So basically a visa application done personally will cost me thousands of dollars? Am I best to get an immigration attorney or get outside help? I am in liaison with the Florida Education Board so was hoping you could all give me some advice from your own personal experiences. I am weighing up my options and seeing whether it is viable/worth the hassle.

No...it will cost your employer thousands of dollars. The employer must get the visa ball rolling and they must pay for it.

A question to ask yourself...why would they do that when there are thousands of USC teachers that have been laid off and are looking for work?

As Jerseygirl already suggested:

READ THIS!

...AND THIS!

...then perhaps you'll have a better starting point from which to ask specific questions.

An employer-sponsored visa to citizenship might run like this:
1/ the employer sponsors you for an H1b and you can work at the school
2/ the employer further sponsors you for residency and you become a permenant resident. At this stage you are no longer tied to your employer and there is no clock counting down to your leaving.
3/ After 5 years as a permenant resident, you naturalize as a US citizen.

Important points to above:
1/ The employer usually foots the bill. Expect it to cost them $5k to $10k.
2/ This is at the whim of the employer. Sensible people get it written into their contracts. Some employers expect contributions from their employee. Expect the total bill to be $10k or more.
3/ Your choice and usually quite DIY. Expect to fork out $500 to $1000 for the whole thing.

But if you want to just "buy a visa" half a million bucks on the table will buy you residency and place you at step 2.

Yes I would also like to know.

probably cos I and Shamu live there

Everybody and their dog wants to move to Florida...why?

Apart from the Ray and Shamu factor

I have always asked and wondered that about the people who come on here and want to move to Florida. I've only been there once, a week in January and it was ok. But, I've heard that its terribly warm in the summer, extremely high humidity and bugs galore! So I will join in again and ask why?

Although I'm beginning to think its what Ray has suggested....

Why do I feel victimised for asking a question on a forum? Surely the raison d'etre for this forum is to share experiences and advice.

Thank you kindly to those of you who have given my things to think about. It appears as though I will have to cross Florida off my list given that I am highly unlikely to be considered against a US citizen of similar standing.

Sorry if our comments about Florida offended you. We get many people each week asking about moving to Florida. The US is a huge country...why not broaden your outlook...rather than choosing a state with high unemployment? You mentioned that you are liaising with the Florida Education Board maybe they can offer you something.

Edit: Unfortunately you have chosen one of the hardest countries to move to...have you considered Canada or Australia?

You're not shacked up with that bloody whale again, are you? It'll come to no good - you mark my words.

That's great, but there are still some questions left unanswered. I asked them, because a potential employer is more likely to want someone with 10 years experience vs someone with no experience. Further, most high schools require that you have a Master's degree (and many will specifically require a Master of Arts in Teaching), although just about any Master's degree will do.

Ian

I am always slightly surprised by people who come on here asking very basic questions, which usually could be answered by clicking on the Really Really read me link but seem to have spent many many years doing research to obtain their qualifications.

That's great, but are you state certified to teach in that state?

Basically you can realistically expect your chances of getting a visa to teach in the US as zero, unless you are at the university level.

If you're read the wiki and can say yes to any of the other visa routes, your chances will improve.