Starting a new life abroad..how to go about it?

[Guest]

Can anyone provide any help in how I can realise this dream - starting a new, fresh life abroad (outside the UK) - preferably in the states? Thanks

[novium]

Quoting from 15:49, 21st Jul 2005
Can anyone provide any help in how I can realise this dream - starting a new, fresh life abroad (outside the UK) - preferably in the states? Thanks

step one) get a visa.

Truth be told, we're going to need more info before we can give you any useful information. (like which state, maybe?)

The easiest way would probably be to first go to university there (and marry someone, but we'll forget that for the moment).

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[novium]

Quoting from 15:49, 21st Jul 2005
Can anyone provide any help in how I can realise this dream - starting a new, fresh life abroad (outside the UK) - preferably in the states? Thanks

here's a website to look at. What I think you'd need to do is go over through the 90 day visa-waiver program, find a job (but not an immediate one) and then apply through this.
http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/resi ... oyment.htm

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[Labview Pimp]

OK I have experience with this.

I would forget about the US unless you have a SPECIFIC job in mind, ie rocket scientist with NASA. Going over there as a tourist and faffing about with Starbucks or whatever is likely to be a complete waste of time.

You CANNOT work under the visa waiver program. That is only for vacations and business trips.

All you could have done is work for the summer on a J1 or F1 student visa but your way too late for that. Working in the US requires a lot of forward planning.

What you need to do is look at Canada. You can work there for 12 months, as long as you get there before December 31st. You can take up any job you want apart from medical jobs or childcare.

BUNAC are probably your best bet for organising a visa: www.bunac.org

The best city in the US in my opinion is San Francisco. If you go to Vancouver, you will get a very similar experience, with the added bonus of having Whistler (north america's premier ski resort) just up the street.

good luck!

[novium]

which is why I recommend going under the waiver program to scout out possible jobs and a place to stay, and then once you've got something tenatively lined up for the future, then apply for the permit.

Quoting Labview Pimp from 04:58, 26th Jul 2005

You CANNOT work under the visa waiver program. That is only for vacations and business trips.


The best city in the US in my opinion is San Francisco. If you go to Vancouver, you will get a very similar experience, with the added bonus of having Whistler (north america's premier ski resort) just up the street.

good luck!

really? It's so cold and foggy and expensive. 600,000 dollars for a crappy house in a bad part of town!

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[Preacher's Kid]

[b]The best city in the US in my opinion is San Francisco.

Give Chicago a try! As someone once correctly said, it's 'New York done right'.

Brilliant urban experience, wonderful neighborhoods-- and a fraction of NYC's price or of SF's pretension. 3 million people can't be wrong.

[novium]

yes, I would agree there. SF is a good place to see or to go to uni at, but living there...well, lot's of people think i'm insane for thinking so, but i wouldn't want to.

However, chicago does seem like a really good recommendation. it's a big enough city that there'll be lots of opportunities there, it's probably cheaper than much of california, and of course, it's a nice city.

Quoting Preacher's Kid from 00:59, 28th Jul 2005

[b]The best city in the US in my opinion is San Francisco.

Give Chicago a try! As someone once correctly said, it's 'New York done right'.

Brilliant urban experience, wonderful neighborhoods-- and a fraction of NYC's price or of SF's pretension. 3 million people can't be wrong.

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[Gubbins]

Possibly not helpful, but you might want to consider Austrlia or New Zealand. Both have a fairly good reception for UK expats and both have excellent laws for working. They're good places to be employees, they're not as expensive or restrictive as I've heard the states to be (see signature!), they have good weather and they're a world away from anything you'd see otherwise. My advice is to take twelve months out somewhere and either work for a voluntary project somewhere, or go as a working tourist if you can. Also, you might want to try learning a language and going somewhere a bit more exotic.

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...but then again, that is only my opinion.

[novium]

I haven't the faintest idea whether those places are cheaper than the states, but at the very least, there aren't too many countries MORE expensive than the UK Off the top of my head, Japan is more expensive.

Quoting Gubbins from 17:37, 1st Aug 2005
Possibly not helpful, but you might want to consider Austrlia or New Zealand. Both have a fairly good reception for UK expats and both have excellent laws for working. They're good places to be employees, they're not as expensive or restrictive as I've heard the states to be (see signature!), they have good weather and they're a world away from anything you'd see otherwise. My advice is to take twelve months out somewhere and either work for a voluntary project somewhere, or go as a working tourist if you can. Also, you might want to try learning a language and going somewhere a bit more exotic.

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...but then again, that is only my opinion.

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[flarewearer]

Quoting novium from 21:29, 1st Aug 2005
there aren't too many countries MORE expensive than the UK ;-) Off the top of my head, Japan is more expensive.

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Norway, Sweden, Denmark...

Yes the UK is expensive for a lot of things, but there are others where it is remarkably cheap... This contributes nothing to the thread I know, but I felt like saying it anyway ;>

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[novium]

Places I've never been and don't think about very much.But now I know. Thanks :)

Quoting flarewearer from 02:49, 5th Aug 2005

Quoting novium from 21:29, 1st Aug 2005
there aren't too many countries MORE expensive than the UK ;-) Off the top of my head, Japan is more expensive.

Norway, Sweden, Denmark...

Yes the UK is expensive for a lot of things, but there are others where it is remarkably cheap... This contributes nothing to the thread I know, but I felt like saying it anyway ;>

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[aladdinsane12]

Chicago is definitely the place to be. It's like a cleaner, friendlier, downsized New York. But if you don't like extreme weather, Chi-town is probably not the best place you should be living.

[Guest]

Thanks for your replies.

I was thinking of perhaps going to Seattle or Portland to start me off, and maybe go on to more busy cities like NYC, LA and indeed the windy city of Chicago. As for the posts suggesting places elsewhere than the US, I appreciate your input but I want to go to the US.

Green cards are indeed out of the question since the British aren't eligible for any - so I was thinking perhaps obtaining a visa through an employer. I don't wish to marry someone (unless I find someone I love in my final year), and none of my family heritage will help, either. Hopefully, it shouldn't be all that difficult. Getting a degree should certainly help, and if I can find an employer, that should be good. Does anyone know of any employers providing help in starting up when moving there - eg getting a place to stay, etc?

Also, when I do start my new life abroad I wish to retain my British citizenship, so if anyone knows about how to go about getting a dual citizenship, I'm all ears.

Thanks again. I'll be checking up on this thread regularly.

[novium]

you know, I don't think anyone asked, but what's your degree in? What field would you like to work in?

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[kateness]

I recommend checking out Philadelphia. It's a great city, easy to get around without a car, and much cheaper than New york or San Francisco. There's lots of theatre and great bars and historical stuff, a nice waterfront area on the river, and it's a big college town. It's also close to DC, Baltimore, and New York.

If it makes you feel any better, it's just as hard for US citizens to move to the UK and do exactly what you want to do. I'd love to do it, but I'm not a scientist with skills in high demand or anything like they want, I just want to work in theatre or publications. Perhaps we could swap identities...

[Gubbins]

I know you're thinking about America, but I found this on the BBC news website about emigrating to Australia - there's a few price comparisons and some climatology:

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4160570.stm

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...but then again, that is only my opinion.