Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Hi,

First time poster here, but been a lurker for a while I've been browsing many expat forums, immigration sites looking for any possible way of moving to America.

First off my background. I'm soon turning 21 years old, I left school at 1, didn't go to university and instead got a job. Job market as it is it didn't go as planned and I am now a technician in a mobile phone repair company nothing fancy at all. Very low end.

Since I was 12 I've wanted to move to America, sort of as something in the future, a distant dream, never really thought it would be this difficult. I realise the reality of a holiday in the US is very different to that of everyday life over there. I have read up on a lot of experiences from people I guess nothing but actually doing it will give you a true reflection of what it is like, but my sense of adventure is willing to take the plunge if I can ever get there.

Career wise I'm clueless as to what I want to do. I'm a jack of all trades master of none if you like. I'm competent in most anything you can throw at me but never quite sure where my interests lie and have kept almost everything open up to now.

My main question is is if I wanted to move to America, what do I have to do from now? Im an open book! Go back and get a university placement? Apprenticeship? How can I take this dream and make it reality, its the one thing which has stuck by me over a long period of time and its been growing a lot over the past year. I'm willing to do near any legal path to move and work there just need a way of doing it :)

Appreciate any advice :)

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Option 1 - 10 year plan, go to University, get a degree then a job with a company that has a base in the US. Work your way up and see if they'll transfer you to the US.
Option 2 - marry a USC.

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

PhD in an -ology. Biotechnology or nanotechnology if you want suggestions.

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Read the article in the Wiki here called "Pulaski's Ways...". That will give you an idea of all the various ways into the USA.

At first glance, here are my ideas for your options:

1. Get a university degree (preferably masters) and then job hunt in the USA. Perhaps by that time, the US economy will have improved, and your degree will be useful.

2. Get a job with a company in the UK that has a branch in the USA. Work your way up the ladder to a point where you've been with the company for more than a year in a managerial position, and put in for a transfer to the USA.

3. Save enough money to attend university in the USA, come as a student, and hope that you can find an employer to sponsor you after you graduate.

4. Meet a USC of the opposite sex, start a relationship, and hope he/she becomes the love of your life.

Rene

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Read this: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulaski_Simplified

If you don't see yourself on that list, then it's unlikely your dream is going to come true.

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

What is it that you think will be so great about America and can this be duplicated elsewhere?

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Since you're an open book, you have a few choices: 1) go to school in the US (F-1 visa) - feasibile but expensive; 2) work in the UK for a company with a US office and get a transfer (L-1A/B visa) to the US office - feasible but the company has to be willing to cooperate; 3) look for a job in the US and hope you find a US company willing to shell out many thousands of $$ to sponsor you (H-1B visa); 4) work hard, makes lots of money, and then invest in or buy a US business (E visa); or 5) marry a US citizen of the opposite sex!

Ian

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Thank you everyone for the replies!

I like the idea of the 10 year plan, but theres so much risk at the end, I can do it all, for nothing, I guess I'd get a fair bit out of it for here money wise etc, but at the same time it is very expensive. The fact a company may fund me? to move there though would be nice!

And marry a USC would be the dream! But with limited time in the US each time I go... Lot of pressure on a man, lot of pressure!

Thank you, I shall look into both of these, any way you look at it, a degree seems to be the way forward for someone to move there. May be a stupid question but do degrees from the open university count?

Number 1, I guess what happens in the future regarding job markets is unknown, the US job market improving is a big hope :fingerscrossed:, but I'd love to have some control over my own destiny if you see what I mean?

A student in the US I would absolutely love, but by the time I could ascertain anywhere close to the sums of money needed I would be an old man!


Thank you very much! I read the article by? Pulaski a few weeks ago brilliant insight into just every way in, but I found very in depth an can be overwhelming even after a few reads. I've read through this list twice and a few things stand out specifically especially, 'Are you a potential intern/trainee for an organization such as a hotel?' have to research into this branch a bit more.


