Jonboy5

Hello I'm from the uk and recently got married,a friend of mine who came over from Florida for the wedding has his own electrical business there, he married an American and moved there 9 years ago, we used to work together. He wants me to move to America and work for him, me and my wife are both keen! I've been trying to find out how we can do this, as if he requested a petition for an alien worker he would be told there are electricians in Florida! Therefore I have a job offer I want to go and me and the wife want to start a family and set a new life for ourselves in Florida, is there any possible way we can do this?

mikelincs

Sorry to burst your bubble, BUT the US is one of the most difficult countries to get a visa for. You would have to be sponsored to geet a visa, and you would have to bring to the table skills that US citizens do not have, even if you did qualify, there is the fact that it takes many months to get a visa, and costs the sponsor, your friend, several thousand dollars.

Please look here for more info

http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=34
Read the 'Read Me' threads.


also read these two articles from the BE WIki.

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

If you find you could qualify to get a visa, and I'm afraid you are extremely unlikely to, then you can look into it further.

Duncan Roberts

Realistically you probably have no chance. Unless you are one of the best in the world with niche, in demand skills, being an electrician isn't going to get you a visa. Maybe your wife has different skills that may lead to a visa. Outside that you would need a large chunk of money to start a business or invest (several $100ks-$500k or so) or be eligible for the greencard lottery, which would be unlikely if you were born in the UK outside NI. A job offer is easy to get, getting authorization to work it us very, very difficult for the vast majority of people in the world.

Pulaski

If your buddy hadn't married an American he wouldn't be living and working in America either, and I am surprised that he didn't recognise that and brought the subject up with you.

Jonboy5

He mentioned the possibility of getting a change of status while visiting out there, is this possible?

mikelincs

NO, he managed to do that becuse he married a US citizen, you can't because you need an immigrant visa, and you simply do not qualify for one. Your best bet to have got to the US would have been to marry a US citizen, but you've gone and blown that now by getting married.

Save up around £500,000, and buy yourself a US green card, that's about the cost of the investment visa that will get you a green card.

Speedwell

Not legally.

Noorah101

Only if you qualify for some kind of work visa. Which at the moment, it seems you do not.

He could try to petition you for an employment-based Immigrant Visa, if he's willing to wait years for you to come work for him, and if you qualify for that one. Of all the ones I'd say to research, it would be that one.

Your friend should have a consultation with an immigration attorney who specializes in employent based visas to discuss any possible options.

Rene

Duncan Roberts

He went though the easiest US immigration process there is. Almost everything that applied to his process doesn't apply to you now. Chances are you have 0 chance and will never be able to live or work in the US. Sounds harsh but its true for most of the non-US citizen work population.

Jonboy5

Are there any loop holes in the system with regards to a uk citizen setting up life in the US, for someone who is just an average Joe wanting to start a new life with his wife and wanting to start a family?

Nutmegger

None whatsoever, I'm afraid. And this is not a great place to think about starting a family -- there is no NHS and medical insurance is prohibitively expensive unless it comes from employment.

customsquestion

Yes there are. You throw a large amount of money at the problem usually by investing one million american dollars and setting up a business in the U.S, thereby buying yourself eb5 green card status. Other than that, no not there are not really any loop holes.

Jonboy5

Not even any loop holes in the system if I could get a good lawyer?

Noorah101

Why not have a consultation with a good lawyer, and find out first hand?

Rene

Noorah101

Jonboy5,

Please don't creat multiple threads with the same question. I've merged two of your threads together for being on the same topic.

I left the one where you ask how long you can visit, because that's a different topic.

Thank you,
Rene
Moderator