massachusetts than it is in places like North Carolina.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153477#Comment_123153477

What do you mean?

MOR316

NYC is one of the most diverse and welcoming places I've ever stepped foot in.

If I could get a visa, I'd up sticks and move to NY. America is huge though. It's going to be completely different all over the place

rachelgalvo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153500#Comment_123153500

I know of people who travel when they are four months pregnant and then overstay their visas to give birth.

2ndcoming

The people can be diverse for sure. I meant more how it all looks the same nearly everywhere you go.

2ndcoming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153521#Comment_123153521

I mean, why would you like? The place is an absolute sh1tshow at the moment. I know a good few people who were born there in the 80s when their parents were there illegally, none of them have moved there even though they're citizens.

In the 80s it was a big draw for obvious reasons, ever since the Celtic Tiger there are are many more obvious options available.

Fr Tod Umptious

The birthright citizenship that a child gets being born in America does not entitled the mother or father any citizenship or residency rights.

Loads of Irish, and other, illegalsare still illegal even though they have kids who are citizens.

2ndcoming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153545#Comment_123153545

They aren't children now like, they could have moved there any time in the last 20 years. The children of the illegals I mean. The ones I know haven't or haven't showed much interest in it.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153527#Comment_123153527

Depends what you mean by looking the same everywhere. I agree that built up urban centers can be very similar with strip malls and all the usual chain shops etc. But apart from that, go to long(ish) established towns and different geographical areas, it can be very different even within states. For example the Northern California coast and Southern California coasts can be different, then up in the High Sierras is even more different.

Nigel Fairservice

The US is very much a closed shop these days but the economic push factor once experienced by Irish people is largely gone. The DV lottery or marrying an American is probably the most realistic way for most people to get there these days. My cousin got a Donnelly visa back in the 1980s and has been there since. A friend of mine from school got a H1B visa after an IT related degree. I think the H1B was linked to his job so he was stuck with his employer but he eventually married an American girl so wasn't as tied to the conditions of his visa as much after that. Another guy I was in college with got some kind of entertainers visa. He worked for TMZ for a while. A few years back I did a 3 month trip met some lovely people on that trip but also some loopers. across America and took in 27 states. It's a diverse place but a strange place at times. Gary, Indiana was like the set of a zombie movie. America is not somewhere I would live without a serious amount of money.

2 American men live on my road. Both are married to Irish women. Neither seem to have plans to return to the US anytime soon.

I think a lot of Russians did the birth tourism thing in the US. I think Trump is trying to end birthright citizenship.

Strumms

I’ve lots of family who went there from the 1970’s to the mid 1980’s. All have enjoyed good success.

One of my cousins not long ago retired from his law firm which he is a partner in to help look after his ill wife and the figure he got from being bought out was bananas. He was probably a millionaire before he retired, certainly would have been in terms of assets and cash but now. 😵‍💫…. The guy for years was pulling 11-12 hour days with about an hour commute each way from NY into NJ, so he had to work for everything…

Seemingly the trend with them all was putting in the hours and succeeding. Isn’t for everyone….but hey

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153385#Comment_123153385

Not true, they are looking for a lot of IT staff and you can get a visa that way. There is also sponsorship options. Recent study showed Irish people no longer see it as a place to move to and Canada is now number 1 and I think Australia was number 2. Trump and his followers certainly have a part to play. I have American friends and they despair at what is going on.

Oscar_Madison

Family planning would be a key consideration too- I would doubt many would like to raise their kids in America right now - also “outdoor life” and activities appears to be a very significant attraction of heading to Oz, NZ and indeed Canada

rachelgalvo

If someone were to travel to Canada for the purposes of birth tourism, would insurance cover the birth/hospital stay? I know my friend had VHI insurance but I don't think it covered maternity care abroad.

rowantree18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153527#Comment_123153527

I found the strip malls of Jersey quite different to the Green Mountains of Vermont or downtown Manhattan, Cape Cod didn't really look or feel like San Francisco or LA etc.

NSAman

American is not an easy country to emigrate to. Work visas for Irish people are difficult to obtain. That Green Card is getting more and more elusive.

I’ve read some of the comments above wouldn’t agree with some at all.

from my experience (living there 20 years, 40 states visited lived in 5..and experienced city living and country living) here are some of the pros and cons:

Cons:

Work/life balance will be terrible.

