Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
October, visa lottery entry month...
For decades I have participated in the green card lottery, missed only a couple of years. It has been a kind of ritual just for the sake of it. I never won, obviously, so I never faced the question whether or not I would really move to the US if I won such a green card.
So, what are the pros and cons of life in the US today? (Compared to Europe in my case.) Is it still worth participating in the lottery?
"West Coast of Europe"? Portugal, Spain, France, England or Ireland? And what part of the enormous US? One cannot make blanket comparisons of such vast areas.
Well, my current location (Portugal) is basically irrelevant because I work as a freelancer for foreigners, anyway, and the standard of living is very similar throughout the EU.
Within the US, well, hard to say. There are so few regions not threatened by natural disasters
Fancy or violent places are not for me, either. So, none of the big cities.
WV is nice
The US compared the the whole EU, not much different. Both have a variety of everything. However, the US has a lot more space and a lot more wilderness, and may be cheaper to buy a large plot of land. Easier to get away from people.
The US compared the the whole EU, not much different. Both have a variety of everything. However, the US has a lot more space and a lot more wilderness, and may be cheaper to buy a large plot of land. Easier to get away from people.
I am the opposite of that, actually. I don't like wilderness and enjoy being around friendly people instead. I don't want to buy land or a house, just rent a small apartment like I have done all my life.
Back wen I started participating in the greencard lottery (I think that was back in the late 80's), my main motive was music. In the 80's there was still a lot of good music from the US, that is no longer the case in my view (not just a US problem, but a global one in my view).
Americans also seem a lot more extreme and hateful today.
One of the big advantages for me would be that thanks to ice hockey there are lots of ice rinks, which don't exist here in Portugal for obvious reasons. I loved to skate
OK, entered after all. Would be nice to go skating with my friend in Chicago
if your reasons to live here in the US are that shallow, then why not just come in on a tourist visa? you don't have to rent an apartment nor have to find a job, unless you're super rich you don't have to worry about looking for a job, or you're intending on just being on welfare and letting the US support you on your ice skating and other whims (like living in an urban area to live an expensive urban life among "friendly" people)
What is shallow about that reason? It is the only sport I ever liked and was good at, because I would practice it every afternoon when I was young.
And what reason is not shallow? The only exceptions I can think of are people fleeing catastrophes, wars, or dictatorships. But those will hardly use the green card lottery, anyway. There are different paths for them...
No, I would not need a job, I would continue to work for the same global clients I have been working for for years now. I might as well work from Timbuktu or Fiji, but they don't have no ice rinks there, so I might as wells stay here
American isn't even on the top 10 list of best country to live in and people want to come here?
Canada is on the top 5, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, these are all top countries to live with better equality, low crime, and higher income.
Any immigrant coming to the US will have to compete with other immigrant and low level Americans for cheap jobs.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
