Hey guys, I finish my masters in a couple of weeks and would like to move towards America to try and find a job (Which I know is not a simple task) but I was wondering a few questions about the process and to see if anyones undertaken this move themselves. I've previously worked in America for a summer (Have a social security number, and was granted a visa fine) but for a permanent visa will that help? Are businesses willing to take on Staff from the UK really? Where would I start looking for companies who are willing to (Around sustainability, or natural hazard management). Is it different requirements state by state? I'm generally looking around California but am willing to move anywhere at first just to get me over there. Thanks
I believe it is different by state. I too am looking at moving to the USA as my fiancée lives there, and I will be going via the marriage route in due course. You need to remember that the company has to pay legal fees and prove that they cannot find anyone locally for the job. The company needs to be 100% certain that they are willing to invest in you, as it can cost upwards of $10k for them just in lawyers fees alone. The fact that you've worked there already will definitely help, I would imagine. You'd need to look at companies that're willing to, what they call, sponsor your move. I am no expert on the matter but I have explored multiple options due to the fact that I want to move there permanently to be with my lass. Your chosen profession will also play a big role in the process. If it is something which they are desperate for like doctors and so on, then you'll stand a much better chance.
Ah so it's gonna be difficult looking for an entry level job over there? I was thinking of trying to find a job with a multi-national over here and looking at moving over that way
I think trying the multinational route is probably a better option - start in the UK, work your way up the chain and move to the US in a few years.
Don't. Trust me, there are many places in the US that are better to live in then the socialist republic of california.
Honestly? Yes. Case 1: Alpharetta GA. Affluent northern suburb of Atlanta. 2600 sqft / 2 acres $225k built in 1999 One hour to major international airport, plenty of museums and art galleries. Huge international community. 2nd amendment friendly, concealed carry is rife, no registration, SBR and suppressor friendly. Lots of wild life. It gets hot and humid, but the winters are mild. Taxes were bearable. Traffic was bad on the north south axis. Utilities are minimal. People generally leave you alone, although I did have to deal with the Home owners council a few times. Case 2: Bowling Green KY. 3rd largest city in KY. 2300 sqft / .9 acres $250k built in 2007 One hour to Nashville, 2 1/2 to St Louis. Both have their charms, both have major airports and great music and art scenes. Granted, it's rural, but the landscape is stunning and lush. Very 2nd amendment friendly, concealed and open carry is rife, no registration, SBR and suppressor friendly. I could shoot in my back yard, since we lived in the county vs city. Almost no tornados. Low taxes. No traffic. Utilities are minimal. People leave you alone and mind their own business. Case 3: Simi Valley, CA. High density bedroom community. 1300 sqft / .15 acre $470K built in 1962 One hour to LAX, 30min to Bob Hope. So one major and one regional airport. 2 hours to San Diego, 7 to San Francisco, 4 to Las Vegas. Art, music, health scenes galore...really anything you want. It gets hot but there is no humidity. Winter is a joke. Firearm registration is required, there is no concealed carry and there are strict bans on a variety of guns, no SBR, no suppressors. Almost everywhere you turn, there are notices, rules, regulations and fees. There are even rules about when you can use swimming pools, I kid you not. Taxes are out of control, both real estate and income. Fees are everywhere, and you need permits for everything....even my worm composting bin. Which I am in total violation of. No urban beekeeping, which I am also about to become in violation of. They want you to register your dogs and pay a $50/year fee....per dog. Traffic is not only bad, it's insane. And I say that as a guy who drove in downtown Beirut. Summer brings wild fires, you live in a Tsunami zone and then there are the earthquakes. In a massive drought, water costs are staggering and electric is going up 7% a year. And then there are the people.... So yeah, the bible belt. Just avoid the thumpers and people who married relatives. You can enjoy life. We have been doing this the last decade and I highly recommend it. They pay for the move, adjust salary and provide assistance that saves you gobs of money.
Personally I don't see the appeal of living in America. But anyone I know that does or has lived in America has been either A.) Illegal or B.) Gone through a multinational with either operations or HQ in the states.
Thanks. Oddly enough, the Ohio river valley funnels most of the bad weather just north of Bowling Green.
yeah, having lived in the Ohio River valley for 93% of my life, i can attest to this. however, in the last couple of years, the nasty patterns seem to fall just north of us or just south of us ...
I also don't see the appeal of living in America (and I do live there). If I were you and seeking somewhere with a nicer climate I would be looking at locations around the Mediterranean. As far as I understand it there is much less hassle working around other countries in the EU than there would be needing to apply for work/resident visa in the US.
Great. So the choice is between inbred gun-toting Bible-bashers who'd shoot me on sight for being a coloured (and vaguely Arab looking) atheist, and urban fascists.
Well, no. In Atlanta you wouldn't even raise an eyebrow. There are plenty of convenience stores where you could work. Not all gun toters are bible bashers or are inbred. There are some very liberal cities in some very traditionally conservative areas. St Louis MO, Minneapolis MN, or Austin TX are three that offer a great balance of rights and lifestyle with cost of living. Although the winters in MN are brutal at -40...in both F and C. Colorado is also an option, although all the California refugees are taking over. The real estate prices are climbing and they recently enacted magazine capacity limits.
You are always welcome to leave. But, you might want to look into the unemployment rates around the Mediterranean before you run off. There's a reason it's less of a hassle.
After a career in the NHS that sounds strangely attractive. Great retirement destination though. Property prices are a fraction (and I mean: a half to a quarter) of what they are in the UK, cost of living is cheaper, and it is all together a more mellow climate and culture. Example: I live in a three-bedroom terraced Victorian house in a reasonable (by no means affluent) suburb of Birmingham. For half its price I could get a six-bedroom 18th Century French property in a nice Southern village, with barn, with one acre plus of grounds including orchard; the house having been brought up to modern spec with en-suite bathrooms.
Yeah, I thought you might like that. If you played your cards right, you might even work your way up to store manager. Absolutely. With out a doubt it's a wonderful place, at least in the northwestern Med, to live out a comfortable retirement. I would, under very very specific circumstances, add Lebanon and Morocco to that list.
I'm able to retire from 60 onwards without penalties, from 56 with some. I'm thinking it's almost worth it; I can always generate some income from private work and running a B&B in the South of France. Besides, the Tory government has NHS pension arrangements in its crosshairs; I want to cash my innings and bail before it becomes impossible to do so before 67.
