abzyleeds

Hi Guys,

I've been aware of this forum and always used it's resources but never ever posted before!

I'm currently a second year student at The University of Leeds, studying Accounting and Finance. I've always been really keen to move to the USA though. My sister is now a US citizen (she moved about 10 years ago).

I understand she can sponsor me to live there as I am her sibling and she is over 21. However, I'm really interested in the timescales! I have read up a little and am aware of these 'priority dates'. I understand it can be a very long wait (up till 10 years) in some cases! I read on an official US Government website that certain countries have longer waits, such as the Phillipines, Mexico, India and China. I was wondering, if you're coming from the UK, do you have to wait less time? or? What other factors can affect the length of time you wait?

Basically, I want to make myself a really good candidate and reduce my wait time as much as possible within my control!

Also, I was hoping to find someone who has been in this situation and actually made the move?

Oh and...! I have just realised (stupidly enough) that my degree could potentially be worthless in America! I spoke to many career advisors before taking up my degree and they said that it would be compatible. However, upon studying I have come to realise there are quite a few difference in the Accounting done in the US and the UK.

Could anybody shed some light on my career prospects in America? Is it worth going for a CIMA qualification in the UK? Anything I can do now to make myself a better candidate for a job in Accountancy in the USA.

Additional info: My sister lives in Denver, CO. I
I visit once or twice a year on the VWP.
I am 21
I have no criminal offences

Hope some of you guys can help me out here Really appreciate it!

Thank You!

christmasoompa

No idea about the degree etc, but this is the link you need re: the wait time for a visa. As you can see, they're currently processing those in your category (F4) from the UK from July 2000, so a 11.5 year wait for them. http://travel.state.gov/visa/bulleti...etin_1360.html

Of course, your wait may be longer or shorter though, depending on how many are ahead of you in the queue. And as you say, it's much longer for those from countries like the Philippines - those being processed from there now have had over a 23 year wait for their visa!

Hope that helps, and welcome to BE.

abzyleeds

Thank you for that! Man that sucks..I'll be like 35 by the time I get there! haha >.<

HarryTheSpider

I was 43 when I finally made it over - bugger - only a few more decades left to enjoy it all in.... if only I'd been able to do something while still in the womb!!!

Seriously - the sooner you apply, the sooner - etc etc!

So welcome, and good luck!

Bob

Best bet is have the sister as a back up plan, and come here through your own rights, such as a student, or through work.

Possibly consider once you graduate, getting a job with a large firm that might transfer you to the US if you've got niche skills, other wise, as you say, the qualifications won't mean to much over here. There have been a few threads on that subject though, so might get lucky and find them, but I can't remember what the recommendations might have been.

Welcome to BE too

penguinsix

Would you rather be 35 with the opportunity to move to the USA or just 35?

I know, it's a long time, and doesn't solve your immediate desires, but it might be worth starting the process now, especially if there is some reform in the next five years or so that resets priority dates, etc. Go ahead and apply, and then start thinking about other ways you might come over sooner.

retzie

From memory, E3only has posted a lot of useful information about accounting in the US, so a search for his posts may be a good start

abzyleeds

Thank you very much everybody! I completely agree, moving at 35 with the opportunity is better than not moving at all I guess.

I'll look for that guy's posts and see if anything else comes up

Either that or I'll get a tourist VISA and get someone to fall madly in love with me and marry me. YAY.

materialcontroller

Don't even need to visit the USA. Lots of us started romances with Americans online.

Best of luck to you and I hope it all works out!

abzyleeds

Appreciate it.

Can I ask how people meet each other online (from another country)? Sorry, the whole concept is quite alien to me. Pardon my ignorance! Is it through forums? online games?

I don't mind trying something new!

Cheers buddy

materialcontroller

Either of those are good places to start. Me and my gf got talking through games on Facebook. Then we started texting and chatting on Yahoo Messenger. Now it's just a case of fitting in trips when we can and thinking about the next step. Luckily for me she seems keener on moving to Britain than I am about the US!

abzyleeds

Noooooooooooooo, change her mind! hahaha, that's funny!
Sounds awesome though, nice work mate Good luck with that!

N1cky

CIMA isn't recognized in the US, you need a Bachelors Degree for most Accounting jobs, and a MBA or CPA for the higher level jobs, none of these will get you a job offer in the US with a company willing to sponser a visa. An inter-co transfer in a few years time from the UK to US would be the best route, of course you'll know, to get a decent job in Accounting in the UK you'll need CIMA or ACCA. Kinda catch 22

Karen68

My OH is CIMA qualified and also has an accountancy degree, all from the UK. He works for a British company who has global operations including the US so they are fine with US or UK qualifications. That said, to be posted to the US with them you have to be fairly senior to start with. At his level he would also have no problems getting a job with a US company as it's now his experience, not the name of the qualification that is the golden ticket.

You could also think about applying to one of the big 4. They have programmes that could send you all over the world, the US included.

Whatever you end up doing, you need to focus right now on getting a first from uni to give you the widest possible range of options. If you are desperate to get to the US, you need to find a graduate scheme with a multi-national company and impress them.

IPM

On the career track route, the Big4 route could work.
Secondments happen at all grades; my suggestions would be:

- be best in your class so you're marked as bright
- once qualified, try and focus on areas that make you marketable e.g. US GAAP/IFRS conversions; complex M&A Tax structuring etc
- get on some big audits with clients with US presence
- network aggressively with partners

If you do all this, the earliest you might be eligible for an international tour might be, say, 5/6 years after joining on a graduate program.

Good luck with it.