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    Thread: can someone tell me how and what are my chances please!!


    1. #1
      Tom

      can someone tell me how and what are my chances please!!

      hi, is there anyone out there that can give me a bit of advice regarding my chances of getting a work visa to live and work in the Fort Lauderdale area of Florida? I am just about to sell my business and was hoping to start a new life in the usa. I am 30, male, single, professional with no criminal convictions. I do own my own property in England which is currently rented. I have been reading through the visas and is it best for me to get a visitors visa for pleasure and find employment that way, get the employer to sponsor me and re apply? I know that sounds a bit easy? its all so confusing! please anyone help! many thanks tom

    2. Moneycorp - Commercial foreign exchange since 1979
    3. #2
      purple
      Hey Tom,

      Been to Florida on holiday huh?

      If you want a visa to allow you to work and live in the US, and you have done your research then you'll already know that you have a few choices. Without knowing a bit more about your circumstances, it's kind of hard to suggest what might be the most relevant one.
      You don't say what you did for a living, what your business was or what qualifications you have, so it's hard to comment on this part.
      Realistically, unless you have some specialised skills or qualifications in your field of work, getting a job wth a company that would sponsor a visa here in the US won't be an easy thing to do right now. Plenty of Americans out of work that will do a job with no paperwork necessary from the company.

      You could apply for a B-2 visa, (if it was granted), it would allow you to stay up to 180 days at a time in the US for pleasure, but would not allow you to work. Who knows what could happen regarding your circumstances during that time if you got one. Maybe you'd meet a US citizen that you wanted to marry, that would definately change the situation.

      Investment is another option, you could look into that depending on your circumstances, and maybe that would work for you.

      There'll be plenty of people that will tell you that it's not that hard to get into the US too, and some that will say they can somehow get you a short cut or fast track in here if you pay them for the information. Advice? Take those kind of comments and offers with a pinch of salt unless you want to be disappointed and ripped off.

      Fact, getting employment here in the US isn't even easy for US Citizens at the moment. Yes, you're completely over-simplifying the situation by thinking you'll just come over here on a B2 and then walk into a job offer that will give you sponsorship, especially in Florida, unless you're special.

      Don't be put off, I'm just keeping it real.
      Andy Chapman and Tom like this.

    4. #3
      Tom

      nice one thanks!

      thanks for taking the time to reply, i thought the best way was to contact the embassy so im heading off to london for an interview to see if i am accepted for a tourist visa with which i can stay for max 6 months hopefully, then i can travel around and get a feel for that area and surrounding areas, my profession is hairstylist, having my own business here in the uk and my teaching qualifications i hope i can persuade a nice salon owner to give me a chance or trial too see what i can do, i have enough to support myself for that period so its looking a bit more hopefull than the other night when i found this forum in desperation! yeah loving fort lauderdale and hoping to see key west and miami too! i think marriage is a bit sudden but cheers for the offer

    5. #4
      Andy Chapman
      Good Luck Tom lets hope things go your way.
      Tom likes this.

    6. #5
      purple
      Quote Originally Posted by Tom View Post
      ! i think marriage is a bit sudden but cheers for the offer
      lol :twitcy: Sorry Tom, no chance of that. The only thing I offer is friendly advice!
      Tom likes this.

    7. #6
      adamtroman
      I'm in a similar boat.

      I'm a 24 year old IT professional, I have worked in the IT industry since I was 16 and have run my own IT company for the past 3 years.

      I've decided I want to move to LA, I've seriously had enough of the UK and I've figured now's the right time to see some more of the world.

      Tom, you said you are applying for a 6 month tourist visa? - I thought the maximum stay was 3 months? - What's the process?

      I have no degree but a hell of a lot of experience, my ideal plan is to save up enough money to survive for the duration of my visa and try and find a sponsorship job.....

      Thanks

      Adam

    8. #7
      Tom
      alright adam, well ive been told by the embassy how it works is you have your interview with them and if you are sucessful in getting a tourist visa the max stay can be up to 6 months, thats what they told me, the only problem is that once you get to your destination/airport you are then interviewed and they decide how long you can stay! getting the visa is like the first thing and then when you get there is like part two of the application. im hoping they give me the 6 months but they might only give me 3? will let you know more after my interview mate! its all a bit head wrecking eh!

    9. #8
      adamtroman
      I'm presuming the duration of your stay will depend on how much money you can prove you have access to? - Ie, you can support yourself without having to work.

      In theory it should be fairly straight-forward for you to go and visit salons when you're there and try and get some sponsorship. I'm going to need to do massive amounts of research to try and get some employment in a company doing IT.

    10. #9
      purple
      Quote Originally Posted by adamtroman View Post

      In theory it should be fairly straight-forward for you to go and visit salons when you're there and try and get some sponsorship.
      Hmm, do you think the Mexicans would have to risk coming over the fences at night if it was that straight forward?

      I'll risk being unpopular and I'm offering my apologies in advance to anyone that I might offend with the truth here, but to stop anyone else being under any kind of misaprehension, it really seems like one or two things need to be cleared up on this thread right now, so let's make it a little more realistic shall we?

      Reality check -
      It's not just about a company sponsoring a person for a visa and that said person walking happily into the vacant job and working and living happily ever after in the USA.

      For a start, the employer has to legitimately show why they need YOU to work for them rather than any US citizens of the same calibre.
      After that has been established and the none too easy paperwork is put into the system, along with the necessary fees to file it, the visa then has to be approved by the good ol' USCIS. Don't expect any fast-track on that part either, the wheels of USCIS turn at their own pace.
      Add to this the considerable financial cost to the proposed employer (that BTW is not refundable if the visa isn't approved) and the legal responsibility that an employer has in a case like this, and you can probably get an idea why it's not nearly as simple as anyone might think, or as likely for a US employer to employ a non USC and sponsor their visa, right?
      Besides all that, with a lot of professions or trades, there's also the transcripts of necessary qualifications, state regristration, and a rather unpredictable time factor to go through as well. As you've all probably worked out by now, you have to be pretty special to warrant the aggravation to a prospective employer. That being said it still happens for some people, but we're keeping it real.

      Also, we're still in a recession here, just in case anyone hasn't mentioned that lately, with unemployment running around 11% in Florida.

      To visit the salons and talk to the owners about work? Yes simple.
      To get an emloyer to sponsor you for an emloyment based visa so you can come and live and work here? No, that's nothing even remotely close to "simple".

      Don't shoot me for all this, I'm just the messenger.
      Sorry, I guess that's the reality check over with. Now, is there any more "good news" I can pour over the bonfire?
      Last edited by purple; 28-09-2009 at 10:16 PM.

    11. #10
      Andy Chapman
      Thanks for that reality check Purple.

      No harm in the truth so you know exactly what your both getting yourselves into.
      Purple has given some very good advice here so please don't raise your hopes.

      Good luck to you both i hope you can find a way of getting to the US but things don't look too good.
      Tom likes this.

     

     
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