jenk

WOW Im so pleased I have found this site!

My husband and I are looking into moving to USA (Orlando) and we are hoping that you would be able to help us with a few questions. We hope you don’t mind.

My Husband would be able to relocate with the help of his employer as he works for an America IT company. As we are married would I automatically be allowed to enter and work in the US?

I don’t have a degree so would I find gaining employment difficult? Right now I work for an engineering consultancy as a project manager and have worked in the water industry for over 14 years. Would my experience help me gain similar employment or is a degree / college cert needed?

How does the water industry work in the US? Id there one utility company that covers Orlando? If so what is the name of it so I can look into opportunities there?

Does anyone know of any job websites I could look at, just to get an idea of what employment opportunities there are?

We both drive and have paper and photo licences, will these be valid in America or will we have to take lessons and re-take our test?


Many thanks, I hope you all dont mind me asking so many questions.

Emma
x

Kaffy Mintcake

Welcome! Others with more helpful info will be along shortly. As for your question regarding the utility company - google turned this up:

http://www.ouc.com/

Best of luck to you!

Roland Hulme

Welcome to BE!

You'll find a lot of answers in the VISA section - off the top of my head, I imagine a VISA allowing your husband to work in the US through his company will let you live with him, but won't let you work.

It's a pretty awkward toss up - the opportunity to live and work in the states, but the problem of suddenly only having one income.

Mind you, pay is often better in the states. My wife is allowed to work here, but is currently taking a vacation from the 9 to 5 (which we could never have afforded to do in England) and wonders why she hadn't thought of marrying somebody richer than me in the first place, so she could be a stay-at-home-wife!!

Manc

I presume that's L visa territory, then yes



you'll need to re-take your test. but you won't need lessons. the test is a piece of piss if you've driven before, and not nearly as difficult as the one in the UK.

snowbunny

Why Orlando? Is that the only place your husband's company has offices?

If he's truly transferred on an L visa, then yes, you'd be allowed to work. If instead he comes on an H-1B visa, then you would not be allowed to work. "IT" is such a broad category. Is your husband a manager?

The "water industry" is similarly broad. Do you mean water treatment facilities? Wastewater treatment? Environmental planning? Conservation/ecology? From the "utility company" I'd guess you mean the entity that takes water from a raw reservoir (ground, surface), treats it, and sends it to customers. These kinds of utilities tend to be run by each city rather than by a big company that serves the entire state. Search around and see if there's an American professional association with members whose credentials and job duties roughly match yours. You might have to take courses or sit exams to become accredited, but it wouldn't be impossible. You could also compare salaries, because you may find that you would be paid LESS here.

Good luck with the research. If you really want to live in the US, don't limit yourself to just Florida.

NC Penguin

Your husband should ask his employer about the type of visa they'd be applying for. This would determine whether you'd receive a visa that allowed you to work.

Assuming you're eligible to work in the US, there are some possible issues you'd have finding work. One is not having a degree. Then again, you say you have over 14 years experience in one industry. The US water industry is likely to be different to the UK in that the industry in FL would have to meet both Federal and State regulations. I'm not sure how transferable your skills would be to all this.

You should do a search to find out the name of the water company that covers Orlando.

If I were you, first confirm you will be getting a visa that allows you to work before going down this road.

No. Once you're resident in a state, you're obliged to get a US license for that state. Check on the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles website.


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Jerseygirl

Not necessarily...my husband transferred on a L1 visa. My work permit came in the mail a few weeks later...fortunately I was able to talk my way out of it.

Roland Hulme

Hilarious!

Elvira

Why?

Ray

Obviously northerners ..who want to be surrounded by their own

cutina

nothing wrong with northerners, Ray.

Ray

Have you been to Orlando ...

Patrick Hasler

I have
Nice place to visit for a holiday ............. NO WAY ! I'd want to live there. (too near Clearwater )

Patrick Hasler

99% of the time ? ...... You hire a company, they come along and drill a hole a couple of hundred feet down, fit a pump and filter and BINGO ! ..... you have running water !

Thats no joke either

Manc

because that's where they're being sent.