Irish couple looking for summer employment (Chicago, Naperville: rent, university, to live)

[05573190]

We will be traveling to Illinois in June of this year and are seeking employment , if any1 could give us any info at all in would be great
-I am a sudent at the national university of Galway and my partner is a fully quallified Carpenter
-Is there much employment to be found in illinois in the chicago area?
-what is the Glencoe area like?
-what is rent like in Illinois?
-what is thi night life like?
ect. thanks

[nitebird]

If your partner is a fully qualified carpenter, then you might want to check into some of the local unions. There is a huge housing boom in Illinois right now. My son is a Will County Illinois Union Carpenter and he was just in the hall to pay his dues yesterday and they are hiring for tons of Commercial work also right now. Rents in Illinois can vary greatly depending on what area you are interested in. The closer you get to Chicago, such as Naperville, Plainfield area etc.. you can expect to pay around a grand a month or more for a nice place. As far as the night life, depends again on what you are looking for as far as entertainment. Almost all of the bigger cities have lots of nitelife. Just go on the internet and search something like "Chicago Entertainment" and you will get tons of links to visit. Good luck and welcome to Illinois!

[michellie]

ah thats so brilliant to know because my boyf is a carpenter aswell and we were worried about what he would do over there(were planning on moving in 10-11 months)

05573190 ... chicago has a great nightlife, we were there in april and had the time of our lives..were from Waterford

Ive been checking out rent prices online, just type it into google and loads of sites will come up!

were hoping to stay near fullerton, because that is where we stayed in april, but obviously we will have to stay close to where my boyf is working

[PenguinSix]

Ummm....whoa....

Do you have a work visa? You will not get a visa as a carpenter and without a visa you will be working illegally. "A fully quallified Carpenter" means nothing to the Immigration authorities--nothing, as most 'skilled' visas (H1s) are reserved for science, tech, and medicine.

This a good list of the ways to get a visa.

Pulaski's Ways: How to Live and Work in the USA : British Expat Wiki

If you have the right to work in the US, then as a carpenter you can pretty easily find work. You can also advertise as a 'handyman' on sites like craigslist and get tons of work in just a few days. There is always work for someone qualified--the problem is you have to be authorized to work here.

If you are considering a move to the US, the WORST thing you could do is jeopardize that move by working illegally for a month or two.

[michellie]

Originally Posted by PenguinSix

If you are considering a move to the US, the WORST thing you could do is jeopardize that move by working illegally for a month or two.

oh god no, we will be doing it the legal way, dont worry about that...were looking into all this at the moment, we have a few months to arrange it all