# Wanting to emigrate to America from the UK



## thd (Nov 29, 2010)

I'm sure you all have encountered other threads like this in the past, and I'd like to apologize for that for the tediousness. And if this thread is in the wrong place.

Anyway, I'm in my mid teens, and I want to move to America when I'm older. I know for sure this is what I want due to other personal reasons which I won't bore you with. However, you should probably know that I have a 'disability' that I don't consider a 'disability.' It has not affected my academic performance. 

Now, I know that you can't just move to a different country without any skills or qualifications, so I intend to go to university to study for a degree, possibly in History due to the wide range of opportunities it can provide in terms of employment - for example, in law, journalism, teaching, etc. It is one of my strongest subjects as well. However, I could instead study computing if it is considered a 'better' skill than History. (History analyzes stuff into great detail and is supposedly a great asset to have). If gaining a computing or history degree is practically useless, then please do say so and perhaps suggest some alternatives? I am willing to study at an American university if it will improve chances of gaining permanent residency in the States. 

If it's important, I was born in the UK but both my parents were born abroad. So I do have dual citizenship, but I don't particularly like my parents' native country as they see people like me as inferior. Or at least the people I've met over there are, which is quite a lot. I also don't have any relatives or friends living in the US. 

So my question, do I have a chance of emigrating to the US when I'm older? And what should I do in terms of my education? Study at an UK university and apply, or at an US university? Basically, what route should I take?

Many thanks in advance..


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## nat21 (Oct 10, 2010)

thd said:


> I'm sure you all have encountered other threads like this in the past, and I'd like to apologize for that for the tediousness. And if this thread is in the wrong place.
> 
> Anyway, I'm in my mid teens, and I want to move to America when I'm older. I know for sure this is what I want due to other personal reasons which I won't bore you with. However, you should probably know that I have a 'disability' that I don't consider a 'disability.' It has not affected my academic performance.
> 
> ...


You have many options for moving to the US (legally of course).
1. You can get your degree in the UK and then work for a company that has offices in the US and transfer after a couple of years.
2. You can come to the US for uni however, it is extremely expensive for international students. 
3. You can do go to a UK uni and if they have a study abroad then you can do a year or so in the US and even doing an internship over here if you can. I know a few international students from my undergrad who did internships and the company ended up sponsoring them.
4. You can do BUNAC for 4 months just to see how life is over in the US.

***Keep in mind that the grass is not always greener on the other side. I spend some time in the UK when I was younger and was determine to move over there. However, after moving there I was unhappy and wanted to come. It took a while for me to adjust to the change. I ended up coming back home in the end because my chances of starting my career was better in the US than the UK.


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## thd (Nov 29, 2010)

nat21 said:


> You have many options for moving to the US (legally of course).
> 1. You can get your degree in the UK and then work for a company that has offices in the US and transfer after a couple of years.
> 2. You can come to the US for uni however, it is extremely expensive for international students.
> 3. You can do go to a UK uni and if they have a study abroad then you can do a year or so in the US and even doing an internship over here if you can. I know a few international students from my undergrad who did internships and the company ended up sponsoring them.
> ...


Thanks for the information. I think I'll gain a degree in the UK first, since it has more financial assistance, then I'll look at other options regarding moving to America. I think I am open to the idea of moving to either Canada or the USA, but we'll see. Thanks!


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## nat21 (Oct 10, 2010)

thd said:


> Thanks for the information. I think I'll gain a degree in the UK first, since it has more financial assistance, then I'll look at other options regarding moving to America. I think I am open to the idea of moving to either Canada or the USA, but we'll see. Thanks!


Your welcome and I wish you all the best of luck!!


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## fido (Aug 25, 2010)

It will be worthwhile getting hold of the official information explaining the immigration procedures for people wanting to relocate to USA. I've never done this for America but I have for New Zealand and Australia. You can then see which skills etc are most valued and seek to acquire the most desirable qualifications and work experience.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

fido said:


> It will be worthwhile getting hold of the official information explaining the immigration procedures for people wanting to relocate to USA. I've never done this for America but I have for New Zealand and Australia. You can then see which skills etc are most valued and seek to acquire the most desirable qualifications and work experience.


America never quite works like that. There is no direct equivalent to "skills visas" you find in other destinations.

Second sticky from the top is a bunch of questions. If you find a yes, I'll tell you your opening.

If you want to trawl through the official sites, I'm afraid like most things in the US they're convoluted and spread across several empires.

USCIS Home Page -- generally does the immigration paperwork inside the US
U.S. Department of State -- generally issues visas outside the US

Also there's DHS, the mothership of USCIS, also under this banner with some immigration responsibility as gatekeepers are CBP.

Peripherals include the Dept of Labor (responsible for certain parts of employment-related visas) and the DoJ for when it all ends up in court.


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