Work hours terrible.

Dealing with US state and federal agencies can be really frustrating. Slow duplication of information. Staff could care less in most cases, but you ALWAYS find that one person who is a blessing, if you find that person they are like a font of information, get to know their name and life with bureaucracy becomes a lot less frustrating.

Holidays for you if you work for someone are going to be very short.

People are stressed much of the time.

Money is king.

Credit Scores can make or break you.

It’s expensive now to start off being an emigrant.

Irish people now don’t have the same “value” as they did in the 80s. I mean before internet (yes I’m that old) the I’m Irish held more cache.

Expect to work your butt off to make it to a place you can say I’m comfortable.

Education system is terrible in general.

Outside major cities, the cultural experience is negligible.

The food is absolutely terrible quality in general. You have to search hard for good food, (I mean in supermarkets etc.) know what the ingredients are.

Health system is expensive. Accept the employer health insurance only if the deductible is less than $10k do your research. Even $5k is difficult to deal with. Many times the small print can cost you a fortune.

Dental insurance, I personally have not found a plan that really saves money for me. I pay out of pocket. Those American smiles COST.

Banking system is antiquated compared with Europe, do your research and negotiate with banks even for personal accounts, there are so many options. Choose wisely it could save you a fortune.

Employee rights are horrific.

Property tax

The current political climate

poverty

Pros:

If you have a head on your shoulders, it’s easy to get ahead.

Wages are much higher and if you are smart you can advance in your career very very quickly.

Corporate America pays big money (but it’s ageist, burn out IS a thing, office politics is a nightmare, you are simply a number)

People are generally very friendly. Depending on location, cities like New York are BUSY, New Yorkers are brash, direct but underneath it are very friendly. I have been shown some great kindness and empathy by some of the hardest shouting and rough looking people when I started out in New York. I the Midwest, people are just nice, open and welcoming. The west coast is too “plastic” for me, while people are nice I find it too fake. Never accept anything at face value. these are all generalisations obviously and my own experience.

It’s much easier to get ahead. Work hard and think hard, you will get ahead

Opportunities are everywhere.

The general mindset of openness to new ways of thinking amongst business.

The availability of funding for business and easier paths.

Less tax

Ease of purchase be it cars/homes/etc etc…

The diversity of scenery, don’t forget America is HUGE. It has everything.

Weather, it has it all. Fantastic summers, deadly tornados/hurricanes, snow, sun, heat, cold. Thunderstorms.

The Health system, simply fantastic. Doctors are always available. No hospital waiting in A&E. Professional choices available, choice of hospitals. Cleanliness and efficient. But it costs.

Elderly options for the older generation.

Less ageism than Ireland

Less crime (where I am)

ok… all the above are generalisations based on my experience, and my experience based on my age NOW. Younger people will obviously have a different take on things.

dxhound2005

Corporate America is ageist, but there is more ageism in Ireland?

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123153500#Comment_123153500

I'm assuming they meant illegals who overstay and have American children .

billyhead

American is a shitshow. I wouldn't bother OP. Canada is better.

bnt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123176181#Comment_123176181

It would depend on where in Canada. Vancouver and Toronto have housing crises at least as bad as Dublin's. Quebec, I don't know. Alberta is nice and doing well thanks to oil, but gets some pretty extreme winters. I've been to Edmonton in January, walked around in -24°C, deep snow and full sunshine - but one night an Arctic storm hit and no-one was going anywhere.

cj maxx

Without a green card NY or Boston . With a green card Califòrnia . Money wise it beats Canada and Australia easily

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123179497#Comment_123179497

Why not Boston with a Green card?

It's relatively small, not unlike Dublin size wise, it's relatively close to Ireland so it's cheaper to get home or have family come over.

And it's got a lot of Irish, it's handy to have a Irish community if you ever need the kind of support and Irish community abroad can give.

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123179505#Comment_123179505

Oh I don't mean that . But in the east coast you can get work etc on the sly . West coast by needing a drive suits green card holders

ceadaoin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123162236#Comment_123162236

I would say it's hard to beat the 'outdoor life' that the US has to offer. The national parks, beaches, hiking trails, skiing, deserts, gorgeous lakes, mountains, diverse environments etc easily beats Australia imo.