Jonathan McIntosh

Hey everyone....I am currently trying to get the ball rolling for a move to the USA and finding the regulations etc. really confusing.

My girlfriend and I are looking to move stateside and our situation is: I am a British citizen and she is Greek (and has lived in the UK for 5 years). I am 26, she is 24 and we both have Masters Level Degrees in Management & Marketing. I currently work in advertising and she currently works in marketing but neither of us for big international companies so there is no opportunity to transfer to the US through our UK employers.

We have a couple of years work experience behind us since completing our Masters but we're keen to get to the US to continue our careers.

Does anyone have any advice as to what route we could follow?? We have friends and friends of friends etc. in the Chicago & Pittsburgh areas who tell us about available jobs etc. so we have the contacts but they don't know at all how the visa system works....i.e. would we be allowed into the country to work.

Any help/advice/guidance would be much appreciated

Thanks!

dreamercon

Well first you need to get a job offer by someone that is willing to sponsor you for working in the US. Or a transfer from the uk offices of a firm to their us offices.

Btw, your girlfriend can apply for british citizenship after six years of presence in the UK.

lisa67

have a quick read:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulask...ork_in_the_USA

Noorah101

If Greece is a country that can participate in the Diversity Lottery, that's one thing for her to try every year. If you were married, you could also apply based on her eligibility.

Rene

GeoffM

If she was Greek-born then I believe she would be eligable to enter the Diversity Visa Lottery (aka Green Card Lottery). Marry her and you could come too. But chances of winning are, of course, low.

Bah, Noorah beat me to it!

Noorah101

LOL

ian-mstm

Read this: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulaski_Simplified. If you can answer "yes" to any of the questions, you might have a chance at getting a visa. Otherwise, you won't be coming to the US as anything other than a visitor.

For an employment-based visa, your employer must apply on your behalf, so you actually need to have the job first. In the current economy, it is unlikely - although not impossible - that an employer will be keen to spend $5K to sponsor you for a visa when there are, literally, thousands of unemployed folks right now with equal or superior qualifications who don't need sponsoring and can start work tomorrow.

Still, good luck!

Ian

scrubbedexpat099

Friends are nice.

Two job offers are nicer.

Jonathan McIntosh

Thanks for this - it's something we will look into. Any chance is better than no chance at all!!

Jonathan McIntosh

Thanks for this. We fulfil some of the criteria i.e. being degree educated and having post grad qualifications too, same goes for the 'specialist skills', recent Graduate etc. but it's all a bit of a minefield!!

Our best bet is to try the Green Card Lottery for her perhaps - see where that gets us and definately get in touch with an immigration lawyer who can try and take us forward on the basis of our skills/qualifications/experience/abilities etc. If only it wasn't so complicated/restrictive!

Failing that we'll be off to Canada or Australia!!

Jonathan McIntosh

Thank you for all the advice everyone

Hopefully it'll help me get this move 'moving forward'

California Dreamin'

I can well appreciate your frustration at all the BS involved. I emigrated to the US in 1964, I had two elder brothers living in the states. One of them came over to England for a vacation and talked me into emigrating. My brother came over in November 1963, and after left for home, we began the process of emigrating. We received our permanent visa's in March 1964. Me, my wife, and a baby son. By the time we settled our affairs and sold our house, it was May before we emigrated. But what a to-do it is nowadays. After getting our US citizenship we later sponsored my sister-in-law and her husband, it took them eleven years to get their visa.
It is worth the wait though, so good luck.

Jonathan McIntosh

My parents have friends who emigrated to Illinois in the 70s and they are amazed at how complicated and drawn out the process is these days! But thanks for the good luck....we'll just have to be patient and keep our fingers crossed!! Plus finding a good immigration lawyer will hopefully help!

E3only

To my understanding, if you are going to DV via your girlfriend, you need to be 'married' to tag along with her. Someone will correct me if I am wrong.

As to why American immigration has turned this ridiculous - think about this, every other person wants to come to US. US does not need/want people here and hence they are picking and chosing the criteria where they really need people. If the immigration system was any easier, we wouldn't have any Indians and Chinese living in India/China (no offense). Period.

mcdavis

Canada is nothing like the US, despite being the next door neighbour. Customer service is appalling, prices sky high - despite parity with USD most items are 30%+ higher (and the price tags display both!!), sales taxes double most US states, salaries low, ...... The only good thing is the free (well paid for from taxes) healthcare.