Tigra2

Hi guys i'm new on here today so forgive me if some of the questions I ask have already been asked and answered by others as i'm still finding my way around the forum!

To cut a long story short, me and my OH are keen on finding out more info on moving to America. We own our own flat in Devon and have a small amount of equity in it. We ideally would like to move to the US in about 3 years time - not permanently.. but for a few years just to get away from the UK and try out living abroad and working a new way of life.

What would be the main things stopping us from doing this?
We have seen property for sale in Florida that seems too cheap? What are the ins and outs of the properties that are up for sale for £40,000?
Do we need to prove we have jobs over there before moving etc?

Forgive me if the questions seem obvious to answer, but i'd like to get some advice off of people who know what they are doing/saying a lot more than I do!

Any help is greatly appreciated x

avanutria

Hi Tigra, welcome.

The main thing stopping you from moving would be a visa. You need one in order to live/work in the US. Start with the information in the "Really, Really Read Me" thread and see if there are any likely paths toward a visa for you or your OH. If there are, come back here with questions pertaining to that type of visa and we can help you from there.

ian-mstm

Start here: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulask...ork_in_the_USA and here: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulaski_Simplified. If you can answer "yes" to any of the questions, you might have a chance at getting a visa. If not, you won't ever be coming to the US as anything other than a visitor. End of story.

Ian

Bob

You've been given the important links to check out....it's all about the visa, so you've either got skills needed, boat load of money, or one of you is a US citizen.

Good luck though and welcome to BE

penguinsix

Hi

It is incredibly difficult to move to the USA absent certain skills (i.e. doctor, engineer, computer scientist), family connections to a US citizen, or a considerable amount of money worth investing. The links others have provided you will give you more information regarding the first step, the visa, that will be required (and a step that stumbles most people unfortunately).

It is also worth pointing out that the streets are not paved with gold, i.e. the streets are not paved with beautiful houses on well manicured streets with good police and schools, all for £40,000. A large portion of local government income comes from property taxes, and in a place where the value of houses is low, the amount of money derived from taxes (and thus spent on government services like schools and police) is also low.

Many somewhat unscrupulous types are advertising "cheap homes" in the USA on websites and newspapers in the UK and elsewhere in an attempt to get foreigners to buy a property in the areas of the USA that their American counterparts have looked at, considered, and then laughed off due to bad location, etc. I'd take some of those ads you are seeing with a grain of salt to say the least.

Good luck with the visa hunt. Let us know if any visas on those links look probable and we can give you some more advice on how to follow up.

cowtowntaff

Living abroad is a fantastic experience and I can't recommend it enough. I'm sure you've thought about it but do you have particular reasons for wanting to come to the USA? I lived in Canada for some time and that has a similar lifestyle to America but with slightly simpler and easier immigration requirements if you met certain criteria. Canada is a bit less of a culture shock than the USA and if you are thinking there won't be a culture shock then consider yourself warned (all of the above in my own experience)

I lived in Amsterdam too and I got just as much out of moving a couple of hundred miles over the North Sea as I did moving a few thousand miles over the Atlantic. I guess all I'm saying is that if you have a want to try a different country and the USA doesn't work out then there is a big old world out there and you don't have to go far to fall in love. I'd have stayed in Amsterdam for life had it not been for a glass ceiling in my career.

Research how the property market works in the USA in depth. I live in Florida now and I wouldn't want to touch the market with a barge pole right now and I'm quite happy renting.

Good luck with it all

Juswus

Tigra2

Thank you for all of your advice and various links regarding visa's and moving to the US.

cowtowntaff - I completely agree with all you have said. The property market where I am at the moment is not exactly brilliant which is why we are focused on doing our place up to the best it can be, and then looking to sell in a couple of years.. that is also when i'll have completed my training for my job and my OH would have got extra qualifications in lighting engineering.

I can't really put into words why i'd like to move to the states but it's just something i've always wanted to do, however like cowtowntaff has said, you don't have to go far to feel like you are living abroad and to find somewhere you love. So, I have had a look on the links about the visa's and taken into account all of what has been said and tbh haven't realised just how difficult it is to get a visa. My OH and I have had a long talk about it all i.e. the cheap houses in America won't be ideal, the culture is massively different etc. and we have decided that we are going to go to our second option - second option being Spain! So if anyone has any info they'd like to pass on about this then that'd be great!

dmu

Hi, was browsing in the US forum and came across your thread! Why not post directly on the Spain forum, with a few more details?
They'll give you info about job possibilities, etc... (be warned that we're still in the middle of an economic crisis and the unemployment rate in Southern Europe is much higher than in the UK), and will probably strongly advise you to use the next couple of years to learn Spanish!
Good luck with your projects, wherever!

scrubbedexpat099

Spanish would be good for Florida as well.

caleyjag

I would argue that the culture in the US is more closely related to that of the UK, at least in certain parts, than Spain is.

Nevertheless, you have assessed the situation correctly and seem to have taken it in good grace, which is unusual around here. Good! As you say, there are some tremendous barriers that need to be overcome to move to the US and it's a very long and hard road.

Bob

No, seriously.

To the OP, good luck on finding info about Spain