US is closed and that is it?

Thank you all for responses. I've seen that some of you suggested internship/college. The thing is, I am getting paid fairly well and would lose this opportunity. I also work for a us multinational who's headquartered in silicon valley which might be my ticket to US.
Another thing that may be an issue. I fill in an important position in the company for where I'm based and I'm the only one doing this work unlike a team of software developers.
Would this matter? Me moving to US would make my current position empty and a replacement would be needed, therefore the request to be relocated would almost certainly be rejected as without me, there is no one else to do the job in here unless they hire someone else? I guess if I was part of the software development team, it wouldn't matter because they could get a replacement easily and it wouldn't affect things too much. Or this does not matter?

Somedaythefire wrote: »

No it doesn't. Toronto also has gorgeous and warm summers with mild Springs and Winters.



Oh "nanny state", right I can see why you only want the US. Nothing to do with your actual quality of living.

I don't think the winters are mild compared to Ireland. I use Ireland as a baseline, sure they're not as bad as Greenland but compared to Ireland they must be much worse? I've never been to Canada but planning to go for a visit relatively soon. I have 2 friends who moved and they said they wouldn't come back for any reason.

I would like to visit in winter to experience it myself. Does Toronto or Vancouver get this wind chill factor we get here? I think this makes -10 in some countries more bearable than +5 in here.

Not sure what you mean by the second part of your post. From my research, what the US has over Ireland.

-Bigger and cheaper houses. Would be living in the outskirts and commute.
-Higher pay in IT fields.
-Much better weather and sunshine. Even the cold states with miserable winters get almost double the sunshine.
-*Better work life balance?
This one obviously varies from company to company, where I currently work, majority of people in the US offices work from home. Where I work, in Dublin, I am forced to come in to work and sit in the office every day.
-Regulations... You want to own an 6l engine BMW? Absolutely no problem. Try doing that in Ireland.

I don't like government telling me what is best for me, I am an adult and I can decide. I don't smoke but I don't need to see these disgusting packets of cigarettes everywhere showing me how it is bad. Sugar tax, what the hell? I've seen proposals in the UK making "unhealthy food" have plain packaging. I am almost certain that it will be the future.
I don't smoke but I like to eat some nice unhealthy food once in a while. Nanny state governments just want you to be healthy and pay taxes so that they can extract most from you. Don't get sick as this would cost us money and we would have to pay from our pockets = losing your value.

PhilOssophy wrote: »

Cost of living in SF is not that much higher, dream on pal.

shesty wrote: »

And do you also realise that the housing market in SF is one of the most expensive in the world?

granturismo wrote: »

Have you looked into the cost of living where you want to move to?

I would not move to SF area as I couldn't afford it, even with more than double my salary. When I read that people making 100k+ struggle and have to really save, it puts me off the place completely. The only reason I would move is if my salary was very high where I could afford the cost of living.
There isn't a major IT presence in SF. If I were to move then I would be moving to the outskirts of Dallas, TX.

jme2010 wrote: »

Listen carefully OP. It is yourself from the future here. I had an identical post to yours just a couple of years ago. What if I told you, that you could be living in America, sipping margaritas on a sunny southern Californian beach in 5 years time?

I worked as a Software Engineer (not developer). I thought devs had a better chance at getting transfers. I did all my research and asked the question on Boards 'why the F*** can't I work in America ....blah blah blah.'

The responses on here were similar and they said 'why the obsession with America why don't you try blah blah blah.' Of course I dismissed their silly notions immediately as I was gonna live the 'American Dream'. I felt cheated that a lovely, educated, Irish man would be denied the land of the free home of the brave. After all I had spent thousands vacationing every year in most big US cities, come on, just let me in.

Two or three years passed along with visa lottery applications etc. Keeping my eye on all the US visa news and posts. Still visiting the US each year. Then funnily enough in 2017 I was watching 'bowling for columbine'. All the gun violence and mass shootings in the news still stood up to the 2002 movie. One of the next scenes changed my life. The camera pans across a Sh*ty Detroit street and over the Detroit river to Windsor, Ontario, Canada. 'There was zero gun deaths in Windsor last year, just across the US border' the voice over says. A few light bulbs went off for me. Firstly how much safer and saner the Canadians were. They owned more guns per person than America. That city suffered worse unemployment than the neighbouring US city. And you could see America.

