Hi, so I've been searching round this forum, countless uscis.gov and all sorts of other resources and I'm struggling to see which category I would fall under or find my best options.

I'm currently in University in the UK studying for a BSc, I met a girl there who is Canadian but her family live in the US (Washington state) all of them on green cards. She's currently looking to apply for her citizenship (shes eligible etc). I'm wanting to go move to the USA when my degree is complete with the support of her and her family, I'll be finished studying in spring 2014.

I'm just wondering what my best option would be, would I be able to apply for a H1B with just my degree? Do I need a job offer? Is it likely I would get a job offer from just my degree (obviously I'm going to have no real working experience). What other options do I have? Would I be able to enter the country on a tourist visa and job search there then let the employer know I need to be sponsored for a visa (is this legal?).

Another option we thought about was the girl I met was going to move to Vancouver, BC to go to study for a BSc, I was wondering if it would be a better option for me to try and get into Canada and work in Vancouver, then once I have the required experience apply for a H1B visa. Would it be easier to get in through Canada (I know this is kinda in the wrong forum, sorry) from the UK?

Can someone help me out and outline my options please. Thank you all!

Easiest way is to turn girlfriend into wife (once she has citizenship!).

Next question?

Yeah considered that too, hehe. Say we get engaged, obviously with intent to get married, is there a limit on the length of time we can be engaged before I get kicked out?

If you enter on a K1 fiance visa, IIRC, it's 90 days to get married.

Hmm that's not very ideal then.. Seems like it's going to be easiest but isn't the way we planned.

Yes.

Yes. Not only a job offer, but an employer who is actually willing to sponsor your H1B visa.

Honestly, not really likely, no. It's a huge expense to the employer to hire you and sponsor your work visa...while there are probably lots of USCs who already qualify to work in the USA.

Check out the Wiki guide on here and look at the article called "Pulaski's Ways...". That lists all the ways into the USA. But the 4 major ones are: Marriage to a USC, work, student, or investment. Your best option is marriage, if you are ready to marry by 2014. Your next likely one would be student (come do your masters degree in the USA). Work isn't likely with your level of education and no experience. You probably don't have enough money for an investment visa.

Yes, this is legal. Job hunting is allowed, you just can't work.

Rene

Being engaged isn't enough to get you to the USA. If you're planning to get married, you have two choices:

K-1 fiance visa (get the visa first, then you have 90 days after arrival in the USA to get married, then apply for your green card), or

CR-1 Immigrant Visa (get married first, then apply for the Immigrant Visa from the UK...you become a US Permanent Resident the day you enter the USA using your Immigrant Visa).

It's only late 2012. You're not looking to move to the USA until after you graduate in 2014 anyway. So perhaps by that time the relationship will be further along, and marriage will be a better option.

Rene

She gets US citizenship, you get married, that would be the easiest way into the US.

You could also look to do a exchange year at uni, that would be easy enough to arrange to get a taste of the US, or look for a J1 internship after you graduate, but that might be tougher to arrange and would depend on what you're studying.

I figured being engaged wouldn't be enough to get me in. Her dad does work at IBM, currently holding Canadian and British citizenship but he's living in the US on a green card. He holds quite a high up position and they said he'd do what he could to help me get a job (I'm studying Computer Science). However I'm still unsure whether they would be willing to sponsor me and pay the fees (however much they are) to get my visa pushed through based on my degree alone.

Studying i'm not sure is a great option as I'd plan on living with her when I move over, I have money saved, probably enough for a year or so, or even possibily a deposit on a house (with help from my parents), however living costs + masters degree with no chance of getting a student loan, idk if thats the best option.. Marriage may be but we'll both be in our early twenties. I'll be 23 and she will be 21..

The chances of getting in any other way are slim to none unless you get VERY lucky - and I'm talking about the kind of luck needed to win the lottery!

We see posts like yours at least two or three times a week and the answer is always the same. Most go away and don't come back because they don't like the truth.

I'm sorry if you think I'm being negative, but it's best to know the reality of what you are trying to do than to embellish it and give you false hope.

Most of the people on this board came here one of two ways. One, being/getting married to a USC and two, being sponsored by a UK company with offices in the US. Some have been lucky enough to get a US company to sponsor them, but the costs involved are considerable and the skills needed go WAY beyond just graduating with a BSc!

It can also take a long time to get all the paperwork in order and get responses from the respective people involved, so be ready for it to not happen overnight.

We don't yet know when the lucky lady might attain US citizenship in order to sponsor the OP. Not that this would prevent the marriage.

Does she also have British citizenship like her father? If she does she could move to the UK once her US citizenship is sorted and then when you feel ready to marry you can both move to the US.

Look into a Canadian working holiday visa - it sounds like it would be a reasonable match for what you need. There is no real US equivalent.

Yes she does she's recently been studying here. That is a possibility however she really doesn't want to live in the UK, understandable as she believes she can lead a better life in the US, but it wouldn't be permanent. This very well could be the best option.

Would I be able to job hunt on this visa?

You could also look at J1 visas for the US - when you graduate you can take up a training placement for 18 months and they're relatively easy to get, possibly even easier if your girlfriend's father can make a few enquiries where he works.

After 18 months you'll be in a better position to know if you're ready to get married.

It's more or less my route to the US.