UK graduate + Turkish graduate hoping to move to California

[phileagles]

Myself and my girlfriend from Turkey are hoping to move to California next year. We are both university graduates. I graduated in Computer Networks & Web Design and she graduated in International Relations.

What would be the best way to secure employment there? I understand that I would need a VISA of some sort but I am unsure of how to apply for one.

My girlfriend is willing to work as an Au Pair whilst her english improves and eventually find a more suitable job to her qualifications.

Ideally I would like to be offered graduate job from a company who is willing to sponser me but I can't seem to find any websites that advertise this.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Phil

[Bevdeforges]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Obviously you both will need visas in order to go live and work in the US. In the case of your girlfriend, I would be very careful about going the au pair route. In most European countries, there is a special and quite strict statute that regulates those on an au pair visa - they must be treated properly, their work load is limited and they must be allowed time off, including time to attend classes in the local language and culture. There is none of that in the US.

Too many Americans do not distinguish between an au pair and a nanny, and they expect an au pair to be a general housekeeper and child minder, often working long hours with limited time off. It's also not possible to convert an au pair visa to another type while in the US. After her year or 18 months as an au pair, she will have to go back home before she can apply for any other sort of visa.

There aren't really any (reputable) websites with the sort of job listings you are looking for. The problem is that the standard H1B visa for bringing foreign workers over to the US is vastly over subscribed - so much so that there is a lottery held among the applicants twice a year for the available visas.

It is also fairly expensive for a company to sponsor overseas candidates for jobs, both in terms of the fees they are required to pay and the administrative hassle they go through to prove that they have attempted to find local candidates who fill the bill.

Your best chances would be to find jobs where you are with an international or American company that could transfer you to the US after a few years. If you are determined to go the H1B route, your chances would be considerably better if you both had a few years of experience in your fields before trying to find jobs in the US. (I'm told that this year the job market for recent university graduates is particularly tough in the US, so it's unlikely most employers will be interested in hiring from overseas unless you have some very unique skill or experience to offer.) There is also a better chance that the immigration regulations may be rationalized a bit after the elections in the US in November, but as with all things it will take time.
Cheers,
Bev

[phileagles]

Thanks for your reply Bev,

I knew moving to the states wouldn't be easy! The only other option would be if my girlfriend moved to England instead but I think the weather in this country puts her off more than anything else! This is the main reason I want to move out

I have been thinking about Austrialia as I have heard they have a big skills shortage and the weather is good too! Do you have any knowledge of Aussi?

Cheers

Phil