'Wow' I thought, 'If I lived there I could visit America all the time. Now to address some of the points above.



False - Toronto hit 40C this summer. You can wear shorts+t-shiirt from start of June till end of September. On average temps are mid 20's and weeks of 30's weather are normal. Basically Spain during the summer here in Toronto, think jet skis, beaches and babes.



False - Any Canadian citizen may work for any American employer without the need for sponsorship / greencard / hoop jumping. All you need is a job offer. Simply nail an interview and boom you're living your American Dream.



You should get one. It's easy to be approved but not "easy" to get as there is lots of paper work but the online wizard keeps track of everything. Google 'IEC visa'

My buddy from Ireland has citizenship now - 5 years after leaving Ireland. Could work in the states if he wanted but loves Alberta too much now.

I'm starting PR application because I'm sick of Dublin scanger, junkies, kip holes and nanny state bollocks.

Any questions?

Thank you for the long message, it was an interesting read for sure.

Haha tell me about the junkies and scumbags. They are there to **** up all the nice things that you have. I had my property stolen and damaged in the city centre. I wish companies would move out of the city centers as it is a cesspit of scumbags. When you drive outside other areas outside of the city centre, you realise how nice Dublin can be sometimes.

circular flexing wrote: »

You sound pretty naive. Vancouver has decent weather, sure the winters are a bit rainy but the summers are good (aside from forest fires) and there's plenty to do outdoors in summer and winter - for winters I live 20 minutes from a ski slope and often head up after work. You say California has nice weather but did you miss the part about the wildfires that have caused PG&E to start rolling power cuts? Also California is probably one of the most expensive places to live, not just in terms and housing but in terms of fuel, groceries etc...

And Canadian citizens do get special privileges, they can apply for a TN visa which they can get at the border and only requires a job offer from a US employer.

Vancouver is a good option, salaries have increased significantly in the last couple of years and there's plenty of SV companies opening or expanding offices here.

I am getting more and more convinced about Canada. Just something I took a look at quickly, might not be 100% accurate.
Rain:
Dublin 750mm/150 days per year
Vancouver 1200m/180 days per year

I think it's the non stop damp and rain that makes Ireland so miserable sometimes + add the wind chill and wet = best combo for misery.

PhilOssophy wrote: »

5 years time jme2010 on the Irish Times, as a returning emigrant!
I thought when I left Ireland 10 years ago it was a kip, etc like you think now, but times change. I have relations in Canada who don't think much of the place as well.
Everybody's experience is different I guess.
As somebody who returned to Dublin, I don't see the skangers. But I guess sometimes we see what we want to see.

I would say it is near impossible NOT to see skangers in the city centre. City centre almost exclusively though.

NSAman wrote: »

As someone living in the States, it may be easier to make a living but some of the stuff here, really fries your brain. Yes the money is better, yes the weather can be better (Mind you at the moment its -20C outside and pretty crap). Far away fields are green.

A few things to remember here. You don’t have the same workers rights here as you have in Ireland. You WILL be working longer hours and the holidays are ridiculously short. If you can balance the pros with the cons (same as any new country) it will be well worth it.

Always have enough in the bank for that emergency flight home (It always IS needed).

The States is no walk in the park, it can be a very tough environment to work in, especially if you are by yourself. BUT.....(always a but) It can work out beneficially.

Thank you for the message.

JackieChang wrote: »

You sound like you already gave up.

It has been dominating my thoughts for a while now but I really don't want to focus my life on somethings that is not possible, it would just be a waste of time. This is why I have created this thread and it might not be as bad as I thought.

PhilOssophy wrote: »

I always laugh when people give out about our nanny state, is it better to live in a country where a 16 year old can buy a AK47 and run around a shopping centre shooting innocent people out shopping?
Give me the nanny state any day!
Also I agree, get used to much shorter holidays, longer working weeks, but yep you will probably earn more. The far away hills are always green.

Now having said that, I would recommend living abroad to anybody for a few years.

We have different priorities and that is fine. You are much more likely to get a heart attack or die in a vehicle accident than die in a mass shooting. Yes, USA has very high fatalities from guns compared to anywhere else in the world. I would rather have something to protect myself than get stabbed to death and I believe I should have that choice. It is completely fine if you don't agree with it. I am also sure that you don't get as many burglaries for that same reason.