Legal immigration to USA for normal people almost impossible? (business, security, sibling)
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Thanks for your post, very informative.
It's interesting to note the differences between a simple H1B non-immigrant visa, and actually getting sponsored for permanent residence (green card). As you said, it makes sense that they would only go for temporary contracts and thus H1 visa instead of the more expensive and risky green card process (which also takes time, when you need a worker to start fast).
Still, I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. If I find a company in a decent industry (rare I know) or niche, that is doing well in the long term, I dont see why I could not press them to sponsor me if I really show an intent to stay for the long-run.
Well, you know, it's not like I am asking to become a naturalized American or anything. I am simply seeking permanent residence for the purpose of work in the United States. It is really something quite basic, but in the current world it seems harder and harder to do.
Canada to the north has actually many ways to do it, especially for me in Quebec as I speak French among other languages and they are willing to take anybody to do work there. But being a big fan of the USA, I feel its either stay in Europe or USA for me
But in any case, there are always other ways in life, if the US doesn't work out, then I will move on somehow. Just wish something as simple as to be allowed to stay in a country for the purpose of work would be easier. The world has just become overcomplicated. I actually learned that for Americans coming to the EU (there are actually quite an interested amount of Americans wanting to immigrate to Europe to "find their roots" or something ), well its the same nightmare as for Europeans to get a green card. Europe just wont let them stay. (By the way there is a green card scheme called blue card coming to Europe someday...)
Interesting circumstances Everybody always wants what they dont have. Anyway thanks for the answers everyone, will keep in touch if there is any luck with the green card.
Hello everyone,
Sorry if I'm late, but I'm in the same situation, (I'm originally fron Paris) but I live and work in Canada, and I want to move in US to live and build my life over there.
Like Anondragon said, it seems impossible to immigrate in the US without any family or special skills.
But I work for a company based in Canada and USA, i want an inter transfert, but its not easy to get a visa.
I think I can have an intra company transfert in Canada but its so complicated for the US.
For the green I will apply on October 2013 but still, I'M not sure to have a chance but I keep fighting.
I create my luck to work in this company for 2 years now.
Do you think I can go to the border to have a L1 visa and complete it there???
Anondragon I support you and if I have any news or informations in my case that might help you I would love to help you.
Im not sure. They moved to the states in 2001, just a couple of months before 9/11. He was offered a job in L.A. while he was in Sweden. He is extremely good at what he is doing. One of the best there is.
He was offered a job and all of a sudden the whole family moved to The USA. I am not sure how it all happened.
But the company he now works for now paid for a Lawyer and all the fees in order for them to become citizens. It took 5 months.
My husband was in the military when I married him. We had to pay for my green card out of pocket but there were no problems.
I just paid 680 dollars and applied for my citizenship.
Im not sure. They moved to the states in 2001, just a couple of months before 9/11. He was offered a job in L.A. while he was in Sweden. He is extremely good at what he is doing. One of the best there is.
He was offered a job and all of a sudden the whole family moved to The USA. I am not sure how it all happened.
But the company he now works for now paid for a Lawyer and all the fees in order for them to become citizens. It took 5 months.
My husband was in the military when I married him. We had to pay for my green card out of pocket but there were no problems.
I just paid 680 dollars and applied for my citizenship.
from what i know, no employer here in the US would pay for citizenship for foreign-trained employees. what most probably happened is the company paid for the green cards, and the couple themselves paid for their citizenship. the employer probably sponsored them through EB-1 or EB-2 visas which are faster to get green cards with, especially since the husband apparently is being described as having "exceptional" skills which can qualify him for eb-1 or eb-2.
from what i know, no employer here in the US would pay for citizenship for foreign-trained employees. what most probably happened is the company paid for the green cards, and the couple themselves paid for their citizenship. the employer probably sponsored them through EB-1 or EB-2 visas which are faster to get green cards with, especially since the husband apparently is being described as having "exceptional" skills which can qualify him for eb-1 or eb-2.
Eh no, that is not what happened. The company he works for paid for their citizen ship. How hard is that? Its nothing more than an additional 680 bucks a person. That is pocket change for them. So you don't know.
