Noctres

Hey there guys =)

Ok i will try make this short and for anyone to give advice on what is best option for me.
First off i dunno if this is right place for this question.

As Topic says i want to move and work in the States. I have done a lot on reading up about VISA's Green Cards etc...but i am hitting a brick wall on where to start.

Now i was born in South Africa.....My parents being British.
I lived in the UK for 8 years. So of course i do have UK Passport.
I am currently back in South Africa (since 2004) The family decided to move back... since it is a lot better now. Although i am finding getting a decent job here with affirmative action a real problem.

I am 23 Not married...No kids.
I am looking to work in USA in I.T. I do NOT have a degree. Currently MCSE/A+/Hardware Tech and a lot of H/W Related Ref in the UK from Prev Jobs.

Anyone have any advice on how is best way to get started and what are chances securing a permit *IT* in the States?
Lastly ...If any South Africa in the UK or know is it easier to apply with SA Passport or British.

Thanks anyone who can help guide me on first few steps =)

fatbrit

Realistic chance is closer to zero than near to zero.

Possibilities:
L1 -- get a job as an IT manager with a SA company or any EU company (using UK passport) that has offices in the US. Persuade said company to transfer you after a year.

H1b -- you probably do not have the qualifications and your young age means you could not substitute experience, but even if you did you most probably would find it impossible to find a sponsor.

Diversity visa -- hope you put in for the one we've just had as there may not be another. You would probably have been able to apply because of your SA birth.

Unless you could stomach marrying a Yank, that's about it. Would try Canada/OZ/NZ for more realistic chance.

Noctres

Great!

Thanks for reply. Just wanted to see chances with Age+Current Exp

Canada was another option i was looking at...and odly enough Iceland too

Thanks again

Tableland

If Canada is your bag, don't apply from the UK office because you'll have a 44 month wait.

T.

CarlM

Iceland is a great option! excellent place, and friendly people.. plus huge wages! (Lovely tall lasses too!)

Noctres

Hehe thanks for replies. Been reading this forum often! Its great!.

I dont wanna make this thread off topic and de-rail it from the main topic. However i did read up on the length of Canada Permits.....All i can say is "wow" 44 months is pretty insane. Actually crazy. I dont think South African Canadian Embassy will be any quicker

The only reason why i decided this was i am 23 and wanna make better use of my skills. I Often look online at Jobs with my qualifcations on MCSE/MCSA
/CNAA. Knowing i can do so much better than what i am doing here. Places like Canada and Iceland offer such better options for me!
I am not saying South Africa does not have use for them...but with affirmative action and me being white i have been turned down 6 jobs because of me being white. The most common one i heard was... "You are perfect for Job...However we need to ensure black people have a fair chance....if not we will get back to you" Type thing.....and they never get back to me. Not saying it is a bad thing...SA does have to deal with puting a large unemployed black population into work!

I am looking at working abroad an adventure. I got 77 for the Canadian Test. I am hoping after this last Linux Course i can apply/look for sponsorship. Then once all ok apply for residence during my work permit. I hope this will make it quicker! If fails....Then Iceland.....if all fails back to UK

Basically all in a nutshell on my ideas =)

L D Jones

CarlM wrote:
    >>Great!
    >>Thanks for reply. Just wanted to see chances with Age+Current Exp :)
    >>Canada was another option i was looking at...and odly enough
    >>Iceland too :)
    >>Thanks again
    >
    >
    > Iceland is a great option! excellent place, and friendly people.. plus
    > huge wages! (Lovely tall lasses too!)
    >
Doesn't a glass of beer cost like $18USD in Iceland? It seems like kind
of a small place. Is there a lot to do?

sigvald

L D Jones wrote:
    > CarlM wrote:
    > >>Great!
    > >>
    > >>Thanks for reply. Just wanted to see chances with Age+Current Exp :)
    > >>
    > >>Canada was another option i was looking at...and odly enough
    > >>Iceland too :)
    > >>
    > >>Thanks again
    > >
    > >
    > > Iceland is a great option! excellent place, and friendly people.. plus
    > > huge wages! (Lovely tall lasses too!)
    > >
    > Doesn't a glass of beer cost like $18USD in Iceland? It seems like kind
    > of a small place. Is there a lot to do?

A glass of beer (normal, ca 4-6%) costs around 6-10 USD in a
restaurant or a bar here in Iceland, but the alcohol is about the most
expensive thing, prices are generally quite high but not half as high
as many pople seem to imagine.
Iceland is not such a small place, it is actually a fairly large island
(100 000 sq km, medium sized, half the countries of the world are
smaller) with quite a varied landscape (and weather).
I think it is actually possible to do just as much here in Iceland as
anywhere else and you can probably do some things here that could be
difficult where you are located.

Noctres

You got an email i can contact you on for Iceland info? =)

rex_pereira

Half the ladies in Downtown Montreal look as though they just stepped out of the pages of Vogue. The only other places on this fair planet which come as close to perfection are Paris and Kiev.

CarlM

..and to add one more to that list, Copenhagen! Lordy they are nice girls..!!

nettlebed

Been to the Tivoli in the summer? Doubleplusgood!!!

Anonymous

Is H1B quota has finished for this year?

Ray

This year has not started yet ...

Alun L. Palmer

Noctres <member46666@british_expats.com> wrote in news:34$345588$3102904
[email protected]:

    >
    > Hey there guys =)
    >
    > Ok i will try make this short and for anyone to give advice on what is
    > best option for me.
    > First off i dunno if this is right place for this question.
    >
    > As Topic says i want to move and work in the States. I have done a lot
    > on reading up about VISA's Green Cards etc...but i am hitting a brick
    > wall on where to start.
    >
    > Now i was born in South Africa.....My parents being British.
    > I lived in the UK for 8 years. So of course i do have UK Passport.
    > I am currently back in South Africa (since 2004) The family decided to
    > move back... since it is a lot better now. Although i am finding getting
    > a decent job here with affirmative action a real problem.
    >
    > I am 23 Not married...No kids.
    > I am looking to work in USA in I.T. I do NOT have a degree. Currently
    > MCSE/A+/Hardware Tech and a lot of H/W Related Ref in the UK from
    > Prev Jobs.
    >
    > Anyone have any advice on how is best way to get started and what are
    > chances securing a permit *IT* in the States?
    > Lastly ...If any South Africa in the UK or know is it easier to apply
    > with SA Passport or British.
    >
    > Thanks anyone who can help guide me on first few steps =)
    >

I haven't read any of the replies. You will need to find an employer who is
willing to advertise the job so you can get a 'labor' certificate. This is
form ETA-750 and is filed with the US Dept of Labor (sic) to prove that
they can't get an American for the job. then you can get a work visa by
filing an I-140 with immigration, come over here and apply for
'adjustment' on form I-485 to get a 'green card' (resident permit).

It makes a big difference if you are a graduate, but there are rules for
proving equivalence to a graduate. You need to look into that. If you can
get that status you can get an H1 visa and a higher preference for your
adjustment. If you have to do it as an H2 (non-graduate) then you may not
need the labor certificate for the visa, but you still need it for the
green card, plus you will get a lower preference and have to wait much
longer for adjustment. Maybe you can get in as an H2 with no labor
certificate, but if you do that you will never be able to get a green card.

It makes no difference what passport you have. All that matters is your
place of birth. That's South Africa and you are stuck with that. OTOH, that
makes no difference in your case. Neither the UK nor South Africa has so
many applicants that they have a separate quota for green cards.