moving to manhattan + job

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by Welcome

Why raise the "try hard and you'll be okay" approach? What does that have to do with this particular thread?

I gave him solid, practical advice with a dash of encouragement.

To be honest I don't think we're going to have to agree to disagree on the extent to which your advice was solid and practical. I don't think it was because it paid no heed as to whether he could have done any of those things legally or not, and had he followed your steps I think that would have been very time consuming and potentially not furthered his aims at all.

If you have anything useful and constructive to add around the J-1 visa program, then please add this in. I'm sure the OP will be very grateful, as the next steps he needs to take are clearly none of the things you mentioned.

[Welcome]

If he'd asked for advice about finding a wife, would you have had me begin with a stern warning that he'll need a marriage license and a blood test and must be certain his intended isn't close kin?

Of course not. The first step is to find the right lady.

By the same toke, when a man says he wants to live and work in NYC, the first step is to find a job. So that's what I advised him on. And quite deftly I might add.

If you'll take a look, you'll see that my advice covers both long-term corporate jobs (e.g., in the NYC office of the textile firm his librarian helps him identify), and also temporary jobs (e.g., lifeguarding, for which there is a dire need in the NYC area).

Many young American college graduates take such jobs while searching for more permanent ones. In his case there's an extra benefit: It would give him a taste of life in the US, and contact with folks who could help him find a permanent job.

Of course he will also need permission to work in the US. And it was kind of you to describe some of the possible options. That iis a valuable contribution to this thread. So is mine. (If he follows the steps I outlined, even if he doesn't get to NYC, he'll have a great resume, a wealth of knowledge about the world, and lots of adults interested in his future. Not so bad, right?)

That's the whole idea here: Each of us brings something different to this forum. We share it. It isn't necessary to put anyone else down in order to be important here.

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by Welcome

If he'd asked for advice about finding a wife, would you have had me begin with a stern warning that he'll need a marriage license and a blood test and must be certain his intended isn't close kin?

Of course not. The first step is to find the right lady.

Your analogy here, which I'm assuming is in support of your argument, is flawed.

For someone in OP's shoes, the options are, (best first given what he stated as being his intentions):

1) Intra-company transfer (L1 visa). Find job first but in the UK, not New York.

2) H1B in theory. That would entail finding a sponsor (job) first but to be fair his chances of going down this route are so minimal as to not be worth pursuing in his circumstances, for all the reasons I've stated. This is difficult and unlikely enough for highly qualified candidates with many years' experience. He's almost as likely to have a reasonable win on the lottery and come in using an E2 investor's visa.

3) J1 - but again, needs to investigate visa options first as won't necessarily at all fit with his stated objectives. No point coming over as an au pair thinking it's some kind of stepping stone only to realise that he's out on his ear at the end of it.

4) Meet nice American lady and marry. (See - I take that back - your advice was good!)

Yes, it's true - we all bring something to the forum. The trick is to speak out where you possess knowledge that can help someone else. I refrain from giving advice when I don't know my subject matter (computers, automobiles, flower arranging), and I suggest you do the same (immigration matters). You do, however, seem very helpful and knowledgeable in providing good job-hunting strategies to those for whom visa matters are not an issue. I would probably use some of your advice the next time I find myself in a job-hunting situation. In this instance though visa matters trump job hunting, at least in this scenario. It's just the way it is - I didn't make the rules. If you're interested in learning more about this you could follow the links I gave the OP.

[Viralmd]

Everyone, please watch the tone of these posts. We can disagree and be polite about it without being insulting.

[nyoka]

There's also option 5)... applying to a masters program in NY. If you go to a top school then the companies will come to you, in NYC the only acceptable choices are Columbia and NYU considering your situation. Just need to do your homework and figure which industries are open to sponsoring an international student for the H1B. I go to school with many international students and many stay on to work in the US for at least a year or 2. Depending on the degree you do, you may need to work for a few years first, which would be easier done in the UK.