Thread: Hi from a depressed Brit

Hi all,

My name is Paul, im 33. I am married to Tracy, 35, and have 2 kids, Mykel and Jordan. I am a full time parent and my wife is an office and finance manager for a gas and heating servicing company in the northwest of England.

I have wanted to live in the USA since I was about 5, long before I knew that my grandmother was from America. Unfortunately it turns out that grandparents arent classed as a close enough relative to sponsor a family visa (wouldnt have a problem if I was good at basketball or something though). My English born father died before ever claiming US citizenship meaning that the family Visa route has been broken for me. No matter how many times I ask my auntie wont adopt me :no:, she says Im too old to be adopted.

Before I became a full time parent I worked as a car mechanic and driver of various vehicles (bus, cab, fork lift truck, breakdown truck).

We have looked into the various visas that are available and they all seem so unattainable, investment visas are beyond our reach, we arent eligible for the green card lottery, and as previously stated the family visa seems to be a closed route for us.

I think our only possible option is for me to retrain at something and try and get in that way. I have looked into the possibility of training as an accountant and using that to get a job somewhere in America.

Our dream would be to live in California (isnt that everyones dream) but right now I would live in a single room beach hut in Alaska if it meant we could live in America!

Im so sick of life in England that absolutely anything has to be better than this. I have never felt at home in England and know I never will. From speaking to friends that have a desire to emigrate I seem to be in a somewhat unusual position in that my wife is, and has always been, in complete agreement with me. She has as much of a desire to leave the UK behind as I do.

So that me and mine. Hope I havent bored you silly, and if anyone knows of someone from the USA that wants to adopt a 33 year old you know where I am.

Paul

Oh what a great intro Paul just wish more members would elaborate a little more.

Welcome to Brits -Abroad Paul, Tracy & Family.

I think we have a couple from America on the Forum but think they may still be in bed due to the time difference.

Hope you enjoy our Forum and get the answers your looking for.

All the best

Andy

.

Hello Paul, i hope someone on here can help you achieve your dream

Hi Paul,

If you would go to Alaska then there maybe a route for you to the USA after all. My brother in law lives in Kalowna Canada, he moved there 20 years ago with his wife and Children. He is a frequent visitor to Eugene Oregon too, so much that he bought a 3 bed detached house for $50,000 a few years ago (when the same place in the UK would have cost £100,000). With a Canadian passport he appears to be free to stay there as much and as often as he likes, and when my wife calls for a natter she always tries there first. I'm sure that strictly speaking the law doesn't allow it but it appears that this is one rule observed in the breaking rather than the observation.

In fact I don't know if he has a dual passport of it is still British so it maybe even more relaxed than that.

But one point of interest is he is a car mechanic, of course he's been working for the same firm for 20 years now so things may have changed but when he applied Canada was begging for mechanics, car body work repair specialists etc...

So Canada maybe a legal back door for you, and I believe young families in their mid thirties gained extra points.

Woth consideration...

Good Luck!

Hi Paul - sorry I replied to your other thread first. (Don't shout at me Andy - I've got a broken wrist so I'm blaming the meds!)

Don't give up hope - it can be tough getting a Visa for the States - it took us 2 years even with a job offer. But it can be done and I can honestly say California is so worth it!!

My husband got a H1B visa based on his skills and experience - he's qualified to HND level. I'm here on a H4 and have to wait for our green cards before I can start work. It's really the luck of the draw - I'm more qualified and was the higher paid in the UK but he got a job offer first and we agreed the move was more important. We were here on holiday and he literally had a contact name with a company here and went for an informal chat and meet and came out with a job offer.

So you should both look at your options and consider the green card even though it takes longer. We'll happily answer any questions you've got.

Thanks again for all the replies.

Canada sounds interesting , but is definately an 'if all else fails' as its not our prefered destination. But its something I will still look into.

Traveller - did the job offer stay open for your husband for those 2 years? Ive read you posts (on other threads aswell) with interest. You mention that we should consider the green card even though it takes longer. By this do you mean the Green Caard Lottery? Unfortunately British nationals are not currently eligible for the lottery based on the numbers that have emigrated previously or something.

I read in another post that you are based in Marin County. I hear its beautiful there but didnt get a chance to visit when we were over there 4 years ago. We stayed in Walnut Creek at my aunties and from there we visited San Francisco, Lake Tahoe (incredibly beautiful) and Santa Barbera among other places. I absolutely love the area. Im, obviously, a San Francisco 49ers fan and a Giants baseball fan. I have a Wifi radio in the kitchen so that I can listen to Murph and Mac on KNBR radio in the morning. If you ever hear them take a call from 'Paul in England' thats me. I ring up about once a month to moan about the 49ers lol. In fact I am sat here watching the game as I type.

At the moment I doubt very much that my qualification as a mechanic (and lack of experience in that field for over 7 years) or my wifes experience in her field of work would be enough to make an application with. Having family in the area, in a big name company, might be helpful, but even so I dont think an application would be looked at favourably at the moment, hence my belief in the need to retrain.

But ya never know.

Originally Posted by Hiekel Essterol

I have a Wifi radio in the kitchen so that I can listen to Murph and Mac on KNBR radio in the morning. If you ever hear them take a call from 'Paul in England' thats me. I ring up about once a month to moan about the 49ers lol. In fact I am sat here watching the game as I type.

You might even hear me on there this morning because we actually won a game!!!!

hello
Sort of know how your feeling want so badly to live there myself with my partner and 3 kids all age 6, you know you could do good over there yet its a nightmere trying to get there, why??
we are going to a emigrate seminar at the end of september to see if its possible to go to live in Florida i love it there, but after reading feedback i dont know weather its possible? but i will give it my best shot,just want to live my dream.
Its just so fustrating!
Jacque:no: