Hannah83

Hi guys,

I've been on the newbie/welcome forum asking for advice and someone kindly pointed me in this direction

My heart has always been in America - since I was just seven years old I was longing to visit aero gearing stories from my best friend whose cousin lived in Colorado.

So I've spent most of my 20s going n holiday/ road trips through America and having just returned from an amazing trip for my 30th which began in LA, through to Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, Carmel, Monterey, San Francisco, Death Valley, Vegas and New York.

My partner and I have lived in Wales for three years (our hometown) and have been searching for jobs and apartments in New York ever since we got back.

I've read through the wiki info and several posts by others and I'm worried now that our dream of living and working in US is going to be unattainable.

Someone mentioned Canada is a lot easier? Also, I've been emailing newspapers and salons about jobs (I have more than 10years experience as a journalist/editor and page designer) and have my journalism degree. I am also a trained hair stylist and wanted to do this before coming home to set up my own salon and PR firm.
My partner works for a bank and he's found several jobs that he can apply for - is this a fruitless task too?

Spirits are feeling low at the moment. Thanks

Sally Redux

Don't feel too bad - holidays and roads trips are much better than living here.

Hotscot

Hannah it is really tough getting to the USA. Most do it via a company transfer or via marriage and you can also start a business if you have hundreds of thousands to invest in it.

I'm normally loathe to use absolutes but your experience in journalism and hair styling won't get you anywhere.

I'm sorry that it's so frustrating.

Noorah101

Why? Do you not see a visa route you could qualify for?

Sometimes. It depends on the reason you don't qualify for America.

You probably aren't going to find an employer to sponsor you for a journalist/editor/page designer job. If you want to open your own hair salon (or PR firm?), you should look into an investment type visa.

Impossible to tell without knowing what the job requirements are, and whether he meets those requirements, and whether those fit the H1B visa requirements. If he currently works for a bank which has US offices, he can look into getting an L-1 visa to transfer to the USA. Otherwise, he'll need a bank in the USA to sponsor him for an H1B visa.

You read the Wiki Guide, it seems, so all you need to do is find a visa category you fall into, and go from there.

Also, you mention "partner". Are you married? In order for you both to go to the USA together, you'll need to be married (one will get a visa, the other will get a derivative visa as the married spouse). Keep in mind some visas allow the trailing spouse to work, some don't.

Rene

Pulaski

In short, no visa, no job. Full stop. End of story.

Go look at the Pulaski wikis in the US section of the wikis tab above. We will all be happy to give you lots of advice about any questions you have about any visa category you think you are eligible for, however most British citizens who come to BE find that in practice they are not able to apply under any visa category.

Noorah101

Just to make sure, is this the Wiki Guide you've read through?

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulask...ork_in_the_USA

Rene

Hannah83

Thanks all - it's just getting so confusing with these visas and sections. I'm in London over the weekend so I think we'll head to the embassy and try and get an appointment to ask someone to tell us straight. Who, what, where, when, why and how.

We're not married. I haven't got enough money to start a business where I have no clients or customers so it sounds like I need to focus on my partner's bank and if he can get sponsorship.

I also do wigs for the NHS - now I know there no such thing as the NHS in America but maybe, as an unusual post, I can get into some kind of agency or private hospital clinic?
I'm not going to give up and I'm not going to be one of the many who come here, get negative feedback and give up.

It's good to get some real perspective though so thanks for your time.

Anyone have any other tit bits please feel free to fill me in! Knowledge is power ;-)

Noorah101

Not a good idea. The embassy staff don't know anything about which visa YOU qualify for. They expect YOU to know, and to then apply for the correct one.

Instead of talking to the embassy staff, have a consultation with an immigration attorney. He will be able to look at your qualifications, and will know what, if any, visa you might qualify for.

Are you willing to GET married?

You can certainly try, but making wigs doesn't sound like something that will qualify for a work visa. If you were a health care professional, that would be different.

Rene

dickiederson

If you're that focussed on the USA maybe you could ditch you'll fella and find a nice Texan boy to marry!

Noorah101

Just another thought, since you have a lot of experience in journalism....talk to the immigration attorney about an O-1 visa, if you have a lot of published material. You'd still need a US employer to sponsor your visa, but if you have the talent and the publications behind you, employers sometimes go for O-1 visas.

Rene

Hotscot

And Hannah...there's a difference between negative feedback and honest, experienced, realistic feedback. No-one is here to take joy in shattering any dreams you may have but collectively the contributors have a wealth of knowledge to provide for free.

The bottom line is that it is very difficult for UK citizens to become resident in the USA unless you qualify in a very narrow way. Job transfer, marriage, a skill or experience that is very difficult for US employers to source in the US since it costs the US employer a lot of money for the visa process.

Given the information you have provided, and if you have quality experience in journalism I would suggest trying to find a job with a large organization in the UK/Europe with a view to an eventual transfer. Especially if you can get into a large multinational like Dow Jones or Reuters. Give yourself a 10 year plan and then stick to it.

Hannah83

NOORAH - that's great advice - thank you. And marriage is on the cards at some point.......

Dickie - that's brilliant! Thanks for making me giggle! :-)

Hotspot - some of the feedback I have was negative - not necessarily from everyone. Which is why I stated it's good to he some real perspective. I'm very much aware of the good advice and work that people on this site out in - hence my being here.

I'm not in the manner of throwing my toys out of the pram when I hear something difficult - nor am I expecting a rainbow to guide me to America and all I have t do is walk it. Thank you.

Just goes to show how lacking our immigration is here in the UK. It's an embarrassment and we should take a leaf out of the (very big) US immigration book! I personally know people who work here from the US with very little to offer but a degree and it frustrates me because I want to spend my life and be a part of a country and offer what I can.

I do appreciate everything you've all said though. Us Welsh red heads don't give up easily!

Hannah83

Excuse the typos - just trying out my new iPad, which I bought in America ;-) - I'm getting there!

Hotscot

That's funny...was wondering why some folks call me hotspot...

Noorah101

I was thinking an auto-correct might give you "hopscotch". hehehe.

Rene