myexi

I am a mother of three and me and my husband are looking into the possibility of moving to the states. My husband is a works technician which basically means he supervisors work on the road, and i am a data clerical assistant for a school. Can anybody give me any tips on how to start looking into the possibility of doing this please. We would like to know how we can check out areas, laws, housing, schools, accetability, but have no idea how to start. My husband is in his early 40's and me in my late 30's are we too old? It may very well be a pipe dream but any help would be very much appreciated.

Ray

I would not worry at this time where you want to go...But concentrate on the type of visa you could get .. Unless you have a degree finding a job that will sponsor you will be impossible ..
Maybe you want to buy a business out here.. or something similar

Pulaski

There are basically six ways (seven if you have a close relative who is a USC and is willing to sponsor you) that you can get a visa to live and work in the US:

(i) Marriage (or engagement in anticipation of marriage) to a US citizen.
(ii) You have skills that are in short supply in the US e.g. IT, scientific or medical training. (The list of qualifying occupations is actually quite long, but visas are very limited for 2004 (some predictions say that the year's quota will be gone before April ) going forward, making it a difficult route to follow, and you have to have the backing of an employer, which isn't easy as employers are likely to take a local employee before going to the trouble and not inconsiderable expense of helping an immigrant obtain a visa.)
(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 green card 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 green card, likely minimum investment $100,000)
(vi) You are an "investor" i.e. you have at least US$1m in assets to bring with you.

If you want to come to live in the US then, as a British citizen, your only realistic options are likely to be (ii) or (iii) in my list above, and from what you posted it doesn't look like either you or your husband is likely to be eligible for a visa of any sort.

I guess that this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I hope the information helps.

myexi

It was as I thought. Thank you for spending the time to reply to me.... No Its not what i wanted to hear but was very helpful

scoooooot1

Do you know the cost (approximate or otherwise) for an employer to assist in obtaining a visa? I'd be willing to pay the cost in order to secure a job in the US, as long as it isn't silly money.

Pulaski

I have never seen a figure, but, with corporate lawyers getting in on the act, I'd guess between $3k and $5k, but may be closer to $10k for an accelerated visa. Having said that, even if you offered to pay, an employer would probably sooner take a local "off the street" because:

(i) they can start in 2 weeks time, whereas it would take a month to get you on board even on an accelerated visa, and four or five months on a regular visa application,

(ii) your qualifications are not recognizable to an American employer,

(iii) your work experience is (probably) with a company that is not known in America, therefore your experience is given less weight,

(iv) unless the company is used to having staff arrive on H1 or L visas they are unfamiliar with the law and the processes and will assume that it is difficult, and

(v) companies are not going to have any established mechanism to recharge legal fees back to employees, and it may even be descriminatory to USCs and existing visa holders to allow people such as yourself to "bribe" their way in to the USA.

In short, if you are the best person for the job then you won't have to pay for the visa, and if you aren't the best person for the job then it doesn't matter whether you offer to pay or not, you aren't going to get the job.

Keep on looking, and good luck!