Heya people ;-) There's one thing that I am curious about and thought this would be a good place to speak about it since we've got people here from all over the world.

So ok here I am, turned 17 couple weeks ago - still going to school. Later on plannin' on going to university - already received conditional acceptance for the course I want to do. The course should take 6 - 7 years.

Currently I'm living in Scotland, and the thing I'm thinking about - is moving to the U.S.A. at some point in my life *just a thought*. Most likely the smartest thing to do would be to try and get a job over there after getting masters. But it seems to me as it could be quite complicated to get that done since I'd require visa and other stuff. So has anyone here got any experience with getting a job there while you're still located in the UK - or somewhere else Non U.S.A. Any general comments/knowledge sharing would be very well appreciated!

Please do not start posting nonsense about it being a seriously stupid idea or anything like that. Not in mood for crap.

P.S. If there's anyone who'd be up for a chat about this matter elsewhere, for example Skype or Msn I'd be more than happy to do so!

Thankies

Depending on what course your doing, you could well get to go there with your University - I could do my course over 4 years (rather than 3) and spend a year working in Industry there, but the entry requirements are higher (by a grade for the course i'm doing).

Well the course would be Architecture.

Well since you don't want any negative comments, I can't tell you that it'd be incredibly difficult to a) find a place over there and get a visa, b) find freinds (USA isn't overly fond of Brits, and even less so towards Scottish people, accent jokes anyone?) or c) find a college course without exceedingly good grades.

This is why the finacial crisis is going the way it is. People are moving about and not bringing money into their own countries. How about you stay in Britain, but maybe move about to a University that suits your needs, remain in contact with your freinds and family and do, basically, the same course here that you'd be doing over there, without the hamburger breaks.

:-) Well I think you misunderstood me. I am going to study architecture here in Scotland and going away to the U.S.A. would be only considered after getting masters in architecture. Also I'm not British - came here only 4 years ago or so.

The way I did it:

Get a temporary non-work visa.
Go to the USA.
Don't come back.

But there's probably other ways to do it.

Quote from S14 DRIFT :

it'd be incredibly difficult to ... find freinds (USA isn't overly fond of Brits, and even less so towards Scottish people, accent jokes anyone?)

Well that's bollocks, frankly. Everybody was very welcoming when I lived there and I still stay in touch with a few of them, and I had a Scottish mate over there too (lad from Partick I used to go surfing with) who also got along fine with the locals. Occasionally I'd get drunk American-Irish boys asking me why I didn't "get the **** out of Ireland", but they were polite when they were sober.

Well, bearing that in mind, why on earth would you want to move to America of all places anyway? Crap cars, crap TV, crap food, fat girls, gun crime on a daily basis, etc etc.

Kev, glad you met some freindly people then.

Quote from S14 DRIFT :

crap

This is terrible advice. Do not heed it.

Quote from S14 DRIFT :

Crap cars,

But cheap gas!

Quote from S14 DRIFT :

crap TV,

Same everywhere.

Quote from S14 DRIFT :

crap food,

Great food. Especially if you live by the shore.

Quote from S14 DRIFT :

fat girls,

Again, not if you live by the shore.

Quote from S14 DRIFT :

gun crime on a daily basis

I only ever saw one gun that wasn't on a policeman's belt, in three years of living there. And it wasn't being pointed at anyone.

Honestly, where are you getting this stuff from?

The internets, I know. Awesome source of factual infomation

:hide:

Well I guess people who live in the USA should be speaking about what it is like over there.

Quote from Electric Eye :

Well the course would be Architecture.

Not a very good career choice.

1 in 10 architects over here are losing their jobs atm.

Quote from niall09 :

Not a very good career choice.

1 in 10 architects over here are losing their jobs atm.

Yeah I know that it's pretty bad. My dad's a lorry driver over here (Both parents originally building engineers)... so I can pretty much see what's the situation with all the drivers getting fired and so on - lack of job on building sites too!

Don't forget that I'm still in school and that the course would take minimum of 6 years. So, it might get better in 7 years or so!

*stays positive*

No advice to give myself, just wanted to say it shouldn't be too difficult. I definitely plan to do this myself one day soonish. After spending a month there in the summer I came back to England thinking there isn't a lot that I prefer over here. Other than all my friends etc.

Quote from Electric Eye :

Heya people ;-) There's one thing that I am curious about and thought this would be a good place to speak about it since we've got people here from all over the world.

So ok here I am, turned 17 couple weeks ago - still going to school. Later on plannin' on going to university - already received conditional acceptance for the course I want to do. The course should take 6 - 7 years.

Currently I'm living in Scotland, and the thing I'm thinking about - is moving to the U.S.A. at some point in my life *just a thought*. Most likely the smartest thing to do would be to try and get a job over there after getting masters. But it seems to me as it could be quite complicated to get that done since I'd require visa and other stuff. So has anyone here got any experience with getting a job there while you're still located in the UK - or somewhere else Non U.S.A. Any general comments/knowledge sharing would be very well appreciated!

Please do not start posting nonsense about it being a seriously stupid idea or anything like that. Not in mood for crap.

P.S. If there's anyone who'd be up for a chat about this matter elsewhere, for example Skype or Msn I'd be more than happy to do so!