If I could come to terms with loving England I would, honestly! If anyone could point out a better country easier to get into I'd love it! So in answer to your question, some of these may sound stupid but here goes, I think the sheer size of everything first off is very appealing. The UK has tiny little roads, houses, cars it is all scaled down over here compared to the US its all that bit bigger from super markets to schools, then there are the cities. I grew up in London and still visit there a fair bit and I travel to Liverpool to see family every so often they are all fascinating in terms of architecture, museums (Art hobby) but I don't find them impressive as such. 3-400 years ago, yes maybe but nowadays, not as much, but that could just be on the account of the amount of times I've been there :) but I do now find near anywhere in England more underwhelming than anything.

A little while back I was looking at relocating within England just for a change because it is what I really want, a proper change in my life. I looked within a 30 mile radius of where I live, a 60 mile radius, moving back to London or somewhere new. I went through estate agents, everything but just couldn't find anything to satisfy. More recently there was the piece in the news about the filming in Glasgow, they turned parts of it into American streets with the aids of props and actors, I thought brilliant, that sounds awesome if it is that similar! I started looking around it genuinely would be a lot easier than emigrating, but the streets just don't have it, when you look at it, it small in comparison and rather underwhelming.

I guess I can't lay my finger on it exactly, I've always been terrible for learning languages but I have looked at French and France, but without avail. I also look at some of the eastern countries, Taiwan, Japan, but an English teaching job is probably one of the few jobs I'd be reluctant to do however if you could suggest anything alternative to, or deflate this dream I wouldn't mind in the slightest. Its frustrating more than anything!

Thank you :) I would love an L-1 visa but it seems to come round more by chance than anything? Or is there a job market for these sorts of things? With the H1-B visa as I understand it, it won't be issued without having a degree or extensive experience, correct?

If it came to it 10 years down the line if I saved, I guess I could buy a US business!

Sorry for the wall of text but I wanted to reply to all of your posts, thank you very much everyone for taking the time :)

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

I think it's just that it's easy to get fixated on one aspect of another country that one 'must' have to be happy, but it's the whole package that makes a happy life.

If it's purely the larger scale that you're after, Canada and Australia are a little easier to get into than the US.

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Play online games.....2nd Life, Yahoo....I know of a few people that met their spouses this way (unplanned though).

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

That's impressive...most don't even start till they're a few years old :)

But best advice, figure out what you find interesting, either get a degree and some experience about it, or go straight into it, but really a degree will help speed things up and you might be able to wing a student exchange for a year or so and experience life here with minimal fuss to see if you really like it. Quite a few friends did that when I was at uni.

That way, you might actually fall in love with a local and have a easier time of it. Happened to a mate of mine, though admittedly he got himself a H1B to get here after uni to see if things would work out with the OH and the country.

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Stick a pin in a map, where ever it lands, that country will be easier to get into than the US.

What will be a better country really is down to what you prefer.

The stuff you listed, it's all very superficial, won't make a tits of a difference to your quality of life or how you'd enjoy the location.

Moving to a non-English speaking country will probably be easier to fit into than the US, the culture shock will probably be less and certainly far more expected.

It's basically same shit, different bucket.

Life is life in that regards, the spot of dirt below your feet doesn't really change that, you've still got to get up in the morning, work your nads off and pay the bills.

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Emigrate to Canada, naturalize, and then get a TN visa?

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

I can tell you from personal experience that moving to the USA doesn't bring you automatic happiness. If you are unhappy in the UK then that isn't going to change if you come here. Life will still be full of the same grind and irritations as before, just with different scenery. And believe me the novelty will soon wear off.

In the UK you are blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with an enormous safety net if things go wrong. The NHS, unemployment benefits, the legal right to housing etc simply do not exist here.

You seem like a very intelligent guy, and you are clearly passionate about your future, can I suggest you travel the world a bit, go backpacking in Oz, tour Europe, see something more of the world other than the US, then make up your mind.

Re: Restless, unfocused but want the USA
 

Canada has caught my eye once or twice, especially as it is just a short bit away from the US, I've been poking around too and I think I could be able to get in too! Totally understand what you're saying about needing the whole package, emigrating anywhere short of the US will cause me to stop and think again is this what I really want?

