Moving To The USA

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

The Situation

Striker
I was just looking into this tonight in the hope that maybe something would come up in the future in which I could consider relocating over there.

From the (admittedly little) research I've done, it seems a very long winded process in which you have to have an employer guaranteeing you work to get a work Visa which they have to pay thousands for (not going to happen these days unless you're very highly skilled).

There's no chance of just going over there with your savings, seeing what happens with regards to work etc when you get there and if it doesn't work out just coming back, is there?

Compare that to over here where they'd set most people up for life with a house, money every week, free healthcare etc if you wanted to relocate to the UK :lol:
 


The Situation said:
I was just looking into this tonight in the hope that maybe something would come up in the future in which I could consider relocating over there.

From the (admittedly little) research I've done, it seems a very long winded process in which you have to have an employer guaranteeing you work to get a work Visa which they have to pay thousands for (not going to happen these days unless you're very highly skilled).

There's no chance of just going over there with your savings, seeing what happens with regards to work etc when you get there and if it doesn't work out just coming back, is there?

Compare that to over here where they'd set most people up for life with a house, money every week, free healthcare etc if you wanted to relocate to the UK :lol:
Click to expand...

Load of shite to be fair.
 
The Situation said:
Aye, I was exaggerating to be fair. Apologies.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's similar both ways. Some routes are easier one way than the other but it's not easy either way.

For a visa, you'd need to be sponsored and your sponsor (employer) would have to prove you had valuable skills otherwise not available locally. As you say, depending on what you do, this might not be possible.

There's the greencard lottery, not open to British citizens though.

That then leaves the family route, ie marry an american.
 
I have an L1 visa for three years....had to be sponsored by my company as a senior experienced person....partner is American and highly likely that I will stay here for good. I can't see me ever returning to the UK to work.
 
Last edited:
I'll give you the benefit of my experiences this year, I moved over here in July.

I have an L1 visa, which is for an intracompany transfer so unlikely to be an option for you. You need to be working for a company already (or at least have worked for them for a year in the last three) and the company need to be able to prove you are specially skilled for the job. I was fortunate enough to have certain speciailities and a company that really wanted me for the job.

There's an H1 visa which a UK company can apply for on your behalf, if you're a specialised employee, and only just being employed for the job. You can search for this kind of job back home, but I bet they're very hard to find. It's very hard to get into the US to work unless you're being sponsored by your employer. An H not so different to an L but I think they need to work harder to prove they need to employ a Brit rather than an American.

Some companies (including mine) do enough business with and within the US that they have a special visa treaty, granting them E visas without too much scrutiny. Again probably not an option for you.

You'll probably need an H1B visa (temporary work visa) but as said, you need a US sponsor company.

You are allowed to travel for up to a year on a B1 visa, but not to work. You need to prove that you can support yourself in this time. Several grand in the bank should be enough. There's nothing stopping you getting here on a B, and applying for a job on the condition and if they want you bad enough the company will apply for an H1B visa on your behalf once you're here. This is perfectly legal. My other half is on a B2. You'd probably need to prove you had a travel itinerary and possibly a return flight to get one.

It isn't too expensive to get visas but its not cheap either. My company employed lawyers to do all the leg work but you could do a B application yourself. What you can't avoid is the $500 "fraud prevention fee" at the embassy.

In terms of timeline, you need to apply for an appointment at the embassy in London, I had to wait six weeks, and once granted on the day it only takes a few days to come through.

It will be hard, though, to get in without a job to go to.

Cost of living can be very high, can be quite low. I'm in a decent part of the NY metropolitan area and my rent on a large 2-bed apartment is $3000 a month. My healthcare is company paid but my other half, who is on a B2 visa (2 meaning dependent) has a visitors health insurance designed for people on B visas which costs me around $1000 a year for a reasonable level of cover.

PM me if you have any else you want to ask.
 
Beau Peep said:
I'll give you the benefit of my experiences this year, I moved over here in July.

I have an L1 visa, which is for an intracompany transfer so unlikely to be an option for you. You need to be working for a company already (or at least have worked for them for a year in the last three) and the company need to be able to prove you are specially skilled for the job. I was fortunate enough to have certain speciailities and a company that really wanted me for the job.

There's an H1 visa which a UK company can apply for on your behalf, if you're a specialised employee, and only just being employed for the job. You can search for this kind of job back home, but I bet they're very hard to find. It's very hard to get into the US to work unless you're being sponsored by your employer. An H not so different to an L but I think they need to work harder to prove they need to employ a Brit rather than an American.

Some companies (including mine) do enough business with and within the US that they have a special visa treaty, granting them E visas without too much scrutiny. Again probably not an option for you.

You'll probably need an H1B visa (temporary work visa) but as said, you need a US sponsor company.

