How a young African Professional can survive in NYC (New York: crime, how much)

[L2i0h4le1]

Hi Guys

I have been cosidering moving to the USA for sometime now, I am particularly intersted in moving to NYC . I was born, raised and currently living in Soweto, South Africa and I am seriously considering NYC and obviously I have some concerns.

While many people on this forum seem to worry about stuff like crime etc, I must admit that I am more about making ends meet and if at all possible living comfortably there.

How much money do you guys think I would have to have/save up in order to move to New York from Africa? How long should my preparation time be, i.e. should I look into the whole process over a year or two?

Last question, I am currently working in the Marketing Research industry here in Johannesburg but my qualification is in Journalism, what is the likelyhood of me getting a job in anyone of these career paths?

I know that my questions seem kind of vague but yeah... please help.

[Doobage]

The best way to move from one country to another (let alone from one city to another) is to secure a job first or get accepted into a school here.
Do you have relatives or friends already living in the NYC area? That may also help make the transition easier.
Good luck!

[TurtleCreek80]

Have you reasearched work visa requirements at all? About the only way to come work here legally is for a company to hire you & sponsor your work visa.....which means that they must prove there were NO US citizens who were qualified for the job.

Much easier to do if you're a "rock star" quality VP or senior executive than someone looking for a fairly entry level job.

The US unemployment rate is 10% and it's close to that in NYC.....so the chances of a US citizen NOT being able to do what you are qualified to do is fairly slim.