Hello,
I am brand spanking new to this community, and I am not a British Expat, but I'm here on behalf of a friend who's considering moving here to the states. I've sent him the information found on the wiki, and links to this board. I just want to be the most help to him that I can, and I'm not really sure how to do that.

He's 20 and seriously considering moving here (New England) to find himself and because he's always dreamed of it. I want to support him in whatever he decides to do, I'm just not sure of the best way to do that. I've provided him with the average costs of living in the area he's considering, tried to convince him to come here on holiday to experience what I can only imagine is a major culture shock, and overall trying to get him to talk through it, and what he really needs out of the process.

I'm just not sure what will help him the most to make his decision, and help/tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Counselling is good for helping people find themselves. New England really isn't...

For probably 95% of the people in their 20s who want to move to the USA, there simply is no visa available for them. Hold your horses, end of story, do not pass go.

Before you get into look and complicated discussions about culture and where to live and budgets, you need to have a very serious discussion with them about visas and how they would get one.

Quite frankly, in the eyes of the US immigration service, the United States does not want or need any more immigrants. He will have to convince them otherwise, which is not made very easy by the rules in place, especially for someone young without much work experience.

A visit is good, but in the end, the visa issue is what stops almost everyone who wants to relocate.

On what basis is he planning to move to the states? Student, employment, marriage, investment?

Which Wiki entry did you send him?

Unless you are his significant other of the opposite sex, and you two are in a relationship leading to marriage, there's not much YOU can do to help him. Unless you own your own company and want to hire him (and he qualifies for that job...unlikely), or unless you want to loan him enough to get an investment visa (around $500K).

It's a good idea for him to come for a VWP visit, if he's never been to the USA before. But other than that, the other things you mentioned are putting the cart before the horse, because he will first have to see what type of visa he qualifies for in order to actually live full time in the USA.

Send him the Wiki Guide called "Pulaski's Ways...." and have him decide first which visa category he fits into. That's the absolute first place to start.

Rene

Studejt visa wouod be the obvious one in this case.

Best thing would be for him to join and post himself. A lot gets lost in translation as they say.

Student visa is the best way though if he's got the money for it.

Would have suggested BUNAC or CampAmerica, but they're off the table right now.

Simple - apply for the "Finding Oneself" visa - sounds like a shoo-in.

Is this a wind up?