Haha I would if I had the time to be able to :) I live a stupid distance from work where I am right now so when I'm not working, I'm sleeping, exercising or traveling!

Lol, my bad, 18 :thumbsup:

I've never been able to find the elusive thing I'm interested in, inherit that from my dad, he got lucky eventually and landed an ok job, he knuckled down and worked for it but it was never really what he wanted to do. Unfortunately it doesn't look like the same can happen for me especially with the job market as it is. A degree seems to be helping a lot of people out though anywhere you are it is definitely something I'm looking at, but it would mean a LOT of debt as the new uni fees have come into place this year meaning in tuition alone you can be looking at spending £27k just for your course fees :(.


I hear ya. I think it is just partly change I am after and as 'Sally Redux' said I've probably fixated on the US too much in the past 2 years. I'm doing nothing with my life here, I could go to university but while I'm there I completely disagree with the ethos of student life, again I could keep myself just away from the hustle and bustle of it but for me it seems half of going to uni is for the experience.

My job here is on a week on week contract basis. I have zero job satisfaction or stability and I keep looking for stuff closer to home but can't find anything short of McDonalds which I refuse to return to unless sacked. I have applied for so many places, so many jobs all with no avail. I don't mean to whine just saying I don't think I've got an awful lot to loose here personally.

I like the life is life comment too. Anywhere I am in the world I'll have to work, can just only hope one day I can look back and be able to say 'I did that!' and point to some really big defining moment in my life where I did something big. I work with people who after 2 years have been offered a contract and gone on to stay with the same company for 10 plus years on virtually minimum wage. Shudder. I'd hate to be them!

Go to canada as a temporary worker, get my 1 year temporary work permit extended to 2 and then after 2 years apply to be a permanent resident. Once I'm a permanent resident carry on for another year in Canada and then apply to be a canadian citizen. When/if I finally get that apply for a tn visa which means Canadians can work in the US? Get that under my belt after 5 years with my green card I can apply to be a citizen of the USA!

Would this actually work? Is it legal? Would it be frowned upon? Seriously considering it!

Thanks very much :) I see what you're saying completely. I think for the first few months a new country would be very daunting, scary and lonely. Way out of my comfort zone. But out of my comfort zone is where I am, in a weird way, happy. Right now I live a comfortable life, if I were to loose my job as you say I have benefits to fall back on and I'll always have a place to crash if everything went horribly wrong, at one of my parents. I left fast food work 3 months ago and got a new job, changed my diet, started exercising and just trying reaching for something better. The problem is, is I can do this all I like till I'm 30 it'll get me nowhere except fitter and healthier.

I continuously apply for new jobs but can't really find anything, I do understand this will happen worldwide. The problem with traveling is the expense in all honesty, I'm saving right now to go to America but progress is so slow with the cost of everyday living my biggest drain being my bike which I use to get to work, insurance and petrol. I won't be buying my own transport if I emigrate!

Wherever I go I will always keep my UK citizenship, I know that in itself is a very valuable thing but it is also a very safe thing. I'm young and I feel like a caged chicken, safety net after safety net protects me and in all honesty it make me feel way too comfortable with my situation right now. I know I could still afford to live if I had no job and sat at home playing video games all day, I wouldn't have much change but I could still survive, not that I'd ever do that mind! A break out of my comfort zone, into a complete unknown excites me and maybe it isn't the picture it paints itself in my head to be, but if in 5 years time I was back here again after giving it a go I'd be able to say I tried and gave it my best shot rather than sticking where I am or jumping into another job here which will almost undoubtedly lead to nothing again.

Sorry in a way it feels like I'm ranting, I'm not, you see the documentaries on tv and the news of people in Lybia etc, and the fact I can live in a country without having to fear for my life is a sobering thought. But the thought of breaking all of the home comforts and building a new life for yourself elsewhere is a thought which Is very very hard to shift.

Thanks again for the brilliant and thought provoking replies