DeanUK2US

Hi all

Like many others here this is my very first post. Hi!

I've been thinking for many years now about moving to the US and have finally decided to take the plunge. I'm well aware that I simply cannot fly over there like some others appear to be asking indirectly, but would like to make my best attempt at getting it right the first time for each of the many stages. I have read 'Pulaski's Ways' which is a great introduction to getting on with the process. My problem is that in reading a lot of the documentation that I can find, I usually end up still being unsure of what I can go for in ultimately applying for naturalisation.

A bit about me:

Age: mid-30s
Nationality: British (born) and Trinidad and Tobago (via mother)

Highest Qualification: BSc(Hons) Computer Science from a good university.
Profession: Video Games Developer (nearly four years experience)

Marital Status: Single.
Orientation: Straight (in case it does matter for whatever reason...)

Mortgage: No.
House ownership: No.

Ties/reasons for wanting to move to the US?

Although I am making progress professionally here in the UK I don't feel that I am doing so fast enough. Also I have a lot more family in the US (both born and permanent residents), but they are not 'close enough' relatives to sponsor me to come over. All such family are here in the UK.

Also, the lifestyle suits me a lot more over there having already visited. I'm not intent on marrying an American in an attempt to hasten the process (although it's easy to think you have fallen in love several time over from the beauties over there!), but my real intent is to go over as a professional with a recognised trade. I also believe that in working in the games industry my skills will be more valued over there.

My current studio does have a US office but not for development roles, so that is effectively out of the question for me.

Which states are you looking at?

I love Florida so much that I would move there in a heartbeat, but I realise that it also must be a sensible career move as well. Silicon Valley has been suggested for well-paid jobs related to my field of computer science in general. Because I love hot climates suggestions for Arizona, Florida and Louisiana have also been suggested - all by my very helpful family out there.

Get to the actual question already!

Okay, I believe that I have the degree + experience level covered for twelve year's worth of experience, but what doesn't seem to sink in with me is that I'm assuming that I need my employer to back me for an H-1B visa, but given that this is a temporary visa, I'm not sure of my chances for eventually applying for naturalisation. I'm aware of the 'Green Card' visa as well, but would it be necessary for me to take that route if I am already a professional, or would my status in-fact improve my chances of getting a Green Card?

Stupid, basic questions I know, but when you read about them they start going on about all the other forms that need to be completed leading up to actually making the application!

Thanks for reading and in advance for your replies!
DeanUS2UK.

PS

No, I don't want to move to T&T.

Ray

Seems you may have enough skills to apply for an H vis ..
the hard bit is finding an employer willing to go to the expense
of taking you on .. then of course you need to be aware there may
be 3 times as many application as there are visas available

Or the other way ..Find an emloyer in the UK probably a
conglomerate who moves there staff worldwide

I have not checked to see if you can apply for the diversity
lottery using your Mothers birthplace ...a possibilty ..

DeanUK2US

Yes, I know that this bit is tough. I'm regularly harassed by recruiters and offers from actual studios, so I maybe should give them a ring!

Maybe. It has been suggested to me that it might be a good idea because of the large number of British applicants could 'weaken' my application.

Thanks for the suggestions - certainly worth a thought.

Ray

They can offer you jobs up your kazoo all day ... The visa is the
important bit..no visa offer ..forget it ...

Brits in general cannot apply for the visa lottery

have a read up on your situation
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigra...ypes_1318.html

DeanUK2US

Oops! Put this in the wrong forum. Should have posted in "US Immigration and Visas". Sorry.

Whilst I'm at it, I have no criminal record whatsoever - no cautions nor detention overnight in a cell.

DeanUK2US

Forget it generally?

Yeah, I'm aware that Brits cannot apply via the lottery. Thanks for the link anyway.

LivAtl

Hi there while im taking a different route I looked heavily into a work visa I had a compnay wanting to sponsor me, this is what you will need A Sponsor you will need to get a company to sponsor you first off.

After you have a company sponosr you they will need to apply on yoru behalf it wotn be quick your looking at a year you cant apply for H-1 Visas until April of any given year, then there given out in October.

In short your gona need a company wanting to hire you and prove there is no American able to do your job and on top of that H-1 Visas are a lottery also allthough your in the high band so have a better chance.

In georgia which isnt far from Florida there are 2 companies I know of who might hire you CCP which is a iceland based company but they have offices here in Atlanta area and are working on 2 MMO's and HiRez which is working on Global Agenda , btw I play one game by CCP and alpha test for HiRez I also know ppl there at Hirez so feel free to forward yuor CV to me il be happy to drop it off for you.

DO NOT ATEMPT TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK YOURSELF it will fail get a US Imigration Attourney I can recomend a guy here in Georgia he was on the Georgia Imigration council.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Adult son does not get cross charge from Mummykins. Mummy can enter the lottery -- but kids over 21 lose out.

LivAtl

I think Ray means for him to apply as a Trinidat National since he cna have Duel Citizenship.

Bob

You've read the wiki, so looking at realistically if you don't marry a yank bird, the H or L1 visa route.

L1 if you can blag a transfer, but that's a tough one.

Anyway, those hot locations, sod them, they're shit for games hubs bar Cali and Texas.


Arizona - Rainbow is the big one, 3G is a shit box, Cheyanne Mountain and then a couple other small going no where studios.

Florida - EA Tibs, but everyone moves to N-Space, and then there's Full Sail to teach and then shovel ware.

and Louisiana, that's a shit box with fX up in the arse hole end of the state, and then some other shovel ware college sports making playing the race card tripe.

If you want hot, Austin/Dallas/Houston Texas...

North Carolina has a small but decent hub with Epic, Insomniac (great benies), Redstorm Ubi, Vicious, EA, Destineer and then shovel ware.

California - San Fran, LA be the big hubs, you know that already.

Atlanta, Georgia, I wouldn't, but there's a couple studios there

That's about it for the proper hot places, oh there's one place in Vegas and another shit box in New Mexico somewhere.

Anyway, I wouldn't bother looking for a while as it's not going to happen till next year by a long shot, maybe look around Feb....or blag a gig with Ubi/EA/Take2/NC Soft...hell, even evil Codies put a office out here didn't they? Euthexnic (sp?) up in New Castle are setting up a tech house over here in PA though and then Splash Damage have some tie in with Besheda I think...

Coders tend to get an easier time of it on the visa front though.

Michael

Silicon Valley would probably be your greatest chance of getting a job. If a game developer is not headquartered there, they more than likely have a development branch there. Silicon Valley companies are also very familar with H1B visas and you don't necessarily have to limit yourself to game development companies since software engineers are still in demand by many of the thousands of companies in the valley. The following are just a few of the more well know companies headquartered in the Silicon Valley.

• Intel
• AMD
• Google
• Yahoo
• Apple
• Hewlett-Packard
• Sun
• Cisco
• Adobe
• eBay
• Oracle
• Facebook
• Silicon Graphics
• Maxtor
• Applied Materials
• Autodesk

Although the weather in the Silicon Valley is seldom hot, it is usually very pleasant with low humidity. The summer temperature (May-September) usually runs between 24-32 degrees C with occasional hot spells to 38 degrees C without any real chance of rain.

DeanUK2US

Wow! Thanks everyone for the replies - that's one hell of a lot of info to sift through.

Luckily I have several contacts at many of the studios mentioned, but probably one or two at those listed outside of the games industry. I don't really want to give up the games industry, but the move is more important to me right now, and I could always return once I get there if I have the burning desire to.

I'll certainly be checking out some websites and paying attention to the regions shown in GameDev Map looking at smaller studios as well.

Anyone moved from a UK to US studio? How is/was it?

Bob

Better off asking on the TCE forum....there's only a handful of us here and two of us via marriage and one then went over to Canada after having enough of the never ending project and you gotta know the one.

But work culture, it's going to depend on a lot of things like was it a big/small studio, indie or not and what you went into over here.

Management are likely to be just as big a muppets or not over here than across the pond, that doesn't change, publishers still screw devs over, crunch is still crazy and the hours hard and the benefits shit....though you've got to factor in medical insurance etc over here and not consider it a benefit but a must.

DeanUK2US

Yeah, I know about TCE and have seen one or two who have made the move. And as for the project, yes! lol

That's the thing that I'm a little concerned about. At the studio where I currently am the management have their small faults, but are generally very, very good in avoiding crunch unless absolutely necessary. I suppose that in changing studios, eventually I will encounter bad management at some point.

Michael

Silicon Valley companies generally have extremely good benefits, very good pay, and flexible hours. However, companies move to or startup in the valley because of the work culture where everyone is expected to work hard and possibly long hours. However, many Brits (ex. Steerpike, Poppy girl, etc.) that work in the Silicon Valley do like the work culture.