Moving to Boston (or around there)

[RachelC]

Hi,

I was wondering whether anyone could help. I am considering moving to America, ideally Boston or the surrounding areas (I understand that Boston is quite pricey). My dad was born in USA and even though he's lived in England for about 45 / 50 years, he has retained a dual passport. I have heard it may therefore be slightly easier for me to 'get in' compared to someone without an american parent but my partner and I aren't married at this point so I'm guessing it would be still difficult for him?

In terms of jobs, I have an English degree and a Masters degree in Human Resources and have been working as an HR Adviser for the past few years. My partner is a bricklayer but also plays football semi-pro. We would both be looking for work pretty much immediately but to be honest I have no clue where to start in terms of looking for work / areas to live / houses etc let alone what forms to fill in to get into the country.

If anyone could offer advice on how to get started I'd appreciate it,

Thanks

Rachel

[Fatbrit]

Originally Posted by RachelC

In terms of jobs, I have an English degree and a Masters degree in Human Resources and have been working as an HR Adviser for the past few years. My partner is a bricklayer but also plays football semi-pro. We would both be looking for work pretty much immediately but to be honest I have no clue where to start in terms of looking for work / areas to live / houses etc let alone what forms to fill in to get into the country.

If anyone could offer advice on how to get started I'd appreciate it,

You don't just move to America, find a job and stay, I'm afraid. Whilst you certainly can do it, you'll be on the other side of the law and there's really no future to it.

Your first task is to discover whether your father could have transmitted US citizenship to you. This depends on when you were born, how long your father spent in the US before your birth, and--possibly--whether your father was married to your mother at the time of your birth. If this fails, search for user "crys' on this ofrum who is trying to establish a more complicated route using grandparents.

[Bevdeforges]

In effect, the only way your US citizen father can help get you into the US is if he can transmit US citizenship to you. If he can't, it won't do you much (i.e. any) good having an American parent unless they are currently resident in the US.

Barring your being able to qualify as a US citizen, the usual route is to find a job first, so that the employer "sponsors" your visa application. You can bring a spouse, but not a "partner." (And in any event, the trailing spouse usually can't work on a dependent visa.)

To get a feel for the Boston area, take a look at the website for the Boston Globe Boston.com - they have regional editions as well as job and housing ads you can scan to get an idea for yourself. And they generally cover most of the New England area (i.e. the six states in the northeast corner of the US).
Cheers,
Bev