Want to Move to the US

[liebe.07 0]

Hello! I need help!

I am a Canadian Citizen, and a year ago I was visiting the US and met my boyfriend. We have been able to make it work for this long, long distance. But we cant really take it no more! I want to move down to California where he is! But we are not ready to get married just yet. I have been getting so confused at what everyone has been telling me to do! I was thinking of possibly going back to school as a way of getting down here. I dont want to go to school if I dont have to.

I know I can come down here for 6 months per calendar year, but I wont be able to work, which I need to be able to do.

My boyfriend and I are sick of the long distance, But I dont want to come down here illegallly, I want to do this right, and the fastest way possible without getting married. I am so clueless as to what I exactly need to do, the difference between all the visas, which one is best for me, etc,

anyone that could help I would really appreciate any help you have!

thank you

[Peachey 10]

Hello! I need help!

I am a Canadian Citizen, and a year ago I was visiting the US and met my boyfriend. We have been able to make it work for this long, long distance. But we cant really take it no more! I want to move down to California where he is! But we are not ready to get married just yet. I have been getting so confused at what everyone has been telling me to do! I was thinking of possibly going back to school as a way of getting down here. I dont want to go to school if I dont have to.

I know I can come down here for 6 months per calendar year, but I wont be able to work, which I need to be able to do.

My boyfriend and I are sick of the long distance, But I dont want to come down here illegallly, I want to do this right, and the fastest way possible without getting married. I am so clueless as to what I exactly need to do, the difference between all the visas, which one is best for me, etc,

anyone that could help I would really appreciate any help you have!

thank you

Mods might want to make this it's own thread.

But if you want to move and DON'T want to get married you can try and find a job with a company that would sponsor you for a work visa.

Also, check out the guides and it'll help you with which visa would be best for you.

[liebe.07 0]

Hello! I need help!

I am a Canadian Citizen, and a year ago I was visiting the US and met my boyfriend. We have been able to make it work for this long, long distance. But we cant really take it no more! I want to move down to California where he is! But we are not ready to get married just yet. I have been getting so confused at what everyone has been telling me to do! I was thinking of possibly going back to school as a way of getting down here. I dont want to go to school if I dont have to.

I know I can come down here for 6 months per calendar year, but I wont be able to work, which I need to be able to do.

My boyfriend and I are sick of the long distance, But I dont want to come down here illegallly, I want to do this right, and the fastest way possible without getting married. I am so clueless as to what I exactly need to do, the difference between all the visas, which one is best for me, etc,

anyone that could help I would really appreciate any help you have!

thank you

Mods might want to make this it's own thread.

But if you want to move and DON'T want to get married you can try and find a job with a company that would sponsor you for a work visa.

Also, check out the guides and it'll help you with which visa would be best for you.

thank you very much for your advice!

[thetreble 19]

Hello! I need help!

I am a Canadian Citizen, and a year ago I was visiting the US and met my boyfriend. We have been able to make it work for this long, long distance. But we cant really take it no more! I want to move down to California where he is! But we are not ready to get married just yet. I have been getting so confused at what everyone has been telling me to do! I was thinking of possibly going back to school as a way of getting down here. I dont want to go to school if I dont have to.

I know I can come down here for 6 months per calendar year, but I wont be able to work, which I need to be able to do.

My boyfriend and I are sick of the long distance, But I dont want to come down here illegallly, I want to do this right, and the fastest way possible without getting married. I am so clueless as to what I exactly need to do, the difference between all the visas, which one is best for me, etc,

anyone that could help I would really appreciate any help you have!

thank you

Getting a work visa will be extremely hard. Many of us looked at that option and didn't qualify or didn't have any employers willing to help us. Also, California being one of the hardest hit states in the economic downturn, I guarantee you won't find any one willing to sponser you through that channel.

Don't take this the wrong way, but 1 year is really nothing to be a part. Try to do a plethora of visits and see how it works out. Going back to school may be your best option though if you are still adamant about getting down there but do not want to get married. Remeber, though, that tuition in the US if often very expensive depending on what you want to do. Even state schools will consider you out of state and you will have to pay the international rate.

