Looking for help and advice
 

Hello to you expats in the U.S.A.

I am thinking of selling my property in the UK in order to go to the U.S.A. I have broused the web looking for properties in the U.S.A to purchace.

Is it possible to enter the U.S.A. on an extended holiday and be able to work my way round to see where I like best. I dont have any qualifications at least not realevant in todays standards.

My intention is to find a place that I like, buy a house and settle. Is this possible?

I would be greatfull for any help you can offer.

Thanks

Justin.

Re: Looking for help and advice
 

Justin
Tricky tricky. I don't think you will have much luck. The only way to stay in USA is to have a work permit or a green card. Without qualifications that may be difficult to get a company to sponsor you. You can always come over on the 3 month visa and do some travelling around - may be rent your house out while you are here. Sorry I can't give you any better news :(

Re: Looking for help and advice
 

Justin

The INS do award visas each year for Immigrant Workers, that is citizens from other countries coming over to the US to work. Entry to the US therefore would be through inter-company transfer, ie your UK employer opens a US office and moves you out there.
OR through employment secured in the US. In the latter case your prospective employer needs to establish that you have skills which they cannot find from native workers in most cases this may be things like extensive niche market knowledge, a highly skilled member of the medical/legal profession etc etc.

The current economic climate is such that there are 00's of qualified resident workers for each job, I have many many friends who are recruiters who tell me astonishing facts about how many people applied for a job they had, or how many people are selected from hundreds of resumes for interview - it can be a lottery.

Post your resume (cv) on Monster.com and Hotjobs.com - theres no harm in trying....nothing ventured nothing gained.

Good luck

Re: Looking for help and advice
 

What you are suggesting won't work, and isn't legal. If you try it you are likely to get yourself deported if the INS finds out, and in any case you would have to look for someone to employ you without a work visa, which means low pay and poor conditions, and no prospect of ever being able to "go legit".

There are basically six ways that you can get a visa to live and work in the US:

(i) Marriage (or engagment in anticipation of marriage)
(ii) You have skills that are in short supply in the US e.g. IT, scientific or medical training.
(iii) You have an employer who is willing to transfer you - but even the employer has to make a good case for you - so you have to be a manager unless you fall under category (ii), above.
(iv)get a greencard in the diversity lottery (UK citizens, except N.Ireland are not eligible)
(v) You own a business (does not get you permanent resident status i.e. no greencard)
(vi) You are an "investor" i.e. you have at least US$1m in assets to bring with you.

It is not easy to get even a recruitment agent to take you seriously if you are not already in the US, but if you are getting a visa under (ii) above then you need a job offer before you can get the visa. It's a chicken and egg situation.

Which ever way you try to do it. it is difficult, but if you really want to it is possible.

I hope this helps.