mlswansea

Hi all,

Can I just pose a couple questions on the forum that hopefully you could answer or point me in the right direction for the answer.

As with many Brits we have been pondering over the idea of moving abroad to start a new life and are considering our options.
I am presently 40 and my partner is 42, we have a 11 yr old daughter.
I am qualified City and Guilds Carpenter and Joiner class 1 but this is not my primary job and never has been really, I have worked in the Marine industry as a fitter and repairer of GRP boats and presently the customer services manager/Technician. I also have numereous other qualifications/driving licences etc. My partner Julie has a Phd in Marine Biology and other IT skills.

My concerns are our age and finding work and whether or not we would have major problems firstly obtaining a Visa and secondly finding work. Are we wasting our time or do we have a real chance?

I accept that this was a bit long winded but any advice would be gratefully appreciated.

Many thanks and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Mark

AdobePinon

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

Ginblossom

Simply if you have no connections to the US through family or a way to get there through employers, or huge business investments then age, job prospects etc are irrelevant.

Is your partner a United States citizen?

AdobePinon

FYI: Same question posted for Australia and Canada.

mlswansea

Hi,

Just looking for the right direction as provided we meet Visa requirements we will gladly move to either Canada, USA or Australia but move we will. You can spend hours looking through websites where sometimes all you need is for someone to say 'take a look here first' then if you meet certain criteria research further.

regards,

Mark

mlswansea

Hi,

Thankyou for your reply. No my partner is not a US citizen. Having spent some time during the summer in North Dakota with the National Guard I made some new friends and whilst there was offered a position working on the Oil fields however the little research that I did indicated that I would not get a Visa due to the fact that the same job could be done by US citizen as it was a Non skilled vacancy.
Now that we have discussed the issue of leaving the UK, we are strongly drawn to the US but will also gladly move to either Canada or Australia.
As with all life changing decisions they are not to be taken lightly so that is why we are looking for sound advice before trawling through all the websites, so if someone can say 'look here first as this may save you lots of time' we would be most grateful.

Thanks again,

Mark
Happy New Year

Silverdragon102

If you do not meet any of the skills or requirements posted in the link in the second post then the US option is going to be a long way away. I would seriously look at another country and check out the wiki section

ian-mstm

If getting to the US is a long-term goal, I suggest going via Canada in the short-term. Generally, it's easier for a UKC to migrate to Canada than to the US... and once you become a Canadian landed immigrant, you can make longer visits to the US to help you network better. If you become a CDN citizen, then other US visas become available to you.

Again... this may work if getting to the US is a long-term plan. There are many nice places in Canada to live... fairly mild temperatures in Halifax, Vancouver, and Windsor... and Windsor has the added advantage of being on the CDN/US border!

Ian

Ginblossom

Ian's advice is all good. It seems, without being offensive, you don't mind where you go as long as it is non UK.

With that in mind, do your research and I am sure you will find somewhere that suits your needs.

BritishGuy36

Given the difficulties legally immigrating to the US without a relative to sponsor, Canadia and Oz seem like the two obvious choices.

So ask yourself...do you prefer cold or hot?

henryh

There are several possible routes into the USA that your partner could take with a PhD in Marine Biology, if she is interested in staying in / returning to academia. It won't necessarily be easy, but there are definitely options there. If you marry, you could join her under a derivative visa, some of which would allow you to work.

mlswansea

Hello again,

Having spent the majority of my life in the Armed Forces and being somewhat accustomed to living and experiencing different lifestyles in quite probably more countries than most in my lifetime, I have chosen to go with what I like but I do wish to settle somewhere that will benefit my daughter before it benefits my partner and I after all I've lived my life in more ways than most so my needs are minor.
When I say I appreciate all advice given I say that from my heart so please do keep giving your advice as it does help.
Many thanks once again,

Mark

meauxna

I hear there's oil field jobs going in Canada now, since you mentioned the industry.

mlswansea

Hi,

Thankyou I will look into it and see if I can start the ball rolling whilst I'm in Afghan.

regards,

Mark

Octang Frye

Good luck and godspeed.