Moving to America!

[NathanS]

Hi all!

Well, firstly it's amazing to have found this place - such a great community

I was hoping for some advice. Has anyone moved from the UK to the US successfully? If so, can you maybe tell me the little hitches you came across along the way? I'm fairly confident in my ability to find a job, having now 8 years experience in my field of expertise - however, any advice would just be fantastic.

Thanks all!

[lucybelle]

What visa are you planning on using? Getting a work visa is nearly impossible.

I recommend you check out www.visajourney.com

Good luck!

[Haley53]

Depending on what type of work you do, your credentials may not translate the same and that's something to look into. Also, it's important to note that even with experience, people here are currently having difficulty finding work. That doesn't mean it's impossible, but it does mean you should be patient and also be willing to look for jobs outside of your current field. While the job situation is looking up, it will take a few years to start stabilising and so depending on when you planned to move, resting on your laurels might not be the best course of action. It can also take some time to actually get the greencard to legalise you working in the U.S., so your SO should plan to support you both for a few months at least.

That's about as far as I know about that side of the process. I have never made the move, but that is what I can say about the current job situation and from what I have heard from people who have gone through the process.

ETA: Oh, I had assumed this was for a fiance visa. If this is for a work visa, it is pretty damn near impossible, seeing as your employer not only has to pay to sponsor you but prove there's no qualified American to do the work. Even if you're more qualified than an American, hiring an American will always be cheaper, and there's a lot of competition for job openings right now.

[Oldblighty]

Hi NathanS and welcome to LFAD!!

Haven't successfully moved as of yet but I'm currently going through the I-130 visa process because I married an American citizen. Would be great if you could find a job and acquire a visa that way. I'm sure there are many peeps on here with better advice....

[elizabethjp2010]

are you moving to texas? ( i saw your SO lives here)
know that we have no rail system, dallas has a tiny one but it doesnt go very far.
since i grew up here i dont have any advice, but bring shorts it gets hot here

[NathanS]

Thanks for all the replies!

From a job perspective I guess I lucked out - the company I work for here also has offices in the US, and they have no issues in transferring me. Prior to that, I was going to move on the fiance visa indeed. I suppose it's at least great that I can pop back and forth to the US on the "Visa Waiver Programme" without having to worry about all the hassles of a visa, just highly irritating that I have to _leave_ the US in order to do the work transfer because of the terms of said programme!

The type of work I'm in is IT, I presume the degree + the professional accreditations (Microsoft, Cisco, VMWare etc) translate the same? I'm obviously prepared to wait and search and apply non stop for a job if needed! I have thankfully enough saved up to be able to not rely on my SO to support us both through that time either - that's of course presuming the transfer doesn't work / I encounter any issues (always a possibility!)

[Tooki]

If your current company is happy to transfer you, you should be fine on that front.

And IT is global, and pretty tranferrable, so you should be fine on that front as well.

Good luck!

[Moon]

Thanks for all the replies!

From a job perspective I guess I lucked out - the company I work for here also has offices in the US, and they have no issues in transferring me. Prior to that, I was going to move on the fiance visa indeed. I suppose it's at least great that I can pop back and forth to the US on the "Visa Waiver Programme" without having to worry about all the hassles of a visa, just highly irritating that I have to _leave_ the US in order to do the work transfer because of the terms of said programme!

The type of work I'm in is IT, I presume the degree + the professional accreditations (Microsoft, Cisco, VMWare etc) translate the same? I'm obviously prepared to wait and search and apply non stop for a job if needed! I have thankfully enough saved up to be able to not rely on my SO to support us both through that time either - that's of course presuming the transfer doesn't work / I encounter any issues (always a possibility!)

Hey Nathan. I'm in IT also, your degree and certs will carry over here, no problem. I'm not sure how open the field is in Texas, but here in the northeast there are technical jobs available Good luck, and welcome to LFAD, btw.

[NathanS]

Perfect! Thanks for all your help.