Moving To America From England (visa) (Boston, Oxford: sales, real estate, credit)

[steven.geiss]

Hi.

My partner and I currently live in England and are keen to move to the Boston area. We have looked into this online and I must say the whole process seems really confusing, especially as there are a number of companies claiming that they can organise your Visa's etc, etc. I am 28 & my partner is 30 and we both have degrees from English universities. I have worked in estate agency (real estate) for seven years including two years in management and she has worked as a civil servent (UK government) for four years. WE have no dependants and have no major medical issues.

I was just wondering what the best way of applying for a visa was and if there was any chance that we would be accepted? Any help, advice or previous experiences anyone has had would be gratefully received.

Regards

Steven

[WestcoastBrit]

I came out on E2 visa with approx. $110k investment (small retail). If you have biz in England or work for international company then H1/L1. Got E2 through London attorney, would advise against any companies offering package deals. Now is not the best time to be a realtor.Good Luck.

[pondhopper]

Unless you are of independent means you are unlikely to get a visa on your own, you will need a business to sponser you and they must do so in general by March 31. The US and UK estate markets work VERY differently and you are more likely to get a job based on your management skills or business skills than on your estate experience. Can you hook up with an international agency? Sothebies, Christies, etc? The experience can be easier if you use an attorney once you have a job to go to but companies that specialize in getting you a job and visa aren't usually very reliable. I have had experience moving several UK citizens over and have now moved myself to the UK so I've got all the buracracy down. Try to get set up with a bank with US and UK branches and that will allow you to transfer your credit history as that will be vital in the US.

[spainbrit]

About USCIS

Do your homework, get legal advice from an immigration attorney. Your qualifications are not great for getting a job via H1B, maybe L1 with a company that has real estate interests on both sides of the pond.
Buying your way in with an E-2 or (L-1 if you have a company that will work for that in the UK) is a way to go, but E-2 at this point doesn't guarantee the green card, L1 may but things constantly change and an AILA attorney will be one way of assuring you are getting correct information.

The green card lottery (diversity visas) will not work for you if you are from the UK, I think Eire citizens can, but that may have changed.

Good luck in your endeavours.

[BernadetteOC]

You do not have to many choices.
E2 is an investment visa, and if you do not have funds behind you, it can be very difficult.

As you have no baggage, ie children then this may be a way forward for you to consider. It is not a cheap option as you would need to do a lot of homework.
It depends how much you really want to live in America

If this is a route you choose to go, then research, research, research.

The US Embassy in London also likes partners to be married as it is less complicated.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

[MarsMary]

Hi,

if you do get a visa, I'd recommend banking with HSBC as they have a few branches over here too which can help with your credit history. I think having an AMEX card prior to your arrival can be useful in this area too.

Good luck!

[Boomerang]

It can be a long tough process even if you have American family members 'sponsoring' you. Coming on your own is much harder. U.S. employers can't hire/sponsor you unless they're willing to file the necessary paperwork saying that they could not find a U.S. resident to fill the job instead. Of course, if you're rich and famous, well, the doors are wide open

Don't count on your UK university degrees to be a huge help unless you have Ph.Ds. There are many foreign nationals in the U.S. with advanced degrees from their own countries, including western Europe, that aren't appreciated or really recognized here. Unfair, but true. I know one Brit who came here for marriage with very advanced business degrees and experience who ended up working in low-end sales because they couldn't get a job anywhere else.

You're best off contacting the U.S. Embassy in the UK for advice. Be prepared for a long expensive slog with no guarantee of entry.

[amyalta]

I endorse the last poster's view. I am a UKC married for 16 years to a USC,and with 2 USC kids, and it has taken me 7 months just to get my visa and green card. We have $800,000 to bring in, but this was no help at all.

As for qualifications, I am a teacher with a 1st class degree from Oxford (the real one) plus an M.A. with distinction, plus a PhD, plus 19 years of truly high level experience at Head of Department, Head of Sixth Form and Deputy Head level at truly excellent, world class schools (i.e. St Paul's) which many would in fact consider THE best in the world - yet I was told that in US, in one state - 'You are out of state so we can only credit you with 5 years' and in another, ' Impressive, yes, but might not be good enough - you may not have covered the same level of material..' WTH? UK schools are 2 full years ahead of US in my subject!!!!!

Be prepared!

[MovingForward]

I attended a year of college at the University of Paris. Can't say I was all that impressed.

[amyalta]

What does 'the University of Paris' have to do with this topic?