# What do you think are our chances to move there?



## amy_finland (Mar 27, 2009)

Hello!

I'm a 20-year-old Finnish girl and currently study Russian and English philology, international politics and economics at the university. I am married to a Russian man, 24, who is a sociologist (graduated from Moscow State University in Russia) and is now studying here in Finland to become an automation engineer.

So, lately, we've been thinking of where to build our home and life in the future. Finland is out of question, because of the racism we face nearly everyday. Russia is one option - but it doesn't please me that much. It's nice to go there for holidays, but I don't really want to live there.

So, we've been thinking of America. We want to find a place, where we can live in peace without having to be called names all the time. I understand that there is racism everywhere, but I am pretty sure that russophobia is bigger here in Finland than in the USA. 

So, our plan is to go to America: me as an exchange student and my husband for a working practice (for his studies), and try to find jobs there. This would be in a few years. What do you all think about this? Is it easy to find a job as a foreigner in America? We both speak pretty good English. Are we likely to face discrimination when looking for a job there?

Thank you all for your answers in advance 

-Amy


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

The problem you are going to run into is that if you go as a student, your husband can get a dependent's visa, but he will not be allowed to work. If your husband gets a job and manages to get an H1B visa, you can go on a dependent's visa, but you won't be allowed to work. (Not sure just what your status would be regarding studying.)

If you go on separate visas, then you run the risk of one of you having to go back home (i.e. should your husband lose his job, or you finish school and can't find an "internship") and there is always the issue of the requirement to return home for a couple of years at the expiration of your student visa. (Depends on precisely the type of visa you wind up getting.)
Cheers,
Bev


----------



## amy_finland (Mar 27, 2009)

Thank you very much for your reply! 

Actually it's not so important if I find a job there when being a student or not. But if my husband finds a job there, will I be allowed to live in the USA, too, and to look for a job after I've graduated? I will get a master's degree in a couple of years, how respected is that in America?


"...and there is always the issue of the requirement to return home for a couple of years at the expiration of your student visa..."

Oh, I've never heard of that...


----------



## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Do some research on student visas. Will you be able to show financial resources for the first year plus the source of them for the remainder of your anticipated studies? 

A masters is what it is. Not more not less. How do you intend to apply it in the working world? Again you are running into a visa issue. Yes you may add a year of call it internship/hands-on to your studies but that is it. An employer can sponsor a visa for you but you have to be out of country. Should your husband hold a visa - you may or may not be able to work depending on his visa.

Have you looked into exchange programms?

Who knows what immigration policies will look like in a couple of years.


----------



## amy_finland (Mar 27, 2009)

"Do some research on student visas. Will you be able to show financial resources for the first year plus the source of them for the remainder of your anticipated studies?"

Of course I will be able to show financial resources, but do you know how much they demand for one year? Do you think 10 000 dollars is enough?

About the Master's degree. I've been looking at American job ads and to be honest, employers seem to demand very little from workers (compared to my home country). I've seen many ads, where they demand only a high school education (!) or Bachelor's degree. Here in Finland, instead, it's very difficult, nearly impossible to find a good job with a Bachelor's degree. That's one more reason I want out of here - don't want to end up as a cleaner who's got a master's (seriously, to get a cleaner's job here you need to know like three languages, you've got to have an education and 5 years of cleaning experience, your own car and perhaps wings on your back, for God's sake...). So, I thought that as Master's degree is seldom required in the States, then maybe the number of people having it is smaller - and that way it would be pretty respected? But I understand I may be mistaken. It looks like in America people are not as "official" as here, as in if you really know what you're doing and are skillful, you might be able to get a job without a specific education. Here you're NOTHING without documents, certificates, etc...

"An employer can sponsor a visa for you but you have to be out of country. Should your husband hold a visa - you may or may not be able to work depending on his visa."

How likely do you think it is to find an employer who is ready to sponsor a visa? I'm sorry if I annoy you people with my silly questions. I am just wondering if things like this really happen and if our dreams are realistic. Is it a "big thing" to sponsor a visa for a foreigner? Do I have to be something super special to get that done? And being out of the country is not a problem at all. We're trying to take all this easy, to be patient. And actually it would be even good to work here for some time and earn some startup money before moving there . The goal is to get there and live there in 4 to 10 years, if things get really difficult.


----------



## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

amy_finland said:


> Of course I will be able to show financial resources, but do you know how much they demand for one year? Do you think 10 000 dollars is enough?


Think $50k and up for every year.


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

amy_finland said:


> How likely do you think it is to find an employer who is ready to sponsor a visa? I'm sorry if I annoy you people with my silly questions. I am just wondering if things like this really happen and if our dreams are realistic. Is it a "big thing" to sponsor a visa for a foreigner? Do I have to be something super special to get that done? And being out of the country is not a problem at all. We're trying to take all this easy, to be patient. And actually it would be even good to work here for some time and earn some startup money before moving there . The goal is to get there and live there in 4 to 10 years, if things get really difficult.


It can be quite a "big deal" to find an employer ready to sponsor a visa. It costs the potential employer quite a bit to petition for a foreigner to get a visa - both in terms of the fees charged, and the legal work necessary to get the position approved for a foreigner. (They have to show that they have tried to hire a local national for the job and that the foreigner brings something that is unavailable in the local job-seeking population.)

It really is a good idea to get some work experience where you are - and try to see if you can find out more about your profession as it is practiced in the US. That could give you some ideas how to tailor your experience to make yourself more attractive to a US employer.
Cheers,
Bev


----------



## amy_finland (Mar 27, 2009)

Fatbrit said:


> Think $50k and up for every year.


Wow... How's that possible? Taking into account that there are millions and millions of Americans who earn a lot less than that?


----------



## amy_finland (Mar 27, 2009)

Bevdeforges said:


> It can be quite a "big deal" to find an employer ready to sponsor a visa. It costs the potential employer quite a bit to petition for a foreigner to get a visa - both in terms of the fees charged, and the legal work necessary to get the position approved for a foreigner. (They have to show that they have tried to hire a local national for the job and that the foreigner brings something that is unavailable in the local job-seeking population.)
> 
> It really is a good idea to get some work experience where you are - and try to see if you can find out more about your profession as it is practiced in the US. That could give you some ideas how to tailor your experience to make yourself more attractive to a US employer.
> Cheers,
> Bev


Alright... Seems to be pretty complex... But yeah, there's nothing to do about it now that we both still are students. I just started doing a little research beforehand to know what problems we're going to face if we decide to move there. Oh, and by the way, one more question... Are there any differences between the states in how difficult it is to get a visa/green card? Or do the same laws apply to all states?


----------



## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

amy_finland said:


> Wow... How's that possible? Taking into account that there are millions and millions of Americans who earn a lot less than that?


Americans have substantially lower fees than international students, and qualify for scholarships, grants and low-interest, government-backed loans.


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

amy_finland said:


> Oh, and by the way, one more question... Are there any differences between the states in how difficult it is to get a visa/green card? Or do the same laws apply to all states?


As far as green cards (or any sort of visas) are concerned, it's federal (i.e. national) law that applies. The states don't have anything to do with it.
Cheers,
Bev


----------

