Moving abroad

StumpyPumpy

I'd agree with what everyone else says about trying to find a US company with a UK base and working there first. It may take some time and effort to build up credibility but it would make it easier in the long run.

A number of my friends and former colleagues have gone to work in the US (and sometimes returned) Most of them were through work and one through marriage - getting a green card through marriage isn't as easy as you might think: IIRC he had to live there for 3 months before he passed his probation period and was actually allowed to work. He loved it, his wife was not so happy with him lounging around, and American girls have guns :rotfl:.

If you can find a company to sponsor a Green Card it makes it a lot less stressful for you and, depending on the company, they may actually have an unofficial "quota" of them which essentially get waved through if they sponsor someone. I know a number of IT companies where this happens.

Another advantage of joining a UK/US company is that they may offer "internships" or allow you to work for shorter periods in the US without having a Green Card as a temporary worker.

I was never on an Internship but I worked for several periods of a couple of months at a time as a Trainer and Presenter in the US and as a subject matter expert without apparently needing a Green Card. (I worked for a very well known software company who would not have let me work illegally, but I don't know the details as our ever efficient Admins dealt with it all) This would give you the chance to see if you really wanted to work there long term.

HTH

SP

Alias_Omega

Give it 20 years, and the USA will be miles and miles behind China.

If i was going to consider a move abroad, it would be to this part of the world. Look at the global ecomony, China is buying up all the debt.

As above, travel first. Get an idea what it is like to live abroad, the language barrier, Out of sight & out of mind of your family and friends, only keeping in touch with facebook/skype etc.

Alias

TheEffect

angelil wrote: »

I would go with the 'get a job in a UK company that has bases in America and gradually worm your way in' route. I can't think that teachers are in short supply in the US.

I was also wondering what you are basing a move to America on? Do you just think it would be cool, or do you have some experience of the place? I ask because a) holidaying somewhere is different to living there [believe me, I love the US and am off on holiday there next week but as sure as hell wouldn't want to live there], and b) I moved abroad [to France] about 3.5 years ago and it's hard enough when it's really quite close to home and you really really want to do it...

I've visited America a few times and have just fallen in love with the country. I can't explain it, it's just something I'm hugely drawn to!

Pont wrote: »

Well out West, California, Arizona, Nevada etc, there seems to be a glut of teachers so perhaps not the best career move if you were planning on any of these states (don't know about other states). However, with a good (2:1 or above) in an ICT subject it may be worth a shot applying direct to companies and see if there are any openings. Networking - getting to know somebody already working in your preferred company/state is probably a good way to go.

Have you thought about maybe working for Camp America or such, just to get to know a particular area/people first?

A green card is a strange and wonderful thing, if all else fails marry an American (just joking of course)!

I actually applied for Camp America, but has to pull out last minute as I failed an assignment at university and had to do retakes during the summer!

Also, I can't even find a brit to settle with, let alone find an american, so there's no hope of that anyway... :rotfl:

property.advert wrote: »

The best and easiest way to move to the USA is to work for a company which is either USA owned or has a significant presence in the USA. After establishing yourself in the UK the company would surely listen to your desires and it is the case that many encourage movement, though a depressed economy will scale numbers back somewhat.

If after some business trips and an extended period you decide you wish to remain in the USA then your company may sponsor you for your visa and so forth. After a few years you can get residency and perhaps even nationality.

Pitching up yourself with no visa nor work permit means you are far more costly than a local hire. Remember that.

Thanks for the information.

simply_tash wrote:

This topic comes up quite a bit on another forum i occasionally browse.

Check out this link: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...73&postcount=5

Have started reading through the threads, thanks!

gingin wrote:

I really think the USA is extremely unlikely unless you are a passsport holder that is eligible to enter the greencard lottery ( it rules out Brits) and even then it's such a small chance.

What about going backpacking for a while? At 21 you could go and work at a US summer camp and then earn enough to go and travel for a few month afterwards, or go to Oz and do bar/farm work, or teach EFL in Japan/ China/ Taiwan.

British Expats is a great site, as mentioned before. If you really want to go as a teacher you could look at countries who list it as an occupation on their skilled shortages list. I know Canada, New Zealand and Australia have such lists but whether teaching is there, I am not sure.

I've been lucky enough to travel nearly every summer since I was 16, visiting amazing countries, but none have felt like 'home' or somewhere where I could settle and start a new life.

I'm heading to Taiwan in a few months as I have a friend who moved there to teach, so it will be amazing to see their culture!
__________________________

I am determined to give it my best shot and hopefully sometime in the future I'll get the opportunity to live in the states. Maybe it's worth doing a masters and getting myself in the industry, pay off my student loans/debt and looking for a job in the UK where I know they have a base in the USA, as well as searching/applying for jobs in the states that are willing to sponsor me.

I guess it's best to look at this as a long-term plan that I have to keep working towards. I've been told however that the older you are, the harder it is to move to the states!

Thanks for all the responses once again!

AnnaLicious_2

You might want to read this forum - http://britishexpats.com/

Teaching is your best avenue. I'm unsure of the advice you've received on here about a 'glut' of teachers, as there is generally a shortage of good teachers. In many states you'll find permanent substitute teachers they are so desperate for professionals.

Please do not go and work on a travel visa as advised above. You will be deported and will not be allowed back in the country if caught. This will also effect your ability to travel to other countries if they see a deportation stamp.

