s. hunt

I need help... why else would I be here?

For the past week I have been trying to find out how I can emigrate to the US, permanently to work. However, I don't know anyone in the US, no relatives, no employer, no fiancee, no friends... nothing. Basically, I'm just a damned outright foreigner who wants to live permanently in the States (Liousiana, to be precise).

What path do I take? How long will it take? Can I do it myself or do I need an Immigration Lawyer? I am stumped with all the red tape with green cards and EB-1's and it goes over my head.

Thanks if you can help,

Hnchoksi

    >Subject: Confusion in Red tape
    >From: s. hunt [email protected]
    >Date: 3/12/03 4:07 PM Eastern Standard Time
    >Message-id:
    >I need help... why else would I be here?
    >For the past week I have been trying to find out how I can emigrate to
    >the US, permanently to work. However, I don't know anyone in the US, no
    >relatives, no employer, no fiancee, no friends... nothing. Basically,
    >I'm just a damned outright foreigner who wants to live permanently in
    >the States (Liousiana, to be precise).
    >What path do I take? How long will it take? Can I do it myself or do I
    >need an Immigration Lawyer? I am stumped with all the red tape with
    >green cards and EB-1's and it goes over my head.
    >Thanks if you can help,

What is your basis for immigrating to the US? There are only two ways: family
(which you say you don't have here) and employment. You need a job offer first.
Then you can get a work visa to come over. If you are a hot shot in your field
of work, you could apply under one of the exceptional worker categories or
under National Interest Waiver.

What do you do for a living anyway?

s. hunt

I am a freelance photographer, and I am a bit of a writer. Definetly not in the "hot shot" category. Because I am Freelance I won't get any job offers, I basically hope my pictures will sell.

Is it possible to have a temporary visa, and then have a future employer support a permanent visa?

lairdside

Only thing I can think of an ' I' visa or one of the temporary worker visas ( categories H, O, or P depending on the nature of the job and the skills level involved). If I is of no use check out O & P in particular. Good luck !
Here's a useful link :-

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/visa/niv/media.htm

It's about the I visa but contains links to the O & P visas too.

S B

lairdside wrote:
    >
    > Only thing I can think of an ' I' visa or one of the temporary worker
    > visas ( categories H, O, or P depending on the nature of the job and the
    > skills level involved). If I is of no use check out O & P in particular.
    > Good luck !
    > Here's a useful link :-
    >
    > http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/visa/niv/media.htm
    >
    > It's about the I visa but contains links to the O & P visas too.
    >
    > Originally posted by s. hunt
    > > I am a freelance photographer, and I am a bit of a writer. Definetly
    > > not in the "hot shot" category. Because I am Freelance I won't get
    > > any job offers, I basically hope my pictures will sell.
    > >
    > Is it possible to have a temporary visa, and then have a future employer
    > support a permanent visa?

Freelancing is definitely a non-starter for getting into the US. The US
non-immigrant worker policy is designed so that US employers can
temporarily supplement their workforce with foreign workers when there
is a need either due to a shortage of US workers, or the foreign worker
offers a specialist skill. The programs are designed to be for the
benefit of the employer, not for the benefit of the employee.

Freelancing is seen as a no-no for several reasons ... first it implies
that you are residing in the US and able to take employment as and when
the need suits you, but an alien has no right to live in the US unless
consequent to a PR or work visa as obtained to meet the needs of a US
employer. Next, freelancing puts you in a position where you may be
unable to support your stay in the US and you need to seek employment to
support yourself. Finally freelancing does not meet the policy of
non-immigrant workers in that the freelancer is NOT supporting the
employer, but rather is supporting himself.