You are allowed to travel for up to a year on a B1 visa, but not to work. You need to prove that you can support yourself in this time. Several grand in the bank should be enough. There's nothing stopping you getting here on a B, and applying for a job on the condition and if they want you bad enough the company will apply for an H1B visa on your behalf once you're here. This is perfectly legal. My other half is on a B2. You'd probably need to prove you had a travel itinerary and possibly a return flight to get one.

It isn't too expensive to get visas but its not cheap either. My company employed lawyers to do all the leg work but you could do a B application yourself. What you can't avoid is the $500 "fraud prevention fee" at the embassy.

In terms of timeline, you need to apply for an appointment at the embassy in London, I had to wait six weeks, and once granted on the day it only takes a few days to come through.

It will be hard, though, to get in without a job to go to.

Cost of living can be very high, can be quite low. I'm in a decent part of the NY metropolitan area and my rent on a large 2-bed apartment is $3000 a month. My healthcare is company paid but my other half, who is on a B2 visa (2 meaning dependent) has a visitors health insurance designed for people on B visas which costs me around $1000 a year for a reasonable level of cover.

PM me if you have any else you want to ask.
Click to expand...

Brilliant stuff mate, thanks a lot for taking the time to post all that.

The bit in bold sounds like an excellent idea actually.
 
Last edited:
ReaL Madras said:
I have an L1 visa for three years....had to be sponsored by my company as a senior experienced person....partner is American and highly likely that I will stay here for good. I can't see me ever returning to the UK to work.
Click to expand...

Yer knar it makes sense marra. You couldn't drag me bag to the UK to live and thats not cos I'm a fat bastard.

cluffy said:
If you move there my advice would be: don't get ill.
Click to expand...

Why, it costs me $15 to go to the doctors and $10 for my presciption.
 
Beau Peep said:
I'll give you the benefit of my experiences this year, I moved over here in July.

I have an L1 visa, which is for an intracompany transfer so unlikely to be an option for you. You need to be working for a company already (or at least have worked for them for a year in the last three) and the company need to be able to prove you are specially skilled for the job. I was fortunate enough to have certain speciailities and a company that really wanted me for the job.

There's an H1 visa which a UK company can apply for on your behalf, if you're a specialised employee, and only just being employed for the job. You can search for this kind of job back home, but I bet they're very hard to find. It's very hard to get into the US to work unless you're being sponsored by your employer. An H not so different to an L but I think they need to work harder to prove they need to employ a Brit rather than an American.

Some companies (including mine) do enough business with and within the US that they have a special visa treaty, granting them E visas without too much scrutiny. Again probably not an option for you.

You'll probably need an H1B visa (temporary work visa) but as said, you need a US sponsor company.

You are allowed to travel for up to a year on a B1 visa, but not to work. You need to prove that you can support yourself in this time. Several grand in the bank should be enough. There's nothing stopping you getting here on a B, and applying for a job on the condition and if they want you bad enough the company will apply for an H1B visa on your behalf once you're here. This is perfectly legal. My other half is on a B2. You'd probably need to prove you had a travel itinerary and possibly a return flight to get one.

It isn't too expensive to get visas but its not cheap either. My company employed lawyers to do all the leg work but you could do a B application yourself. What you can't avoid is the $500 "fraud prevention fee" at the embassy.

In terms of timeline, you need to apply for an appointment at the embassy in London, I had to wait six weeks, and once granted on the day it only takes a few days to come through.

It will be hard, though, to get in without a job to go to.

Cost of living can be very high, can be quite low. I'm in a decent part of the NY metropolitan area and my rent on a large 2-bed apartment is $3000 a month. My healthcare is company paid but my other half, who is on a B2 visa (2 meaning dependent) has a visitors health insurance designed for people on B visas which costs me around $1000 a year for a reasonable level of cover.

PM me if you have any else you want to ask.
Click to expand...

Jesus wept.

They're about as wedded to the free market as a fish is to a sand dune.
 
Beau Peep said:
I'll give you the benefit of my experiences this year, I moved over here in July.

I have an L1 visa, which is for an intracompany transfer so unlikely to be an option for you. You need to be working for a company already (or at least have worked for them for a year in the last three) and the company need to be able to prove you are specially skilled for the job. I was fortunate enough to have certain speciailities and a company that really wanted me for the job.

There's an H1 visa which a UK company can apply for on your behalf, if you're a specialised employee, and only just being employed for the job. You can search for this kind of job back home, but I bet they're very hard to find. It's very hard to get into the US to work unless you're being sponsored by your employer. An H not so different to an L but I think they need to work harder to prove they need to employ a Brit rather than an American.

Some companies (including mine) do enough business with and within the US that they have a special visa treaty, granting them E visas without too much scrutiny. Again probably not an option for you.