As far as chosing Canada over the USA because you may be shot, well how charming. How did I grow up and live in the USA for 27 years without once getting in a gun fight.

And for the advice on teaching in China as they will be 'miles ahead'. There is an Internal Job Fair in London every year where international schools recruit teachers. No schools from english speaking countries I'm afraid. You will find a lot from asian countries though.

The national curriculum is different from the UKs, and the set up of your schooling is very different. Be prepared that children stay in school until they are 18 and gain a high school diploma, so you may be teaching people very close to you in age.

Hope that helps.

Person_one

AnnaLicious wrote: »

As far as chosing Canada over the USA because you may be shot, well how charming. How did I grow up and live in the USA for 27 years without once getting in a gun fight.

Oh come on, it was clearly a joke! Although if you are from the US surely you know that gun related deaths are massively more common there than in Canada?

I actually lived in the US myself, although only for a year, and I loved it but wouldn't want to settle there for a number of reasons.

What the OP needs to bear in mind as well is that the US is enormous and diverse. Living in NYC is a lot different to living in rural Colorado, or San Francisco, or Salt Lake City, or Miami, or North Dakota, or Texas even though they're technically the same country.

Sparklyfairy

I also recommend checking the British Expat forum - loads of info on there..I may be in minority here but I think your best bet would be to apply for US jobs directly as opposed to working for a US company here & wanting a transfer..my DH works for a HUGE US company (Honeywell) & there have been absolutely no transfers at all whatsoever for the past few years. Luckily I'm American & we're getting his green card shortly. Good luck!

Pont

AnnaLicious wrote: »

Teaching is your best avenue. I'm unsure of the advice you've received on here about a 'glut' of teachers, as there is generally a shortage of good teachers. In many states you'll find permanent substitute teachers they are so desperate for professionals.

Please note I suggested a 'glut' of teachers only in the states I know about. My family live in the mentioned states, their family members are involved in teaching. Whilst they didn't term it a 'glut' (my term) they have stated that their areas are 'awash' with teachers and many of their colleagues have been laid off in recent years. I've looked into the situation as 1) I'm a teacher and 2) I thought about spending a couple of years stateside to be closer to my siblings.

In economic downturns it seems like many people, including teachers, from other states head west. This could go someway to explain why out west many professional jobs seem oversubscribed. As I said previously, I have no idea what the teaching situation is in other parts of the US.

belfastgirl23

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

Without sponsorship from a company in the US it is very difficult - so direct applying to US companies is a good idea.

The J-1 teacher program requires three years experience as a qualified teacher and is an exchange program. You cannot live in the US after the exchange is over on that visa.

True but there is also a camp counsellor scheme for example which would build a lot of the same skills.

((and if you really want to live there you might meet someone you want to marry which is probably your most likely chance of getting in in any case)

claire16c

Also, even if an area needs teachers, it doesnt mean that someone from the UK can just up sticks and work there.

Ive looked through many US job descriptions before for various things, and plenty of them state they wont even look at applications from people not already allowed to work in the US. Same as many job descriptions here state the same thing. Why would a company go through the hassle of hiring someone from abroad unless they desperately need to?

The only people Ive known to work in the US are those who worked for either IT, banking, or manufacturing companies, who have very occasionally had a post come up where someone from the UK was allowed to fill it. And even in those cases, its not normally a permanent visa, they were only allowed to live there for as long as the job ended.

So really your best bet is to marry an American! Or win the lottery and start a business over there!?

Canada is definitely easier to move to if you can get a job offer (or sometimes you dont even need that) and go over on a skilled working visa.

If you one day do start to take steps within a company to move there, you also need to think about the stuff people here take for granted i.e health care!

scooterpig

Being able to live in the US is not as easy as many people think. Also, you need to understand that experiencing a country on holiday is very different to actually living there.

I live in the US. Life here is not better or worse than the UK, just different. Also, the cost of living here is not cheap. People always think the US is cheap because they've come on holiday and bought a pair of jeans for ten bucks and filled their hired car with cheap petrol. But they don't realise you have to pay a fortune for healthcare, insurance, etc - this can easily be several hundred dollars a month or more. Decent quality food is often more expensive than the UK. Taxes can be expensive. Utilities can be extortionate and often you have no control over who provides them. Banking systems here are not as advanced as in the UK which can make simple things like paying bills more laborious. Maintenance costs for property can be astronomical.

Your best bet would be to work for a company with a significant US presence and then try and get transferred over there. Don't underestimate the bureaucracy - there's a lot of it, especially in relation to visas. A company with a support framework around visas and relocation can make things a bit easier. Without this, it can be incredibly difficult to do things such as get a Social Security number, which you need in many states in order to do things like open a bank account, rent an apartment, sit your driving test and buy a car etc.

Be aware too that the states are very different from each other. They are almost like little countries in their own right. So saying you want to live in the US is a bit like saying you want to live in Europe.

In saying that, I am enjoying living in the US for now. People are generally friendly and will take great pleasure in telling you they are British too (even if they've never travelled beyond their state boundary - more common than you might think). In my experience attitudes here are quite old-fashioned in many ways, which is both a plus and a negative. Housing is often pretty different to the UK and brings an interesting set of challenges. TV here is terrible, which means I watch much less of it now!

I really recommend reading the british expats website. There is some excellent information there, especially about the various types of visas and their requirements, which should probably be your starting point.