How tough is it to go and live in the USA

[esllou]

from a legal/immigration point of view, I mean.

I'm 40, from UK, a qualified and experienced english teacher and have enough funds that I'd never have to take a penny off the state.

but it seems very tough to go and live in the US. What chances would I have?

 

[Liam3494]

None - PM me and I will explain if the answers don't come in - I tried, and failed........

 

[mini]

I'll give a bit more hope than Liam: Slim to none.

 

[Katser]

Are UK residents able to apply for the green card lottery?

it's expensive and can take up to 12 years but it might be your best hope.

other options include:

Close family sponsered visa- unlikely this is an option if you don't know about it already.

Work visa- VERY expensive on both sides-yours and the companies. they would have to REALLY want you to spend that kind of money on you.

 

[mini]

Student visa! You could go to the US for a degree program in quite a number of universities. This is probably the easiest way to go.

You might win the immigration lottery. (slim slim slim chance)

 

[esllou]

I have a brother who has a permanent residency and is married to US citizen, but isn't keen on becoming US citizen. Plus, siblings are basically bottom of the list and there's something like a 10 year wait anyway.

Why is it expensive for a company to employ me? If I contacted a company in my field and said I'd work minimum wage for, say, two years while I sorted out permanent residency, couldn't that be a possibility??

UK is not part of the green card lottery.

looks like my best chance would actually be to marry a US citizen.

 

[basilplant]

Why is it expensive for a company to employ me? If I contacted a company in my field and said I'd work minimum wage for, say, two years while I sorted out permanent residency, couldn't that be a possibility??

I worked at a hotel that "sponsored" internationals from other countries. The main purpose of this was of course to have the mother tongue of VIP guests when they came to visit, so it's certainly a selfish thing on the company's part. I can't think of one that it's into the "goodwill" thing to simply help foreigners. That visa, for the hotel though, was a specific visa so that those foreigners could ONLY work for that hotel. If they quit, they don't have a visa to work elsewhere.

Another friend of mine works for Ernst & Young. If you can find a job with a big name bank-type company like that and sell yourself to them, I'm sure they'd have no problem footing the bill for your work visa. And, yes, you stay 2 years, then start applying for residency, etc.

I'm not very knowledgable about the types of visas, but there are different levels. Maybe that'll help.

Jez

 

[Katser]

Why is it expensive for a company to employ me? If I contacted a company in my field and said I'd work minimum wage for, say, two years while I sorted out permanent residency, couldn't that be a possibility??

Well as i understand it he companywould have to pay for
attorneys and a flat fee for applying for the visa.


Although as the other poster mentioned for a big banking company the cost is nothing but you only mentioned that you have teaching experience and are over 35 which means that it would be very few and specific companies that would be looking to hire you. Ones that may not be willing to deal with the process or the expense of attorney’s etc.

Student visa is a good idea and even maybe work at a university?

 

[esllou]

But isn't a student visa only temporary and wouldn't make more permanent residency easier?

Do student visas only last for a year? If I did a longer course of, say, 3 years, would I be able to get such a long student visa and could I also work in this period?

 

[Napoleon]

from a legal/immigration point of view, I mean.

I'm 40, from UK, a qualified and experienced english teacher and have enough funds that I'd never have to take a penny off the state.

but it seems very tough to go and live in the US. What chances would I have?

A friend of mine just posted that Over 21,000 Teachers in California (alone) were just "given pink slips" (laid off/ fired).

Good luck convincing the US Govt to let an English teach who misspells "flavor", "neighbor", "theater", and several other words to come into the country and teach.

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