Moving to atlanta from Italy (apartment complex, condos, job)

[Eagle2008]

Hi everyone!!!

I am Italian and I am coming to Atlanta to start my PHD at GaTech.
My girlfriend and I are looking for an apartment, since we do not have a car in the first months we focus on apt. served by MARTA.
We reduced our list to two condos: Aventine at Lindbergh and Arbor Gates.
I would like to know if the area is safe (lots of web sites claim is not), if someone have details on the property could please suggest me one of these?
Moreover, my girlfriend is coming and she would like to find a job in the city, does the job market "accept" foreigners?
Thanks,

Vincenzo

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by Eagle2008

Hi everyone!!!

I am Italian and I am coming to Atlanta to start my PHD at GaTech.
...
Moreover, my girlfriend is coming and she would like to find a job in the city, does the job market "accept" foreigners?
Thanks,

Vincenzo

Hi Vincenzo. Has your girlfriend made arrangements for a visa and status to enter and stay in the US? US immigration law would readily allow her into the country as your dependent if and only if you were legally married. If you are not planning to marry, it's much more difficult. Your girlfriend needs to get in touch with the US embassy in Italy, if she has not already done this. This is just about being allowed to enter and stay in the country, without even working.

Unless your girlfriend is a scholar of international renown, top-flight artist or entertainer, business executive or investor, it won't be easy for her to legally work in the US. If she is a professional of some kind that's in demand in the US (e.g. software engineer), she may be able to find a US employer willing to sponsor her for an H1-B status.

If your question about the job market being "accepting" of foreigners was about whether employers are open towards hiring a foreigner, I'd say, that's probably OK (if the person speaks English), however the initial challenge is not so much finding a job, as getting authorization to work in the US.

[netdragon]

Even she is sponsored, she has to apply for a work visa and there are only a limited number per year, selected randomly. Sometimes you get one that year, sometimes you don't. Once you get one, you're set until you move out. It's ridiculously archaic how visas work and there aren't enough available.

One of our employees will have to leave next year if he doesn't get the work visa. He is working for us while in college and applying for a visa. If he doesn't get it, there's nothing we can do.

If she can't get sponsored, either she will need to take classes in GA as well (doesn't have to be tech), or you will need to get married.

[Eagle2008]

OK, what's about safety in the area? does someone know the apartment complex and give me some suggestion, please?