Moving to USA..

[nannon]

I’m not sure if this should be in jobs or travel...!
Basically, I really want to go and live in America. At the moment I am in the process of applying for Camp America which would be amazing but not long enough (apparently you can only stay the 3 months they take you out there for and can’t extend it)
Fortunately my mother has a lot of contacts all over the world, and a fair few in America. She seems very confident that they would give me a job (probably just office work for now) for as long as I wanted it.
I have been looking into Visa/Green cards and am really confused!! Can anyone please shed some light on what I need?? And how long it takes/costs etc? It seems to be saying you can only go there if you have an advanced degree in a specialised subject? I do have a degree in English but I don’t think that is what they mean! Would I have to prove I had somewhere to live as well? I’m sure I will be able to stay with someone for a couple of weeks until I found an apartment if needs be!
Any advice is much appreciated!!!

[nannon]

Well Helen, as it's Sunday she is not in the office, I wanted to see if anyone could help; preferably someone who has done it themselves who could give me hints/tips...and funnily enough I have been on there and emailed them but again as its SUNDAY I probably won't get a response today.
I wasn't asking for someone like you for you sarcy comments... but thanks for your input - very helpful....

[Buenchico]

Unless you have close family members living in the USA (or you marry a US citizen) you've absolutely no chance of moving to the USA. Even if you've got immediate family living in the USA, the process is extremely lengthy. (Friends of mine moved to the USA when they retired, to join their son who is married to an American. It took them nearly three years to get through all of the formalities).

Getting a visa to work in America (even for a short term, without actually moving there permanently) is extremely hard Apart from a few special exceptions (such as Camp America, businessman visiting for short-term periods, journalists and academics) the usual test is that visa applicants must have 'extraordinary ability' within certain fields. (e.g. David Beckham can work in the USA because he's an international player. A Premier League player, without international experience, would probably not qualify. Similarly talented research scientists, working on a possible cure for cancer, can get visas to work in the USA; someone who just has a science degree can't).

For information upon getting a visa to work in the USA, without being granted residence status, see here:
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/niv/index.html

Similar (but stricter) criteria apply to emigrating to the USA:
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/iv/index.html

Unemployment in the USA is high. The Obama administration has banned any organisation which has received state funding, to help it through the recession, from offering new employment to foreign nationals. Further, it has pledged to rigorously enforce the rules to keep the number of new immigrant workers elsewhe

[Buenchico]

. . . to an absolute minimum.

The UK doesn't allow people from (say) Afghanistan or Ghana to come and work here unless there are exceptional circumstances. The USA has similar policies when considering work or residence applications from British citizens.

Chris
(I hate it when AB cuts off the end of a post like that!)

[Mr Veritas]

To get a "Green Card" that is a work Visa for the USa you have to be part of what is known as the "Green Card Lottery".
US Immigration enters ALL Work Visa Applications into a draw,and from them the quota of workers applying is drwan.
These can be from practically any country in the world that is included in the lottery,unfortunately (for whatever reasons) US Immigration does NOT include the UK in the green card lottery.
So as Chris says,unless you have "extraordinary ability" your chances are probably zero of getting a green card.
I believe that Canada(in different ways) is almost as bad,but New Zealand and Australia,whilst difficult, are not inpossible.
Sorry to be so negative,but I wouldn't want you to live in a fool's paradise!

[nannon]

Thank you very much for your answers! :)
I figured it would be difficult but not impossible! Rubbish!
But if some on a compant over there WANTED me to work for them would that make a difference?
Also, if i went on the 90 day visa would I be able to sort something out over there to stay? Apart from marrying someone!! haha! Although right now its not seeming like a bad idea.........!

[nannon]

Thank you very much for your answers! :)
I figured it would be difficult but not impossible! Rubbish!
But if some in a company over there WANTED me to work for them would that make a difference?
Also, if i went on the 90 day visa would I be able to sort something out over there to stay? Apart from marrying someone!! haha! Although right now its not seeming like a bad idea.........!

[Mr Veritas]

A 90 day visa is exactly what it says,a 90 day visa.
When the 90 days are up you had better leave pronto,if you overstay you will either be booted out,or possibly end up in jail.Either way you would not be able to enter the US (on any visa) ever again.Believe me US Immigration is not a nice department to cross or even to deal with.
In the past (before the world recession) IF you could get a US company to offer you employment,there was a possibility of getting a Green Card.
However,as Chris' post shows President Obama has closed this opening, to allow such jobs as there are to be given to US citizens.
The marriage loophole has also been closed,so if you marry a US citizen you "might" be allowed to reside in the US (only might) but you would not be allowed to work.If you were caught working when married to a US Citizen then the deportation/jail option (above) would apply.
The US (more now than ever) is determined not to let people in to work that they don't want to.
I would really start to look at other countries (all of the EU) where it is easier to be allowed to work.
If you must work in an English Speaking country,then as I said before Australia and New Zealand are easier,but all countries are tightening up on their non citizen entries due to the recession.

[Mr Veritas]

PS:~
If you enter the US on a 90 day visa,no employer would consider employing you without a Green Card,so you would be back to square one.
You would not be more likely to get a green card just because you are already in the US,it just doesn't work that way.
It's who you are,and what country you come from.
The UK is not in the Green Card Lottery so the US would not consider you.

[Mr Veritas]

PPS:~
If you attempt to go down the overstay 90 days route,and get caught working,I hope you are not young and pretty(and male) there are a lot of very frustrated guys in US prisons!
LOL but true.

[craft1948]

nannon a top company in the USA (AT&T) was desperate for a friend of mine to work for them (he has a 1st class honours degree in electronic engineering).......they wangled him through temporarily as a consultant on annual contracts but despite all their efforts to get him a green card for 3 years they were unsuccessful.........he managed to get one after 5 years 'cos he married an american citizen............so yes, it is virtually impossible.