Elliot-Ross

Hi all, im looking to move to America and study at a university, the course that i would want to do is 4 years. Ive seen on some websites that you have to be in America for 5 years to gain citizenship, is that with a green card or does studying count???

Also if i do move over and study, is it then easier to get a green card so that i can work?

Any info about studying over there would be great!

avanutria

Hi Elliot,

The visa that you would be on to study is a student visa, and time spent in the US on a student visa does not count toward the 5-years-for-citizenship thing.

Elliot-Ross

Ok thats a shame, it would have made things a lot easier!

If I was to study in America, would it make getting a green card easier? Because I have heared that they are very difficult to get is this true??

christmasoompa

Yes, it is true. The US is notorious as one of the most difficult countries to immigrate to. This Wiki articles explains the various routes to a visa or green card (many of the visas do not lead to a green card, including the F-1 for students). http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulaski's_Ways%3A_How_to_Live_and_Work_in_the_USA

You'd need to have been a permanent resident (green card holder) for 5 years to apply for citizenship.

If you see a visa in the link above that you think may suit, then you can come back and ask questions about it.

Good luck.

Edit: you've been given all of this info (including the link above) in your previous thread. Maybe you should re-read the answers you were given then? http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=707690

Duncan Roberts

Nothing has changed since you last asked. Doing a 4 year degree at a place worth something to the FBI will cost you a ton, probably in the $250-350k range. It won't make getting a greencard easier or quicker and as said, won't help with time towards citizenship.

Noorah101

I didn't read your previous thread, but typically someone coming to the USA as a student follows this path:

Come to the USA as a student (F-1 visa), get your degree.
Find a company to hire you after you graduate (H1B visa).
Get the company to sponsor you for a green card (can take several years to get the green card in hand).
Once you have the green card, start counting 5 years.
After 5 years of having the green card, apply for US citizenship.

So basically from the beginning of student status to applying for citizenship, you're looking at about 12 years or so.

Rene

Michael

The only thing to do with school that makes it easier to get a work permit and possibly a green card is if you get a post graduate degree (masters degree) at a US university. There are 20,000 H1-B visas available each year for foreigners that obtained their masters degree at a US university. You are eligible for those annual H1-B visas at any time after you graduate.

Although you still need an employer to sponsor you for the visa, usually those H1-B visas are available for a longer time during the year than the general H1-B visas that are available for all others which are usually gone immediately after they become available. Over the last couple of years both have been available for most of the year because of the poor economy but it is expected that the general H1-B visa will be gone quickly when the economy recovers.

Currently anyone on a general H1-B visa cannot start work before October 1 of each year. I don't know if this has changed but back in the 1980s I hired several new college graduates that were on the masters degree H1-B visas and they were able to start work as soon as they graduated.

Elliot-Ross

Thanks a lot, got a lot to think about!