iheartny

Hi everyone

I've been reading the forums for a while and thought I would finally post something...

My fiance and I are really keen (when I say keen, i mean ITCHING) to move to NYC. We've visited twice now, and had that overwhelming desire to move there which I'm sure others can understand. Unfortunately at the moment we're renting a flat in London (well, Twickenham) and because of money issues also we will have to wait around 2/3 yrs before we can move over there

By then, my fiance will be my husband, and he will also be a qualified accountant (fingers crossed). I will most likely be with the same company (think the home of Mickey Mouse ) and I am hoping I can be relocated to NYC on a L1 visa.

I'd love to hear from anyone in a similar situation or of a similar age to us (around 25) who has done the same, or any views on the subject that anyone has, both positive or negative...

I am SO impatient and bug my fiance everyday about the subject, but just can't wait to get out there we may stay a year or we may stay forever, but at least we can say we've done it

Ray

This may help ....

penguinsix

Hi,

Good luck with chasing this dream. As you'll come to find out, the visa issue can really be a stopper for most people, dead in their tracks, so you might look at structuring your career and his along the lines of what is best to get you over here the soonest.

Now, that said, I would encourage you to do something else: keep living your life. For the next few years, don't hold out 'New York' as the end all, be all of your happiness. Don't think 'I don't care about this because I'll be in NY soon enough'. Continue to do things, be social, make friends and commitments in the UK as if you were not coming to the US in the future.

It's actually for two reasons, first you might not get the visa, but second, the 'grass is greener' syndrome is a big shocker for a lot of expats who DO actually make it over. The roads are not paved with gold, life is not easier, money does not grow on trees, etc. Having a realistic 'home' in the UK and a realistic view of the US is probably the best thing I can recommend over the next few years. Entering the US without rose colored glasses (and remembering the UK as it is, not just the bad, or the just the good) will make your time here a lot easier and more enjoyable.

Good luck with your quest.

pejpm1

I'm 25 and I live here. I moved in April on an L1B. I'd spend quite a lot of time out here before (visited 10+ times) so it wasnt as much of a big move as if I'd moved to somewhere unknown. As long as you can find a company that is willing to transfer you the visa part of it is pretty simple. I've been with my company for 4 years and they asked me last December if I fancied it so I said yes.

It's a great city for night life, but imo the action is in London at the moment. Not to say I dont like it here, but visiting here and living here are two very different things. It's convenient here. i.e. i get my laundry done and they drop it off at my apartment and it's dirt cheap. Cabs are cheap and it's easy to get around the city. I feel a bit constricted here though. It's like if someone took all of london and squashed it into zone 1. The city (the city is what most peopel call manhattan) is fine, there are a lot of cool places in brooklyn, but other than that it's about it. I have no reason to go to staten island, the bronx, or most of queens..so it actually makes the place feel rather small. you know how they say london is like a collection of little villages? well thats what I miss. london is a lot more spread out and there are more parks and green spaces throughout. put it this way, i was born and raised in london and I never once felt the urge to 'get out' for a day or weekend. Obviously I would travel to different places, but it was never because i felt claustrophobic or wanted to get away. Here i regularly feel like i wanted to get out, and the reality of not being close to Europe is starting to sink in as well. It's a very ugly city compared to most european cities, and it's very dirty compared to London. I would advise anyone to live here to try it, but the reality of living here compared to just visiting might make you think twice.

on the other hand, the weather is great during the summer and the nightlife is fantastic!

Manc

What will you do if you get offered an L1B visa to say.......

Tulsa Oklahoma?


because
a) chances of getting a visa are few and far between
b) you don't really get to pick where you end up

pejpm1

a) If the company are willing to transfer then the process is very easy and you do not need to be anywhere near as highly skilled as they make out. Dont forget she isnt trying to find a job with a US employer, she has already said she wants to go down the l1b route. Its not as hard as some make it out to be.

b) Well she can in that if they have an office in NYC she can say that she only wants to move there. It's not like she's applying for a lottery. When I moved we only had an office in NY, so thats where I moved. I doubt they'd simply say 'you can move to the USA but we get to choose where'.

Manc

so you didn't get to picked where they sent you too.......

Duncan Roberts

Why not? That kind of thing happens all the time. If there are multiple offices they offer to send you where they need you. If it's not where you had hoped you then have to decide if you want to go there or wait and see if you can get an offer where you want. Your case was a little different because there was no other options, what would have happened if they had 15 different offices and they offered you a job in their Toledo Ohio one?

Oh, and when the OP says "home of Mickey Mouse" I think of a store worker at the Disney store. That may or may not be accurate. You say a transfer is not as complicated as people make out but I can't think too many store workers at the Disney store have made the transfer to a US store.

Ray

There's a bright, golden haze on the meadow
There's a bright, golden haze on the meadow.
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye
And it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky.

Oh, what a beautiful Mornin'
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I've got a beautiful feelin'
Everything's goin' my way.

All the cattle are standin' like statues
All the cattle are standin' like statues
They don't turn their heads as they see me ride by
But a little brown mav'rick is winkin' her eye

pejpm1

haha, i suppose not when you put it like that! but its not like they 'sent' me. they asked if i'd be interested in moving to NY and i said yes. they knew my gf is american and her uk visa was going to expire so they knew that i would be interested (i'd mentioned it before) its not like there was any major business reason for asking me to move over aside from the fact that Ive been with the firm a while and could hit the ground running.

E3only

I have a general question - may not be 100% relevant to the thread but company transfer are mentioned.

What if one goes there on L1 visa and the company starts GC processing and say in 6 months the company desides to close its US branch?

That menas the L1 is invalid and one has to leave US ?

Thanks

Rete

You got it in one. Look up "Honeymommy" Her hubby was here and the green card process started but lo and behold, company let him go. He had no choice but to leave.

E3only

So asking your employer to start the GC process has no advantages ?

I mean if they let you go or the company is sold or the branch is
taken away - your visa is zilch.........

MsElui

the advantage is that the sooner its started - the sooner its completed and your safer. Someone recently posted their L1 to GC took 3 months!

We are trying to kick off the GC process at the moment too if we can get the company to agree.

We were given a choice of three places where the company had locations that had relevant IT personnel to my husbands job. Columbus, NYC, and Phoenix. I am sooooooo glad we chose Columbus as I think I would have hated the other 2.

E3only

Understand. But not so much of a advantage for anyone from
mainland CHINA,India or Mexico.....3 months !! well lucky
if it gets done in 6-7 years.