Gomenasai

I'm planning on moving in with my girlfriend in a little over a year, which would entail moving from the United Kingdom to the United States. I will be 18 at the time and looking for a full time job, but not sure if I'll be able to secure one before I would plan on arriving there . We started looking into the immigration process and it seems like the only way that I could get a visa or a green card to become a permanent resident would be to have a full time job secured and have to go through the employer as a sponsor to receive the greencard or visa. It also seems like this process may take longer than a year, even if I start applying for forms now (when I don't have a job in the United States yet). We're really lost and if anyone could give any kind of advice or help to clarify the process and its requirements, I'd really appreciate anything someone can offer.

fatbrit

You're probably dreaming. List the yes answers from this list:
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulaski_Simplified
to see if you have any chance other than marrying the girl.

dickinson.lm

So there is really no other way for him to get the visa unless we're married?
We honestly didn't think the process would be so difficult.
We had both thought about it before but only just started looking into it and I was completely stunned.

fatbrit

He needs to look for yes answers at the link given. If the answers are all no, then this board knows of no other method.

dickinson.lm

He'll post the answers in a moment, but it's looking pretty bleak.
Only a very select few yes answers.

Gomenasai

* Are you married to or considering marrying a US citizen, a US permanent resident, or someone on a non-immigrant visa?? yes
* Do you have a child over 21 who is a US citizen? no
* Do you work in your home country (or another country outside the US) a high-or medium-level position for a multinational employer with offices in the US? no
* Do you have an extraordinary ability (usually, national or international recognition) in anything? . no
* Do you have a sibling over 21 who is a US citizen? no
* Do you have a parent who is/was a US citizen? no
* Do you have a parent who is a US permanent resident? no
* Do you have grandparents who are/were US citizens? no
* Do you have an academic degree? not sure
* Do you have specialist skills? no
* Are you an accomplished fashion model? no
* Are you a minister of religion or religious worker? heh I wish
* Are you interested in menial seasonal work? no
* Are you interested in becoming a student and, if so, do you have the necessary capital? possible
* Are you a student or recent graduate in your home country? should jsut finish college
* Are you a potential intern/trainee for an organization such as a hotel? sure
* Do you have at least $200,000 in cash and an entrepreneurial spirit? no
* Do you have at least $500,000 in cash? no
* Do you have at least $1,000,000 in cash? no
* Do you have a business in another country and are you in a position to expand your business activities to the US? no
* Are you in a position to claim refugee status/political asylum? no
* Are you an Australian citizen? no
* Are you a Canadian or Mexican citizen? no
* Are you a Singaporean or Chilean citizen? no
* Are you a citizen of the Pacific nations of Palau, Marshall Islands or Federated States of Micronesia? no
* Are you 50% Native American by blood but born in Canada? no
* Are you an Irish citizen in university education or recently graduated? no
* Were you, your spouse or your parents born in any country other than Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, or Vietnam? (* note - this list changes over time). no
* Do you have current knowledge to assist US law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes and terrorist activities such as money laundering and organized crime? no
* Do you have connections with a member of Congress? no

dbj1000

Marriage it is then!

Gomenasai

There is really nothing else I can do? even if I answered yes to a couple more, like the menial seasonal work.

And how would we get married in diffrent countries 0-o

fatbrit

First one gets you permanent residency pretty quickly once you're married.

Unsure how you don't know whether you have a degree. Anything less than a master's or preferably a PhD in an -ology is probably clutching at straws anyway.

Student is an easy one. You need the money up front though. Minimum of $30k/year for a community college would be a sensible guess.

Marriott, Hilton et al. used to offer J1 visas for the hotel trade -- which get you in temporarily. Other J1s usually require that unsure degree. With the current economy, I wouldn't hold your breath.

fatbrit

You really wouldn't enjoy it!

Gomenasai

but it'd get me there right?

fatbrit

You fancy picking lettuce in a field for 8 hours a day for $5 an hour with not an English-speaking voice around you, try for an H1a. There's plenty of competition so the visas aren't guaranteed. And when the work finishes, you go home.

Gomenasai

in the tme I could have there on the menial work couldn't there be anything I could do to get a perm visa?

fatbrit

Yes -- marry the gf!

dickinson.lm

This is really extremely frustrating.
How are we supposed to get married from across the ocean?
Just have him get a tourist visa and stay for a week to do it?
He doesn't even know my family and we're extremely young to be doing something like that right now.