Moving to America - General Advice

cdacks · #1 (**permalink**) 15th July 2007, 04:13 PM

Hello,

Me and my boyfriend have spent some time travelling the West Coast and would love to return and work for 6-12 months. We are thinking either California (LA?) or otherwise trying somewhere like Miami.

My boyfriend is a plumber and I am a legal secretary but we have no idea where we start looking for jobs in America, where to live, cost of living - would we have to rent or could we get a mortgage? How do we apply for visas and what sort of visa would we need?

So many questions and not the first idea of where to start looking!!

Any advice would be brill!!

synthia · #2 (**permalink**) 15th July 2007, 04:51 PM

Where are you from? Are you planning to work illegally? Do you have US passports?

Your boyfriend might be able to pick up work plumbing without having a work permit, because he can do day work, but anyone hiring a secretary is going to ask for proof of your right to work in the US. Especially a law firm.

atlast · #3 (**permalink**) 17th July 2007, 06:23 PM

If you are planning to work illegally, you should be aware that many of the illegal workers you hear so much about work at jobs requiring hard physical labor for very low pay. Those that have better jobs have usually purchased forged papers in order to be able to work. I've heard of people getting work in bars, on construction sites, and as maids.

cdacks · #4 (**permalink**) 17th July 2007, 06:25 PM

Hello,

No we dont plan on working illegally! We would like to work and live there for a number of months but legally!

easylife · #5 (**permalink**) 17th July 2007, 06:44 PM

How do you plan to get a work permit? There are only a few ways. There's the plan administered by BUNAC, but you have to be a university student or recently graduated. We have a working holiday plan with New Zealand, but applications are processed once a year, in May, so you've missed out on that. I think there may be a new country where we have a WHV arrangement.

The only other way is if you already have a US passport or you can get a company to sponsor you. To sponsor you, they must show that they can't find and hire a qualified American.

awayinamerica · #6 (**permalink**) 7th August 2007, 01:24 AM

I would recommend that you get a job before moving there. You can look on craigslist for jobs. Perhaps you can even get interviewed over the web or phone. It is very dangerous to move to America (or anywhere) if you do not have a job lined up.

sinosourcing · #7 (**permalink**) 12th August 2007, 12:44 AM

That's right , get a job before move is the best .