# Questions about working in Florida as a plasterer



## markaxford (Jul 28, 2014)

Hello,

My parents are considering moving to Orlando from the UK, my Dad's main reservation is that he may struggle to find work. He has been a self employed plasterer for the past 33 years and finds work through Gumtree and then works in people's homes.

He has a number of questions that he needs answered and they go as follows:

Would he require qualifications to work as a plasterer in Florida?

Which is most common, plastering or dry lining?

What is the average wage of a domestic plasterer? (I've found figures that indicated somewhere in the region of $37,000, just wondered if this is accurate)

And a non-plastering related question

How easy is it for British people to integrate into the community?

Thanks

Mark Axford


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

The big issue is the difficulty of obtaining a visa with work privileges. Normally, you need to find the job first, and then have the employer sponsor your visa. For a plasterer, this is not a particularly likely scenario as the employer sponsor has to be able to justify hiring a foreigner over those in the local labor pool. 
Cheers,
Bev


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

there are no visa available for trades people 

Pick a visa 


There are basically NINE ways that you can get a visa to live and work in the US: 

(1) Marriage (or engagement in anticipation of marriage) to a US citizen. 

(2) You have skills that are in short supply in the US e.g. scientific or medical training. A degree is normally a must. Or you have superior specialist skills with at least 12 years experience. (H visas)applications next received on 1st April 2014

(3) You have an Employer who is willing to transfer you - but even the employer has to make a good case for you - so you have to be a manager unless you fall under category (2) above.(L visas)

(4) You may get a Green card in the diversity lottery (UK citizens, except N.Ireland, are not generally eligible unless you, your spouse or parents were born abroad or held a different citizenship.

(5)You own or buy business (does not get you permanent resident status i.e. no green card)You must be a national of a qualifying Treaty countries. The business must have a minimum value of around $150k (more the better) bearing in mind you will need somewhere to live and with any startup business you will need at least 2 years living money as back up. So a figure of $350k would be a nearer minimum (E-2 visas)

(6)You are an "investor" i.e. you have at least US $1m in assets to bring with you. half of that in a few areas. And your background will be investigated to the hilt. (EB-5 visas)

(7)You have a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister and no further) who is an US citizen who would sponsor you, approx time this take 2-12 years?

(8.The R1 visa is available to foreign members of religious denominations, having bona fide non-profit religious organizations in the U.S., for entering the U.S. to carry on the activities of a minister or religious worker as a profession, occupation or vocation

(9)THE UNUSUAL You are in a position to claim refugee status/political asylum. or You get a member of Congress to sponsor a private bill with legislation that applies just to you. 
The S visa issued to persons who assist US law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes and terrorist activities such as money laundering and organized crime


Recruitment agent will not take you seriously if you are not already in the US. Writing for jobs is really a waste of time; likewise US employers have no idea what foreign qualification are or mean (except Degrees) it may pay you to get your qualification translated into a US equivalent, there are Companies that do this (World Education Services - International Credential Evaluation Expertise) .. 
But if you are getting a visa under (2) above then you need a job offer before you can get the visa. Your Employer will be your sponsor this will cost them upward of $5k. So you can see you have to be offering something really special to get considered They may also have to prove to the Dept of labor that there is no American who can do the job if the position is to be permanent ©
DO NOT USE VISA CONSULTANTS


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Max,

While the previous posters were correct to point out the difficulties of coming to the US from UK as a regular immigrant, from the tone of your message, it might be that one or both of your parents already have legal residency in the US (one is an American already)? Perhaps not, but you didn't mention any question about getting permission to live in the US, and your parents are set on Orlando, which again seems to be because they have some native ties.

If so, Americans love British accents and are very welcoming. I don't think that will be a problem. People who have skills in such trades as your father are usually very well paid in the US.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

"Usually" might not apply in Orlando right now, after the financial crisis and real estate crash. The U.S. labor market for skilled construction workers (such as plasterers) is still slack overall, though it's starting to tighten particularly in a few "mini boom" regions, e.g. areas where oil and gas extraction is expanding.

Construction employment in Florida looks like it's bottomed out and is now slowly recovering. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction employment in Florida (statewide) in recent years peaked at 691,900 in June, 2006. In June, 2014, that sector had estimated total statewide employment of 404,700, still about 41.5% off its pre-crash peak. That's a bit better than the bottom reached in June, 2011, at 332,400. In other words, from peak to trough Florida's construction employment was more than halved -- brutal, really. Despite recent spotty anecdotal complaints in the press that "it's tough to find skilled construction workers," what's even tougher to find are employers increasing construction wages. (In other words, those stories are basically worthless. Memo to reporters: before writing a stupid story, ask the employers how much they've raised their compensation offers and what they're actually offering! I frequently complain there's a shortage of new Ferrari automobiles available to buy at $100 each. ) Median construction wages (last I looked) fell to just above $11/hour nationally, and (last I looked, very recently) there are no signs of upward wage pressure in that sector -- or in most sectors in most places, actually.

Anyway, to summarize, I would not expect a strong labor market in Orlando for plasterers at the present time. Work may be available, but there is ample competition for that work and still depressed wages. The general outlook is a slow improvement in labor market conditions for workers.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Is one (or both) of your parents a US citizen? 

I ask because plasterers do not qualify for a work visa, so unless they have some other form of visa they will not be moving.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Crawford said:


> Is one (or both) of your parents a US citizen?
> 
> I ask because plasterers do not qualify for a work visa, so unless they have some other form of visa they will not be moving.


Yes, exactly what I asked above, with no reply yet. He seems to assume he has residency already, either through him or wife, as no questions about how to achieve it.


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## JoeyJoJo! (Jun 25, 2013)

Trades in America are done by illegal immigrants and that is reflected in the low salaries. Probably be lucky to make more than 70 bucks a day.


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