From Asia to US (San Jose, Sacramento: transfer to, to live, legal)

[ForeverForeigner]

Am a single Chinese female with a pretty good career and above average paying job in a southeastern country mainly because of my skill in the Mandarin language and good English. Plus of my IT background.

Visited a relative in Sacramento last year, who has been encouraging me to move with them and try starting a life there.

In as much as Sacramento is better than my place , being above 35, am not sure if its still feasible to start anew considering the good and stable life I've already established in my present place of residence.

[nightlysparrow]

You can't simply move to the US because you want to. Any visa would take years.

Is the relative you visited a parent or your child? They can sponsor you on a family basis for a visa, which would take about 1.5 years. A citizen sibling, 13-20 years (really). No other family can sponsor you.
Only other means: start a business with an investment of at least $500,000. which will employ 10 Americans. Or marry an American citizen. Or get an H1-b visa from a US employer. Or get a student visa.

[xenxes]

That's a pretty hard question to answer without knowing more.

Are you happy with your stable life and residence? Do you like SE China? Is it very polluted? Do you like your Chinese friends / dating, or are you looking for more cosmopolitan diversity?

The air here is generally better, the people obviously more diverse, and at least big cities California are still welcoming of foreigners. Americans, as a whole (even under Trump), are still a lot nicer than most big-city Chinese. IT is always in demand. Your English seems pretty good. So, potential visa/employer difficulties aside, it is feasible.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by ForeverForeigner

Am a single Chinese female with a pretty good career and above average paying job in a southeastern country mainly because of my skill in the Mandarin language and good English. Plus of my IT background.

Visited a relative in Sacramento last year, who has been encouraging me to move with them and try starting a life there.

In as much as Sacramento is better than my place , being above 35, am not sure if its still feasible to start anew considering the good and stable life I've already established in my present place of residence.

Post some pictures and I guarantee some American men will take you up on your offer.

[Majin]

I will marry you. Please send me a PM with pics.

[beb0p]

Originally Posted by ForeverForeigner

Am a single Chinese female with a pretty good career and above average paying job in a southeastern country mainly because of my skill in the Mandarin language and good English. Plus of my IT background.

Visited a relative in Sacramento last year, who has been encouraging me to move with them and try starting a life there.

In as much as Sacramento is better than my place , being above 35, am not sure if its still feasible to start anew considering the good and stable life I've already established in my present place of residence.

Take it from someone who used to work in IT in Sacramento, a long time ago. There is no future being in IT in Sacramento. None. Every IT friends that I know have left Sacramento.

If you are to come to the US, go to the Silicon Valley or stay where you are.
.

[ForeverForeigner]

Thanking all for the feedbacks. (also for the marriage proposal even though it would be nice to know each other 1st)

Kidding aside, if Sacramento is not not a good prospect, even outside will do as long as its California, at least still within reach of my sister and family.

I've visited San Jose and its 2 hours away drive from Sacramento. I've heard its the techie area of California. Am hoping its a good prospect, checking out indeed.com. Or if I can be pointed to other opportunities, would appreciate the referral. If successful, I promise a treat in person :）

[Curmudgeon]

Sacramento as the capitol of California is very much a government town and the state hires many IT people. It takes awhile to get a civil service job but the pay is reasonable and the benefits are outstanding. Just something to think about. Plus there is a significant Chinese community there already.

Whatever you decide, best of luck. By the way, my earliest recollections are of Tsingtao where I lived for about 18 months before being evacuated in 1949. Mandarin was my first language. Sadly, but for a few words and phrases I lost it after returning to the U.S. It was interesting for awhile as I spoke no English and my parents spoke no Mandarin but being young I learned English quickly.

[RosieSD]

Are you a U.S. citizen? Do you have legal permanent residence (i.e., a Green Card) in the U.S. already?

Citizenship is often a requirement for many goverment jobs, even at the state or municipal level. Non-government employers also can't legally hire non-U.S. citizens unless they have a work visa (called a Green Card) or another Visa allowing the person to work in the U.S. The "Green Card" allows you to legally live and work in the U.S.

If you're not a U.S. citizen and/or don't already have permanent legal residence (i.e., a Green Card) then you will be to find a company that is willing to sponsor you under the H-1B Visa program.

This is a type of Visa that allows you to live and work temporarily (can be renewed) in the U.S. with sponsorship from your employer. You'll need to have at least a Bachelor's degree to qualify for an H-1 Visa.

So, if you are not a citizen or don't already have a Green Card, your starting point should be reading up on the H-1B Visa program to see if you might qualify:

https://www.uscis.gov/eir/visa-guide...b-requirements

US H-1B visa for specialty workers | Workpermit.com

If you do qualify for the H1-B visa program, then you will need to focus on finding jobs where the employer specifies they will consider applicants who need sponsorship. In addition to Indeed.com, also look on Monster.com and other tech-related sites relevant to the type of experience you have (use Google to find those sites).

Don't waste time applying to jobs where they say you need to already have a Visa or the right to work in the U.S. If the ad doesn't specify whether they will consider H1-B applicants, contact the employer directly to ask if they will accept applications from non-citizens for H1-B sponsorship.

The other option for non-citizens to work in the U.S. depends on the country where you hold citizeship. The U.S. holds an annual "lottery" to grant Green Cards to people from certain countries. If you are a citizen of mainland China, you can't participate in the lottery, but you may qualify to enter the lottery if you are a citizen of some other Asian countries. So, you may want to check on that as well.

American Green Card Lottery Access Center - Eligible Countries - US Diversity Visa Lottery Immigration Program

You may also be eligible to apply for a Green Card separate from the lottery. However, this process generally takes several years. You can learn about applying for legal permanent residency in the U.S. here:

https://www.usa.gov/green-cards

Finally, you may want to look into whether there are any American companies based in Asia that might be hiring employees with your skills to work in their Asian offices. Although it is a long shot, perhaps you could start there, and eventually have your employer sponsor you for a transfer to their office in the U.S.

[Majin]

Originally Posted by ForeverForeigner

(also for the marriage proposal even though it would be nice to know each other 1st)

Still waiting on the pics