Thankies

well, I live in the USA, and things are not at their absolute best right now. The unemployment rate is going up because of our economy. Jobs are getting cut for a lot of people. You could try it, but things will start off at a rocky start.

Quote from D.Zanetti :

Marry an American bird?

A rich one and you have me sold!

Well things hopefully wont be as bad as they are now in 8-10 years, and the crisis will sort out after some time...

No need to quote my whole post ;P

Quote from thisnameistaken :

But cheap gas!



Same everywhere.



Great food. Especially if you live by the shore.



Again, not if you live by the shore.



I only ever saw one gun that wasn't on a policeman's belt, in three years of living there. And it wasn't being pointed at anyone.

Honestly, where are you getting this stuff from?

i may be double posting again, but in Colorado, we have nice places to eat, gas is pretty cheap, you can get European cars over here(but american cars aren't that bad), and not every girl you meet is fat here. Probably since there is a lot of mountain trials and the fact that some girls climb Pike's Peak. Also, the Pike's Peak hill climb rally rce is here. This race is when people take cars with up to 700-1000 hp and race up the mountain. Whoever has the fastest time wins. So, I agree with you on a lot of things (sorry for talking about the Pike's Pike hill climb. It was random). Where are you guys getting your information from? USA is a good place to live. Just not so much the accents. The southern people's accents are quite strange .

Quote from Electric Eye :

Well things hopefully wont be as bad as they are now in 8-10 years, and the crisis will sort out after some time...

No need to quote my whole post ;P

yeah. ok i got it! still, USA is cool. triple posting BTW, sh**!!!! OOOOH i have to stop!

Hehe, well shouldn't pay attention to people who speak about USA and what it is like when they haven't been/lived there.

You get various people everywhere... UK isn't much better on the fatness account - based on what I see and on statistics.

Quote from Electric Eye :

Hehe, well shouldn't pay attention to people who speak about USA and what it is like when they haven't been/lived there.

You get various people everywhere... UK isn't much better on the fatness account - based on what I see and on statistics.

if u really want to come, come then! it's your life, and it's your choice. USA will be fine for you.

Is this you offering a place to stay!? lol... I shall be going to bed now, I'll let my sweet eyes rest throughout this gloomy night which ought to be ashamed of itself... that sounded gay...

Hopefully tomorrow I'll find here some more posts from the other continent

I lived in the US for about 5 years but ultimately came home, mostly to help my dad look after my mum who was very ill. I had the option to go back to the US again after she died (still a permanent resident) but decided not to in the end.

By and large, Americans like Brits a lot. Some of them also mistakenly think the English are incredibly clever (something to do with the accent from what I can figure out) but it doesn't carry to the Scots, I'm afraid. Sorry about that.

Getting a visa to visit the US isn't really a problem, though it's a bit more complicated than it was, but as long as you don't have a criminal record you can go. To get a work visa you need to get hired by a company in the US that can't fill the position with an American. Then you can get a H1B, though they're really rare these days. Still around though.

Getting a student visa is usually through an exchange programme, and that's typically something you'd get through your college/uni. Yanks come here, we go there, in approximately equal measure. You can't go that route unless you're on a recognised "sandwich" course at a college/uni with an established programme.

Marrying a yank doesn't get you automatic entry any more. It did do up until around April 2002 (or was it 2003? Can't remember now), but these days you have to return to the UK while your visa is processed. Takes about 2 years, all told.. and if you're doing it as a way to get to the US rather than marrying for love, your application will be rejected.

There's loads more stuff to write, but that's a simple version. Bottom line, though, is that you'd have to get used to an American working ethic and the American way of thinking. Sod the 28 days off, you're looking at NO days off for the first year. 2nd year, you're looking at 10 days (or 15 if you manage to land a middle-management role). Add a day per year to that for every year you work for the same company.

You also have to understand that the US is only "land of the free" by tagline. In actual practice, it's a fairly repressive society even compared with the UK, with its CCTV culture etc. You can't drink til you're 21, even in your own home. You're far less likely to get let off with a warning by the cops than you are in the UK for the same stuff. Smoking a spliff is more likely to get you jailed in the US than the UK. You can't place a bet legally outside a casino, even at a game of poker at home with your buddies. No, you probably won't get caught but the law is the law. If you piss off your neighbour you can easily be arrested - you'll get released without charge later, but it's damned inconvenient in the meantime..

If you have a decent job, you'll most likely have more spare money per month than in the UK, but it's easier to lose your job in the US (redundancy payments are rarer in the US than the UK) and if you finish up without a job, you're pretty well screwed after 6 months - there's no safety net at all after benefits run out, 26 weeks down the line (if your previous employer doesn't hinder benefits for you). If the company you work for doesn't offer health benefits, it'll cost you ~$700/month for COBRA which is pretty pants tbh. I could go on for ages, but basically moving to the US is something only wealthy and/or highly qualified people should consider. Life in the US, for the ordinary American, is buttloads harder than it is in the UK.

If you want to come to the US to work, you can join everyone else. Everyone who is already in the US would like to work here also.

300 people at my employment and we are down to about 20 since the Christmas break.

Bit off the topic but it doesn't happen to be RGU you have a conditional for? If so you'll be on the same campus as I'm At the moment I'm in the art school but we'll be kicked out to the basement of the architectural school in 2nd year!