Jdarby123

Hi there,
I am 25 years olds and have recently completed my Bachelor of music. I spent the summer on a J-1 visa, working at a summer camp. I had decided previously that I wanted to live and work in the US. I met someone in Nashville and we want to be together.
It seems to me that there are three realistic options.
1. K-1 visa (marriage)
2. H1-B or E visas
3. F-1 (study my masters)

The most practical one in my mind is the H1-b or E. the issue im having is finding a company that will willingly hire from outside the US. I've been offered several jobs via LinkedIn, but as soon as I explain I would require sponsorship, they take back their job offer.
Can anyone give any suggestions on how they found jobs out there and how they went about it successfully?

Thanks
Josh

tom169

K-1 is for fiance(e)s with the intent of marrying in the USA. For married couples it is CR-1 & IR-1.

Are you engaged? If so, either visa categories K-1 or CR-1 are your most practical and most likely to be successful.

Jdarby123

Thanks for your reply.
No we are not engaged. We haven't known each other that long and without sounding picky, I would rather move there based on my prospective career and then potentially head towards marriage.

tom169

Then you're in for the long haul. Make it a 10 year goal.

Pulaski's Ways: How to Live and Work in the USA : British Expat Wiki

Noorah101

K-1 is realistic if you're ready to be engaged now and married in about a year.

H1-B and E do not sound realistic to me because of the difficulty in finding an employer to sponsor you. With a Bachelor in Music, what kind of jobs are you applying for?

F-1 sounds realistic if you can afford it.

Rene

tom169

Also, H1-B for your profession is likely subject to the cap - drastically reducing your individual chance of being successful.

Guindalf

With respect, it matters not what you would rather. The fact is, without sponsorship, you ain't going nowhere, and, as you've already discovered, the chances of finding a company to sponsor you are slim to none!

Realistically, your best bet is marriage, but no-one is suggesting you marry for the sole purpose of obtaining a green card. That would not only be stupid, but against the law/rules too!The US does not want 'Johnny Foreigner' to come here for any more than a holiday, leave their hard-earned cash at any and every sight-seeing or tourist spot they can and go back home. In fact, the USCIS's job is to keep you out unless you have something needed (specialist skills, lots of money, a USC spouse/fiance, etc.).

One very puzzling factor. You stated that you met someone in Nashville but want to move to Louisiana. How does that work? There's a fair distance between Nashville and anywhere in LA!

Jdarby123

I totally understand where you're coming from. I have looked down the avenue of studying my masters, and it's looking to cost me around $35,000 for the year, but I have had some luck with a potential scholarship but it's still early days with that.

My apologies for not being clear. We met in Nashville as she works there, but she is moving back home to Lafayette in may. And I would like to be near her.

Noorah101

You're making it even harder on yourself by only looking for work in one city/state.

I know you want to be near her, but narrowing it down that close, looking for visa sponsorship, is probably not going to be fruitful.

Rene

az2014

Continue visiting as a tourist, spend as much time together as possible, then when the time is right decide if you want to be together and get married.

ian-mstm

In what capacity? What will you do with your BMus? Teach? Play? Entertain? What? It seems that you have an unclear goal in your head, but US immigration doesn't work that way - you need to narrow down exactly what it is you want to do... and then work towards that.


Without a US company willing to sponsor you for a visa, a job offer - by itself - is meaningless.

Ian

Noorah101

It seems to me that the majority of folks get a transfer within their current company (L visa). They already work for a company in the UK that has offices in the USA, and after some time working for that company, they either ask for or get offered a transfer to the USA. Being in the music field, I'm not sure how that would apply to you.

Others get either an H1B or an O visa, which requires a company (or agent) in the USA to sponsor you. They find these kinds of jobs by being on websites like LinkedIn, for example, and by networking with others in their field who know the right person to get your foot in the door.

Many people immigrate not based on work at all, but by family sponsorship...mainly spouse of a USC.

Rene

scrubbedexpat099

Least practical strikes me as a H or E.

What do you do, what is your current job? Do they have a US operation they can transfer you to?