Australian in NYC (New York, Inwood, York: rent, find a job, transfer)

[BennS]

Hi,

I'm planning on coming to NYC next year (in March) and staying for 6 months to a year. I've always wanted to experience living in the city. I will have around $12,000 USD which i've saved for this trip. I'll have to fly out of the country once every three months so i don't over stay my visa.

1. I want to get a job (under the table) as a bar person or waiter. Is this a very easy thing to do? What would the pay be roughly a week? (for full time 5 days/nights a week work)

2. I'm looking at living in Inwood or Bushwick. I've heard these two areas are reasonably safe and good value for money. Would a bar/waiter wage be able to pay the rent in these areas, or areas similar?

[Viralmd]

Sorry, but I really can't encourgage illegal immigration...There are also enough legal residents who need jobs here now.

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by BennS

Hi,

I'm planning on coming to NYC next year (in March) and staying for 6 months to a year. I've always wanted to experience living in the city. I will have around $12,000 USD which i've saved for this trip. I'll have to fly out of the country once every three months so i don't over stay my visa.

1. I want to get a job (under the table) as a bar person or waiter. Is this a very easy thing to do? What would the pay be roughly a week? (for full time 5 days/nights a week work)

2. I'm looking at living in Inwood or Bushwick. I've heard these two areas are reasonably safe and good value for money. Would a bar/waiter wage be able to pay the rent in these areas, or areas similar?

sorry..we could probably get arrested for giving advice to violate the law..perhaps you can get under the table advice elsewhere?

[analyticalkeys]

If you're going to fly back every three months, how are you going to be able to afford the rent with so little money saved?

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by BennS

Hi,

I'm planning on coming to NYC next year (in March) and staying for 6 months to a year. I've always wanted to experience living in the city. I will have around $12,000 USD which i've saved for this trip. I'll have to fly out of the country once every three months so i don't over stay my visa.

1. I want to get a job (under the table) as a bar person or waiter. Is this a very easy thing to do? What would the pay be roughly a week? (for full time 5 days/nights a week work)

2. I'm looking at living in Inwood or Bushwick. I've heard these two areas are reasonably safe and good value for money. Would a bar/waiter wage be able to pay the rent in these areas, or areas similar?

I know you want to experience the city, as you say, and I know that you don't mean from behind the deportation cellblock of the INS. So I suggest you apply for workpapers and then you won't have to work in fear, get paid under the table, or for that matter have to hide under the table whenever a customer walks in looking like Dick Tracy and orders a NY favorite, "Vodka a la Rikers."

[Aussie_in_NYC]

BennS, I recently relocated here and saved just a bit more money than you to stay here for three months. However my aim is to find a job and get sponsored and three weeks in, it hasn't been an easy ride. Sure you might be able to save money by living away from the city but trust me, groceries and amenities - they aren't cheap and all add up.

My spending on everyday things and food (I found that it was more expensive to buy my own food and cook) is around $300 avg / week and that's not even eating out at fancy restaurants! It's a little bit of shopping and buying crap like toilet paper! Think about it clearly before you do this and see if you can aim to find a job like I am. It's the only way to do it.

I can't say if mine will be a success story but at least I am doing it. You have to be very careful as well if you plan to go in and out of NY every three months. Customs are very strict.

Good Luck!

[BennS]

Hi Aussie_In_Nyc,

This is exactly the info i was after. Great to see you're giving it a go, even if it is a struggle. In terms of coming in an out every 3 months, i thought that this would be fine as long as you show you have a forward ticket to get out of the country?

[Joe Bama!]

Don't you feel guilty coming here and taking jobs from a country in dire economic troubles. You seem pretty well to do in Australia. A lot better than alot of Americans. So don't you thinks its kind of selfish of you to take one of the very nedded service jobs?
I wouldn't feel this way if you were coming here to open a restaurant in some Downtown Manhattan neighborhood and hiring American employees.
If you don't feel guilty, then i'll feel guilty for you.

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by Aussie_in_NYC

It's a little bit of shopping and buying crap like toilet paper!

well, the latter is needed for the former.

[Biskit]

You can't just leave before 3 months is up and come back expecting to be re-admitted - it kind of defeats the purpose of having a tourist policy of 90 days. Your movements will be in the system and your passport will be stamped. You can't come back and just say you're going on vacation again for another 3 months when you were just here for 3 months, they definitely won't let you do that.

I agree with the others, it's not a good idea to come to America like this. You should attempt to get sponsorship or get transfered by your company in Australia to New York. America isn't a free ride, generations upon generations of people have suffered, sacrificed and died so that American citizens can have the opportunity and freedoms of this country. It's not fair to attempt to circumvent that given what honest people have sacrificed to have the same opportunities the legit way.