Anyone emigrated to the USA?

[TonyRevitt]

Well i have considered taking a working holiday in the US and i find states like California, Nevada or Texas very appealing. However from i have read i would need a green card, and its only issued if you have relations already living in the US. It all appears to be a very complicated procedure giving me the impression that the US government does not welcome immigrants. Is this correct?

There is a site for the green card lottery, I went on it and found out you can enter the green card lottery but British are excluded.

I went before 1986 when there was an amnesty, I applied for a green card then. Things change from time to time. I can only advise to stay within the legal constraints. If you have special skills I think you could go out there sell yourself and the a prospective employer could sponsor you.

[buck]

Well i have considered taking a working holiday in the US and i find states like California, Nevada or Texas very appealing. However from i have read i would need a green card, and its only issued if you have relations already living in the US. It all appears to be a very complicated procedure giving me the impression that the US government does not welcome immigrants. Is this correct?

It is possible to find seasonal work in the US without applying for a green card. You can get in with a temporary work visa. Some of these kind of jobs are a bit menial like fruit and veggie picking, or hotel work in the tourist areas. On the other hand they can be highly technical if you're lucky enough to have some skills which are not too available here. One of my friends here is a bricklayer from Reading, and believe it or not there is not much call for them, making him almost unique. It doesn't hurt that he married an American girl and will get his citizenship in 3 years as long as they stay married. My own expertise in Computer control of industrial products goes back to the early days, makilng me in demand in what we called in Britain at the time, he brain drain.

It isn't true that our government doesn't like immigrrants. We're nearly all of immigrant stock except the Indian aborigines. But the govt. has to regulate it because people are pouring in by the millions a lot of them illegally, and there aren't the resources to cope with it. I think in the case of the UK you would like your immigrants to be self reliant, honest workers, without criminal records or intent. So do we. Good luck in your endevours.

[TonyRevitt]

It is possible to find seasonal work in the US without applying for a green card. You can get in with a temporary work visa. Some of these kind of jobs are a bit menial like fruit and veggie picking, or hotel work in the tourist areas. On the other hand they can be highly technical if you're lucky enough to have some skills which are not too available here. One of my friends here is a bricklayer from Reading, and believe it or not there is not much call for them, making him almost unique. It doesn't hurt that he married an American girl and will get his citizenship in 3 years as long as they stay married. My own expertise in Computer control of industrial products goes back to the early days, makilng me in demand in what we called in Britain at the time, he brain drain.

It isn't true that our government doesn't like immigrrants. We're nearly all of immigrant stock except the Indian aborigines. But the govt. has to regulate it because people are pouring in by the millions a lot of them illegally, and there aren't the resources to cope with it. I think in the case of the UK you would like your immigrants to be self reliant, honest workers, without criminal records or intent. So do we. Good luck in your endevours.

 

Take care on the marriage thing, it is actually illegal to enter the USA with the intent of getting married, I am not sure about the three years married requirement either. I was actually married in the USA but got my citizenship after I was divorced, but then I remarried again anyhow. I actually was on a B1/B2 lifetime visa when I applied for a green card at that time I had property over there and a good credit rating and doing a highly specialized job in industrial controls. When I went for the interview I said I wanted to pay my Taxes, they are still after them. When I applied for citizenship, my main reason stated was because I wanted to vote for Bill Clinton. ( The greatest American President) I am honored that my citizenship papers are signed (electronically) by Bill

[pattricia]

My son works in Washington D.C. and lives in Maryland and loves it.Wouldnt come back for anything.Reason he went.? Income Tax & Council Tax a killer over here. Kills any incentive young people have.

[buck]

Take care on the marriage thing, it is actually illegal to enter the USA with the intent of getting married, I am not sure about the three years married requirement either. I was actually married in the USA but got my citizenship after I was divorced, but then I remarried again anyhow. I actually was on a B1/B2 lifetime visa when I applied for a green card at that time I had property over there and a good credit rating and doing a highly specialized job in industrial controls. When I went for the interview I said I wanted to pay my Taxes, they are still after them. When I applied for citizenship, my main reason stated was because I wanted to vote for Bill Clinton. ( The greatest American President) I am honored that my citizenship papers are signed (electronically) by Bill

It is illegal but a bit hard to prove. I was also on a lifetime visa at first, and in those days you had to register every year as an alien, like you were a Martian instead of caucasian. Getting a green card should have been easy because the Federal office in Massachusetts said there was space available that year for Europeans. Then when I submitted to the State labor board was told I had to advertize my job in all the major newspapers in the country using box adverts. If one American qualified and wanted my job, out I had to go. My company covered the ads, and made sure nobody qualified, then I submitted again, and was refused again. In the meantime I had buddied up with a polce captain who sent off a letter to a state senator aboyut my wife and I. THe senator apologized and toldus to go to Boston for our green cards. Its not what you know that counts.

[crookesey]

I always warm to the USA when it has a Democrat President and go off it when there is a Republican in the White House. Strange really because my politics are just right of centre I guess it's a matter of charisma, something that Bush and his dad have little of.

 

Canadians appear to be far better balanced and do have an understanding of what goes on overseas unlike Americans who appear to want every country to be a mirror image of the States. Iraq and Afganistan are not really an issue as we are just as stupid as the US government, but any country that is intent on sending even more of it's young people to their deaths is somewhere where I couldn't live.

[Floridablade]

I moved here about 13 years ago with a ten year visa I got when I lived in Spain it was pasted into my passport, it allows an alien to stay for 6 months and then leave, I simply went to Canada for 6 months then came back until finally they gave me a green card. The easiest way is to marry an American and have a joint bank account, you must have some means of financial support. The other way is to become a partner in a business and I think after a while they give you a green card but they are like hens teeth.

[Floridablade]

crookesey, You're right of course the American outlook on life is completely different from other people of the world. The average American is quite happy in his/her ignorance of world affairs and accepts the media stories as true that's why it was so easy to sell them the Iraq story of WMD.

[Eddie Rex]

Take care on the marriage thing, it is actually illegal to enter the USA with the intent of getting married, I am not sure about the three years married requirement either. I was actually married in the USA but got my citizenship after I was divorced, but then I remarried again anyhow. I actually was on a B1/B2 lifetime visa when I applied for a green card at that time I had property over there and a good credit rating and doing a highly specialized job in industrial controls. When I went for the interview I said I wanted to pay my Taxes, they are still after them. When I applied for citizenship, my main reason stated was because I wanted to vote for Bill Clinton. ( The greatest American President) I am honored that my citizenship papers are signed (electronically) by Bill

 

 

Being self employed, i buy, develop and sell property, and i would love to do that in the US! My credit rating should be perfect (not been in debt for 11 years), i have no criminal record and i would create work where ever i am. So the B1/B2 visa sounds ideal.

[Floridablade]

B1 is a vistors Visa and you would not be allowed to work even with an 850 credit rating. Florida is in desperate need of roofers in Miami Dade and Broward so you may get in through that channel. The building techiques are a bit slap happy and will drive a professional mad but if you can grit your teeth and work in 90-100 F. you could probably make it. Contact the US embassy in London and tell them your story you never know your luck.