They have had a green card for a long time now. They just became citizens last year.
Like I said, she is my best friend and her husband. This is not just some hearsay from a third party. I know that the company paid for their citizen fee's. I don't remember how they got her initially ( green card work visa etc ), but im going to ask her.
Im not sure. They moved to the states in 2001, just a couple of months before 9/11. He was offered a job in L.A. while he was in Sweden. He is extremely good at what he is doing. One of the best there is.
He was offered a job and all of a sudden the whole family moved to The USA. I am not sure how it all happened.
But the company he now works for now paid for a Lawyer and all the fees in order for them to become citizens. It took 5 months.
My husband was in the military when I married him. We had to pay for my green card out of pocket but there were no problems.
I just paid 680 dollars and applied for my citizenship.
your citizenship experience is more of getting your citizenship through marriage while the rest of us working people have to work long and hard before we could even get our green cards. the couple's story looks more like a typical employer-based visa route to citizenship, no surprise there. but the surprising bit is more the employer paying for the citizenship if that is actually true. typically, employers would even be hardpressed to sponsor greencards for their foreign-trained employees as employees with greencards would no longer be required to stay with the sponsoring employer, so it only follows that they wouldnt be enamored to pay for their employees' citizenship as well. yeah, $680 might not be that much, but in this current state of economy, and if they have to do that for several of their employees, that can add up.
then again, if the employer sponsored the husband on eb-1, then i guess they could just go ahead and sponsor his citizenship.
your citizenship experience is more of getting your citizenship through marriage while the rest of us working people have to work long and hard before we could even get our green cards. the couple's story looks more like a typical employer-based visa route to citizenship, no surprise there. but the surprising bit is more the employer paying for the citizenship if that is actually true. typically, employers would even be hardpressed to sponsor greencards for their foreign-trained employees as employees with greencards would no longer be required to stay with the sponsoring employer, so it only follows that they wouldnt be enamored to pay for their employees' citizenship as well. yeah, $680 might not be that much, but in this current state of economy, and if they have to do that for several of their employees, that can add up.
then again, if the employer sponsored the husband on eb-1, then i guess they could just go ahead and sponsor his citizenship.
The company he works for, money is not an issue. Even if he did leave, it would be more of an issue to find someone to replace him.
In my case, I married my husband but I felt no desire to become a US citizen. But I have been working and paid taxes in this country since I first got off the plane. It's not like I have been sitting on my ass all these years . So why not fully benefit from living in this country and become a citizen.
The company he works for, money is not an issue. Even if he did leave, it would be more of an issue to find someone to replace him.
In my case, I married my husband but I felt no desire to become a US citizen. But I have been working and paid taxes in this country since I first got off the plane. It's not like I have been sitting on my ass all these years . So why not fully benefit from living in this country and become a citizen.
like i said, that guy probably was sponsored on eb-1 visa which gives them their greencards quickly, so for someone with exceptional skills, the employer just went ahead and paid for their citizenship. not a whole lot of people can get through with eb-1 visa though because the employer has to prove that the employee has exceptional skills.
yeah, becoming a citizen is not so much an issue as getting the greencard status because once you have the greencard, it's easy to choose to just stay as a permanent resident, or to fully become a citizen. the issue here is getting the greencard. for anyone not a US permanent resident, the easiest route to becoming one is to get married to a citizen. in three months, you get your greencard if the immigration officials dont find your marriage questionable. for us workers who dont marry citizens or greencard holders, we have to work for years on end BEFORE WE COULD EVEN GET THE GREENCARD. we pay taxes like the residents and citizens do, but we dont get any government benefits. it's the most difficult position to be in--working your butt off ONLY for employers that sponsor your h1 visa, paying taxes, but getting no government benefits while illegal immigrants dont pay taxes, and the greencard holders can work for ANY employer they choose to work for and still get government benefits.
of course, for most foreign workers, any job here is better than working back in their native countries, so i'm grateful to having been able to come to the US legally for a job that i'm qualified for with a possibility of getting a greencard eventually without having to go through a marriage route. i just wish it doesnt take that long to get a greencard.
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