# Just Wondering...



## 0Bertie0 (Oct 24, 2008)

Hey, I'm new to this site...

I'm just looking for a little information about moving to America from England. Well for starters I was just hoping someone with experience can talk me through the process I.E. How you qualify, how you go about applying and any other extra information that you may have.

I understand this question may have been asked a lot but I would appreciate any help or guidance you can give me. Also this is purely just out of interest I’m looking into various places to move; America is just one of these.

Thank you in advance. 

Hope you all have a nice day.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Hi and welcome to the forum.

The starting point for finding out about how to qualify for a visa to the US is the website of the consulate (for the UK here: Visa Services U.S. Embassy London ). 

It's not exciting reading, but basically you have to have a reason for moving to the US - and the options boil down to: family living there (close family - parents, children, siblings), a job offer or study. There is also the diversity lottery, but the restrictions on who can participate usually rule out folks from England. (Check the details - also on the consulate website.)

It's the qualification that is the tough part. Unlike some countries, you can't just move over there and look for a job. There is no list of "desired" professions or trades that make you eligible. You need to have a job offer in hand to even start the process for a work visa.

Anyhow, there are lots of folks here who have managed to move over, so maybe they can give you some ideas.
Cheers,
Bev


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

If you look through some of the other threads you will find lots of discussion about what it would take to get an H1B visa, and, frankly, none of it is encouraging. If you have close family with citizenship, the wait is long. If you try the work visa route, you must first find a job with an employer who is willing to sponsor you and hold the job while everything is processed, and that can provide evidence that there are no Americans or green card holders to fill the job. This is difficult to begin with, and is getting tougher every day, as unemployment increases. Studying for a bachelors or masters is a very expensive option. 

You would fare much better looking at Canada or Australia, because they have a point system and don't require that you have a job to immigrate. They also have working holiday visas that would allow you to have some experience in the country before formally immigrating.


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