In the middle

Hi there!

I have so many questions and I really appreciate the time anyone takes to offer advice and guidance regarding a potential relocation to Florida.

We are British born, young family of 4 with no connections in the USA.
I understand that to obtain a visa for residency there needs to be sponsorship and a green card by an employer if they are willing to do so.

I am curious about what type of visa we may need to apply for. I am a registered nurse in the UK and have been practicing in a hospital for nearly a year. I have seen on some sites that some employers will offer to sponsor the employee and also apply for a permit for the residency of the nurses family? please correct me on this if this is wrong. I am also aware that a NCLEX exam is required to practice in the US. Can this be sat in the UK or does it need to be done in the state you intend to work?

My partner is a skilled project manager for a timber frame house building company in the UK and intends to work in the US also should a vacancy arise. He isn't educated to degree level however but does have over 10 years experience at a managerial level. He is willing to enroll in a higher education diploma if this is more attractive to employers - we notice it's often noted on job descriptions.


I am only putting feelers out at the moment and completely respect the difficulty of obtaining permanent residency and expect a lot of resistance and hurdles.

Thank you so much for reading and any wisdom you can share.



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SanDiegogirl

You have to find an employer who offers you a job and then sponsors you for a work visa. YOU don't apply for the visa. Getting the green card comes some years after the initial visa.
Each state has various criteria for nurses, so you would have to research what is required.
(From past posts I'm not even sure that nurses can get work visas for the US,) Sure someone else will come along to confirm.
If you get an H1b visa then your husband would be issued an H4 visa - under which he would not be able to work.
Alternatively could he get a work visa - while not having a degree his 10 year experience might count. Timber frame housing is the main form of house build in most parts of the US.

Jerseygirl

Hello and welcome to BE.

You may be best to post in our forum for nurses…https://britishexpats.com/forum/nurs...ccupations-72/. I recommend you take a read through Silverdragon’s posts. From what I recall it is not easy for a nurse to work in the US and you probably cannot be picky on the location. Also take a read through the following link…

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulas...ork_in_the_USA

Good luck.

tht

You mention a partner, for any derivative visas you have to be married.

I can’t help on the nurse front, but for context I decided to move to NYC at 21, it took me almost 10 years to get here between work experience and another degree and then landing a job with a US parent company that then decided to move me here. Some people are lucky and already have all the required experience and an employer who is willing to move them, for many others the path to Green Card is a very long process.

scrubbedexpat099

EB3 is the norm for Nurses, now whether you can get one for a specific location I do not know. Usually you are looking at locations where there is a shortage and have to go through an agency and sign up for X years.

RICH

Why Tampa?

My flippant thought is, if you are a very good nurse and get a job/contact with Man Utd. the Glazers might find a way to transfer you to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (or did I read they sold recently Man U to the fans!)

Otherwise what Jersey Girl said is a fair starting point.

civilservant

If only.

OP - you are in for a hard slog, and it most likely won't be quick. Be flexible. Good luck!