# Advice from those who have moved from UK to US



## pistnbroke (Aug 16, 2013)

Happy Friday!

I'm 25 years old and I've been thinking for a while about moving to the US. I've read the stickies and think I would have a good chance of qualifying:

- My sister is a US citizen, having lived in Chicago for 10 years
- I have a degree in engineering
- I am currently employed as an automotive engineer and have been for 2 years

I visit my sister every year and know moving to the US is what I want to do. Because my profession is in the automotive trade, could someone please tell me what regions in the US car manufacturers are based? I know about Detroit and South Carolina...

Do I need to have already secured employment before I relocate? Do I need a green card to secure work?

Any advice from others who have made the move? I'm thinking more along the lines of 'procedural' tasks like setting up a bank account etc.

Thanks in advance, Steve

P.S Don't know if its worth mentioning but I do not have anything really tying my to the UK, i.e. kids or mortgage, I earn approx. £1800 a month after tax and my only debt is my student loan, which comes out of my monthly pay almost like a tax. (I.e. I never see the money that pays it off every month)


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Why do you not start at square one - travel.state.gov is an official site which explains US visa options in fairly user friendly language. Familiarize yourself with what options you have. Basically you can:
Transfer within a company
Get hired by a US company
Have your sister sponsor you
Marry a US citizen
As you still have debt you may not have the necessary financial background to invest in a company.

Worry about bank accounts, apartment, drivers license, ... once you get there.


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## MarylandNed (May 11, 2010)

A bank account is the least of your worries...worrying about that is a bit like putting the cart before the horse.

Moving to the US is not an easy task. You don't need a green card (i.e. permanent residence visa) but, if you don't have one, you'll need a job offer and an employer willing to wait for you to obtain a work visa. The most obvious visa is the H1B which has an annual quota that usually gets filled. If your current UK employer has a US affiliate, then an L1 visa for intra-company transfer is another possibility. Your sister could sponsor you for a green card but the sibling category could take 10 years or more.

Another thing to consider is a move to Canada first. It's a similar lifestyle to the US and will allow you easy access to visit the US. Getting a work visa there should be easier. If you eventually become a Canadian citizen, you can take advantage of NAFTA to move to the US on a TN visa.


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

tour current employment is unlikely to get you a employment visa 
but you US citizen sister can file for you 

bad news it wil take 12/13 years to get the visa


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## pistnbroke (Aug 16, 2013)

Hello, just to give an update, today I signed my contract to start a new job with an automotive components company who wish to base an engineer at a OEM car manufacturer near Detroit, initially on an 18 month basis. I have to complete 3 months training then I should be over in the states after the Christmas holidays.

Now I have three months to get ready to move, exciting times!!!


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

pistnbroke said:


> Hello, just to give an update, today I signed my contract to start a new job with an automotive components company who wish to base an engineer at a OEM car manufacturer near Detroit, initially on an 18 month basis. I have to complete 3 months training then I should be over in the states after the Christmas holidays.
> 
> Now I have three months to get ready to move, exciting times!!!


Congratulations! For my curiosity - which visa will you be on?


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

pistnbroke said:


> Hello, just to give an update, today I signed my contract to start a new job with an automotive components company who wish to base an engineer at a OEM car manufacturer near Detroit, initially on an 18 month basis. I have to complete 3 months training then I should be over in the states after the Christmas holidays.
> 
> Now I have three months to get ready to move, exciting times!!!


Thy cannot even apply for the proper visa until April 1st and that would be for an
Oct 2014 start 

be cautious of any scams


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