Jay-Producer

Hi,

Thanks for that constructive feedback. I have had a look into visaa's already. I have looked in degree convertions etc so would be confortable getting what I need. I know its different in some states and I'm fully aware of this. I have a degree in community education and diploma in housing which is relevant to the housing sector. I also have over 8 years experience in my sector in 4 countries. Canada is an option for me but there is a bigger housing market in America than Canada when you compaire the housing shortage needs for the areas I narrowed my research down to.

I'm not too fussed looking into visa's too much as I have no idea where I will be in 2-3years time. I may end up having 5 kids or getting married or be single and all those scenarios will have different implications on visa applications. Who knows, anything can happen in that space of time so I like to keep my options open which is why I'd like to go and visit the USA again and check out some places before looking into which visa I will apply for (and after all the employment market will be a hug factor in this).

I'm only really looking for some feedback on the places I mentioned and perhaps other places rather than visa info as this is a seperate conversation.

Jay-Producer

The employment market can. When I looked at some other small cities there was a big difference in housing need changes in 3-5 years and housing demand was on the rise. In Manchester or Boston there are housing needs and this may change in 3-5 years. If you look at the population growth over 5years, both have risen. I wont bore you with all the statistics but increase in population generally means increase in housing needs, therefore the housing sector will be strong. This is important when I apply for a visa at the time I need to look at how the change is affecting housing needs and look at what jobs are out their at the time. That will come later, for now I am only asking for feedback ont he two places I narrowed my research down to or other cities and towns people may point out I look into.

celticgrid

Do you not understand that, as you appear to have explained the basis on which you think you are moving here, you do not apply for a visa.

Worth quoting this bit twice. This is a fundamentally incorrect assumption. Therefore anything that you consider as "important" based on that incorrect assumption is also flawed. I cannot believe that anyone can be so deaf to advice. You accuse others of trolling but I suspect there's only one person doing so in this thread.

Jay-Producer

Im not applying for visa. I dont even want to talk about visa's in this thread. So drop it please. I made no assumptions ok, I didn't say I was moving here either and I am more than happy to back up everything I have said with factual statistics and information from state and city websites. The emplyoment market at the time of applying for a visa is important, not now! And stop bringing up the word visa or subject around it please. The title of this thread was never about visa's.

Jay-Producer

Im not applying for visa. I dont even want to talk about visa's in this thread. So drop it please. I made no assumptions ok, I didn't say I was moving here either and I am more than happy to back up everything I have said with factual statistics and information from state and city websites. The emplyoment market at the time of applying for a visa is important, not now! And stop bringing up the word visa or subject around it please. The title of this thread was never about visa's. Move on and stop trolling the thread!

Just though I'd reply twice incase you didnt bother reading it properly first time. I do not want to talk about visa's in this thread.

joto

Goodbye. We might see you back here in 4-5 years when you have sorted yourself out and decided where and if you want to move.

Bluegrass Lass

Jay, whether you want to talk about visas or not, is a moot point. This is an open thread and anyone can say pretty much any comments they want.

The main reason people keep bringing up the subject of visas is because you are putting your cart before your horse. There are tonnes of people that come on here thinking they can move to the US, and do not realize that US immigration law is one of the most restrictive in the world. You can do all the research and visiting of the US that you want, but you won't ever move here if you don't do your visa research first. Do not compare Oz/NZ employment based visa processes to the US visa process - it is far, far more difficult to obtain an employment based visa in the US.

As far as your main topic of the thread, I wouldn't live in either location. I'm a native USC (my husband is the Brit), and we are heading for the Pacific Northwest.

Jay-Producer

Where is what Im trying to decide and see if anyone currently lives or has recently lived in FC or Portsmouth. I cant afford to travel all around every city and town in America that is just not financialy possible for most people in the world. That's why Im asking for some feedback on these places or other suggestions to see where I will be traveling to next year.

Jay-Producer

My visa research has been done up to a point where I have the basic info I need, I just cant apply for one unless I find a sponsor or employment who is willing to apply for one and that needs to be done at the time of wanting to move, not know. Otherwise I would have asked for visa advise. I hope you see my point now. If I apply for a visa now before visitng the place that would be supid in my opinion.

Any reason why you wouldnt move out their?

Bluegrass Lass

The Northeast is too expensive, too heavily populated, too expensive to live in, and too cold for me. Fort Collins is too politically "red", and also too cold for me weather-wise.

We want the Pacific Northwest, or more specifically Seattle, because it's not too large of a city; it has a good job market for my husband who's in the tech industry; politically they are 'blue'; while Seattle is more expensive than our current location, they aren't as expensive as Silicon Valley or NYC; we want some place cooler weather-wise, but not freezing; it's close enough to lots of outdoor activities; we also want to live near the water - we are both tired of being land-locked; some Seattle neighborhoods are also known for their walkability factor - which is also pretty important to us since we don't like the urban sprawl of the midwest.

We're not looking at crime/safety stats. Every city has its good and bad areas. You want to stay away from crime, live in the good areas of town.

celticgrid

Yes. But you won't like them...

Bob

There's no retirement visa. So unless you've got a greencard already, a US citizen, or getting a visa via work, it's all a waste of time.

Bob

While I'm wasting my time.

Portland is far more city like than any of those towns you've listed in NH, which also have a much shitter job finding ability.

Manchester, NH is a shit hole and the shopping is or feel is no where near as nice as Portland, ME.

The crime stats you're talking about are also pointless. They really are. You're getting all kinds of things mixed in that won't be relevant. Who cares what the crime rate is in Cambridge if you're living in Jamaica Plain, it's still Boston.

Phili is a much better city than you're giving it credit for. Any city will have troubled areas and crime, but it's easy enough to avoid in a large city, and crime isn't that bad across the whole place, which is another reason why your stats looking is a waste of time without boots on ground looking at the reality.

Bob

Because your chances of getting a visa are slim to begin with, nothing you have said improves that, so anyone helping you out with a place to go is a waste of time, posters time rather than yours.

Bob

That's the thing. No employer is going to spend the money a visa for someone in your field, when you don't have local market condition experience. It's not going to improve in the future either, the only thing that changes is the cost to the employer going up and the difficulty of qualifying.