You'll probably need an H1B visa (temporary work visa) but as said, you need a US sponsor company.

You are allowed to travel for up to a year on a B1 visa, but not to work. You need to prove that you can support yourself in this time. Several grand in the bank should be enough. There's nothing stopping you getting here on a B, and applying for a job on the condition and if they want you bad enough the company will apply for an H1B visa on your behalf once you're here. This is perfectly legal. My other half is on a B2. You'd probably need to prove you had a travel itinerary and possibly a return flight to get one.

It isn't too expensive to get visas but its not cheap either. My company employed lawyers to do all the leg work but you could do a B application yourself. What you can't avoid is the $500 "fraud prevention fee" at the embassy.

In terms of timeline, you need to apply for an appointment at the embassy in London, I had to wait six weeks, and once granted on the day it only takes a few days to come through.

It will be hard, though, to get in without a job to go to.

Cost of living can be very high, can be quite low. I'm in a decent part of the NY metropolitan area and my rent on a large 2-bed apartment is $3000 a month. My healthcare is company paid but my other half, who is on a B2 visa (2 meaning dependent) has a visitors health insurance designed for people on B visas which costs me around $1000 a year for a reasonable level of cover.

PM me if you have any else you want to ask.
Click to expand...

Nice account of the basics, and something similar to what I did, thought the wife was the one who had the intracompany transfer and had the better visa.

Just highlighted the bit in bold about travel as I thought that was the case too. While it states that on websites and the embassy tells you this, you can be stopped from entering back by the emigration officer at the airport on your return.

First time away with my B1 in hand, the officer at JFK was reluctant to let me back in as he thought I was trying to become a US resident. Told me he could send me home back to the UK right then.

Got married not soon after that and had my visa changed so I could travel with no problems. The wife's company even got us a greencard.

So when ever is say's you can travel just be aware that the guy at the door can still stop you getting back and the lower the vise the more chance you will have of having this problem.
 
Mr Muggles said:
Mcdonalds?
Click to expand...

NYC taxis, although it costs the drivers three figures a shift to even rent the cab.

It's amazing how many people here have nothing jobs, things like standing on the streets with a big sign handing out leaflets.

Blame Me said:
Nice account of the basics, and something similar to what I did, thought the wife was the one who had the intracompany transfer and had the better visa.

Just highlighted the bit in bold about travel as I thought that was the case too. While it states that on websites and the embassy tells you this, you can be stopped from entering back by the emigration officer at the airport on your return.

First time away with my B1 in hand, the officer at JFK was reluctant to let me back in as he thought I was trying to become a US resident. Told me he could send me home back to the UK right then.

Got married not soon after that and had my visa changed so I could travel with no problems. The wife's company even got us a greencard.

So when ever is say's you can travel just be aware that the guy at the door can still stop you getting back and the lower the vise the more chance you will have of having this problem.
Click to expand...

This is a bit of a concern. We came back together in October and she got a lot of questions, do you work, how are we connected, when are you planning to return to the UK, all sorts. Am a bit concerned that first time she travelsinto the US alone and I'm not there with my Visa in hand, they'll give her a worse time. Particularly as she has an unusual 3 year B visa (because it's linked to my 3 year L visa)

They just dont see a lot of these visa combinations often.

It smarts a bit getting such a hard time with valid visas when you see planeloads of Chinese blatantly bringing their whole lives in cardboard boxes through Arrivals...
 
Beau Peep said:
Tell me about it. How all the unskilled and uneducated Mexicans, Asians, Africans etc managed to get here, stay here and get jobs here is beyond me.
Click to expand...

I suppose if your economy is propped up by dirt cheap labour, as all of ours are, you need more of the exploited than you do of anyone else.

If only to drive down the cost of labour at that end. But apparently we all win so keep flying that flag. ;)
 
All good advice so far mate, I have a 10 year B2 multiple visit visa and I had a H1/H2 visa as I spent the summer working at a camp for kids with disabilities via Camp America.

The B2 visa was a pain in the backside to get and first time round I was denied it as I did not show enough evidence I was going to return home (I was going to spend 6 months in Texas coaching rugby before starting Uni) so for a month while I reapplied I was permenantly banned from America :lol: Second time round reapplied and got it all sorted and have used it for 6 months in America and then again recently for visiting my mrs for 2 weeks in Minnesota.

In my last year of Uni now and then I am going to do a masters in Occupational Therapy and move over there to work straight after that. As said earlier it is hard for US citizens to get into this country aswell. My Mrs is a nurse in minneapolis and the application process for her to nurse over here and live with me whilst I do my masters is torture and as we are not married yet it is even more of a ballache.

My only advice would be make sure you have plenty of evidence, are well prepared and enjoy your massively long wait in the embassy :lol:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top