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Old 09-12-2015, 05:15 PM
 
50 posts, read 44,755 times
Reputation: 76

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Hi there
So I've been thinking about moving to LA. Right now I'm living in Switzerland, I'll be back in my home country (Portugal) by the end of the month and after doing some stuff I need to do, I'd really like to move to LA.
The thing is... I've been doing some research and I read in a lot of sites that it's crucial to know someone in LA in order to be successful (or at least not to fail). I don't know anyone in LA... in fact, the only american I know is an ******* that broke my heart a while ago and I really don't feel like asking him for help. So I just thought about asking here if someone would be interested in helping me or at least in getting to know me...
I'd also like to talk to people that moved recently so I could learn more about the struggles, or people that are planning to move there... mainly european people.
My main reason to move there is of course because I was always drawn by the arts in general and I'd love to work in the entertainment industry. I'm not thinking about being a star (of course if that happens, great) but I'd really like to work in something I like, and I think Los Angeles could be the place for me. Then if I couldn't do it, I'd have absolutely no problem in being a waitress, but I really want to try. My problem is, I don't know anyone there... at all.

And I guess that's it... essentially I want to talk. It could be people around my age that will probably understand me better (20 something), or other people. Well if someone there wants to help me, just say something. Thank you all in advance
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Old 09-12-2015, 06:58 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles
4,490 posts, read 3,925,838 times
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Well, I doubt that you would like to pal around with a 63 year old, BUT, I can tell you that when I was about 24 I moved to Los Angeles from Ohio (might as well have been Switzerland) with $ 600 in my pocket and I didn't know a soul. Everything turned out more than fine. Just bring some cash to live for a few months, get a job, meet new friends on the job, meet new friends at your apartment building, hang out at the beach or where other 20 somethings are, etc. I think that if you have enough courage to solicit friends on an internet forum, you'll do just fine.
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Old 09-12-2015, 07:15 PM
 
50 posts, read 44,755 times
Reputation: 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by LAappraiser View Post
Well, I doubt that you would like to pal around with a 63 year old, BUT, I can tell you that when I was about 24 I moved to Los Angeles from Ohio (might as well have been Switzerland) with $ 600 in my pocket and I didn't know a soul. Everything turned out more than fine. Just bring some cash to live for a few months, get a job, meet new friends on the job, meet new friends at your apartment building, hang out at the beach or where other 20 somethings are, etc. I think that if you have enough courage to solicit friends on an internet forum, you'll do just fine.
I asked for "20 somethings" people to talk to me but that's just because I thought older people could be a bit "judgemental" or negative, if you know what I mean. Some older people sometimes look at me like a dreamer that knows nothing about life. I do know a lot about life, I was 20 years old when I moved to Switzerland alone because I couldn't pay my college and I've been through a lot of **** in my life to know enough, but still it's truth that I'm a dreamer, and sometimes older people only look at the negative side of things... my own mother, even though I know she loves me, she can't support my life choices right now because she's always affraid I'll fail and then if I do, she can't help me. She made some really wrong choices and now she's affraid for me and my siblings alike.
So anyway... that is why I asked for younger peoples opinions, because I just assumed older people would think stuff like "oh, this deluded girl..." x)
I don't really get a lot of support from anyone these days, so... yeah x)
But thank you so much for your answer! You make it seem like it's so simple... my main concern is that I'm european and I guess it's harder for me to get a green card or something like that. To stay in Switzerland I only had to find a job, but to move to America I'm not sure what else I would need...
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Old 09-12-2015, 08:40 PM
PDF
 
11,395 posts, read 13,409,287 times
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I think you're way overthinking the not knowing anyone thing. Hardly an issue. Go for it!
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Old 09-12-2015, 09:04 PM
 
Location: TOVCCA
8,452 posts, read 15,034,390 times
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You do know that people cannot just move to any foreign country they want, right? People can do this in the EU, but not the US. The US must want them, and want them because they have something their own citizens don't have, or because they want someone that will substantially add to that country's assets in terms of money, skills, or talent.

Check the Legal Immigration forum here for details.
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Old 09-12-2015, 09:24 PM
 
50 posts, read 44,755 times
Reputation: 76
PDF , yeah I'm thinking a lot about it because I read a lot about it and I'm not sure how things work over there... but thank you, I hope you're right

nightlysparrow , I really don't know how it works and I don't know a lot about the diferences between the US and Europe. Nevertheless I'm living in Switzerland for about two years now and I've been hearing that kind of stuff for about two years (that they only want someone from another country if they have something swiss people don't have, etc). I came to live here without even a graduation from college because I couldn't pay it and without speaking the language and I found a job a month later. I was incredibly lucky of course, not everyone is. I'm just saying this because I already have this experience in Switzerland which is a country where everyone wants to try their luck, a lot of people come here every year because of the money and we hear all that stuff you said but things don't really work that way. Well maybe in the US they do, I really don't know... and I believe it probably is especially hard for european people to make it in America. That's why I asked here if some of you would be available to talk to me about it

Last edited by Jessicms; 09-12-2015 at 09:43 PM..
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Old 09-12-2015, 09:41 PM
 
Location: TOVCCA
8,452 posts, read 15,034,390 times
Reputation: 12532
In the EU, people can move from country to country and freely work. But you cannot move to the US that way. You need a visa and a job that will sponsor you to come here. You must be highly skilled. The quotas have been met up to 2017. Try this chart:

http://reason.org/files/a87d15508538...458f116079.pdf
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Old 09-12-2015, 09:55 PM
 
50 posts, read 44,755 times
Reputation: 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by nightlysparrow View Post
In the EU, people can move from country to country and freely work. But you cannot move to the US that way. You need a visa and a job that will sponsor you to come here. You must be highly skilled. The quotas have been met up to 2017. Try this chart:

http://reason.org/files/a87d15508538...458f116079.pdf
Switzerland is not a part of the EU. Just felt I needed to say this.
But yes, I'm european so I can move from country to country in Europe as I'm sure you can move from country to country in the US. Nevertheless, it doesn't matter if I'm an european, I still need to get a permit if I want to live in another country, and to do so, I need a job. I think the US are not so different.
It's as hard for me to live in America as it's hard for you to live in Europe. Nevertheless there are people that make it and you don't always need to be oh-so-special! There's portuguese people living in America that started with jobs in factories and restaurants, etc...
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Old 09-12-2015, 10:14 PM
 
50 posts, read 44,755 times
Reputation: 76
And of course when I talk about portuguese people living in America I'm only talking about what other people say because I'm not there to see.. I also know there's a lot of people with family there so it's probably easier for them. But anyway, I won't just give up when someone tells me that is oh-so-hard to live there, because like I said, people say the same thing about Switzerland. There's nothing like trying
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Old 09-12-2015, 10:41 PM
 
Location: TOVCCA
8,452 posts, read 15,034,390 times
Reputation: 12532
Check which category you fit:

Temporary Worker Visa
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