The relationship you are in being long distance AND international is not going to be fast. Unfortunately, you're going to have to have a lot of patience and do things the right way.

[Krikit 1,164]

Liebe, I've given your question a thread of its own so you don't hijack the other thread.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Krikit

[Hugglebuggles 60]

What thetreble said is very true. Although a year of traveling may seem like an eternity, in the grand scheme of things it really isn't. There are many couples here in the Canadian forum that spent 4, 7, 8, 10, even more, years traveling long distance for a number of reasons, one of them being that they weren't ready to settle down and consider marriage with their SO's. Although there are some channels to getting to the US that don't involve marriage, they are not easy or cheap. A work visa would be very difficult to obtain. A student visa would be possible, however if working in the US is a necessity for you then going the student route is probably not the best option. And why spend tens of thousands of dollars to go to school when your heart isn't in it? It will be an uphill battle.

Patience is the key, absolutely. If you aren't 100% committed to your boyfriend and want to start a life with him, then picking up and moving to California may not be in your best interest.

[Flames9_RN 358]

If you have the university education, in the right field of work it isn't that difficult to get a work visa. A decent forum on work visas is http://www.canuckabroad.com/forums/canadia...he-usa-vf4.html There are only 1 or 2 people that answer the questions on that forum. And there are only a handful of cdns in this forum that have come to the USA by work visa, so maybe they can assist you.

[SapphireDreams 71]

Like others have mentioned, your only options would be a work visa or a student visa.

What is it that you do for work exactly? Certain professions are much easier to get a work visa than others. Even so, with the recession, it can even be hard for former professions in need (like Nursing, Computer Engineering etc.) to get a visa simply because it is a long, expensive process and it involves a company proving that there is no other American suitable (which again in this economy could be hard to prove).

Another option that you could consider is both you and your boyfriend/girlfriend moving to an alternate country (for example, teaching english in Korea or Taiwan) and living together there for a year. Then if you American partner is willing to move to Canada, you can immigrate to Canada as just commow law partners and not as a married couple. I have a friend who considered this.

[liebe.07 0]

thank you very much!!

If you have the university education, in the right field of work it isn't that difficult to get a work visa. A decent forum on work visas is http://www.canuckabroad.com/forums/canadia...he-usa-vf4.html There are only 1 or 2 people that answer the questions on that forum. And there are only a handful of cdns in this forum that have come to the USA by work visa, so maybe they can assist you.

Well, I am a cosmetologist, Nail Technician and I have my Masters in Reiki ( I was thinking of advancing my education in the Reiki field)

Like others have mentioned, your only options would be a work visa or a student visa.

What is it that you do for work exactly? Certain professions are much easier to get a work visa than others. Even so, with the recession, it can even be hard for former professions in need (like Nursing, Computer Engineering etc.) to get a visa simply because it is a long, expensive process and it involves a company proving that there is no other American suitable (which again in this economy could be hard to prove).

Another option that you could consider is both you and your boyfriend/girlfriend moving to an alternate country (for example, teaching english in Korea or Taiwan) and living together there for a year. Then if you American partner is willing to move to Canada, you can immigrate to Canada as just commow law partners and not as a married couple. I have a friend who considered this.

[SapphireDreams 71]

Unfortunately, I think it would be pretty much impossible to get a work visa with that type of career in the U.S.

[JillA 2]

Unfortunately, I think it would be pretty much impossible to get a work visa with that type of career in the U.S.

True. The company that will sponsor you must prove to the US govt there is no one able to do said job in the US, and your type of job is easy to fill here, I'm afraid. So a work visa is probably out. I wouldn't recommend a student visa if you don't really want to go to school, as colleges are SO expensive here!

I guess my only advice is to date long distance for awhile longer, as many of us did, and decide in the future if you are ready to be engaged.

[liebe.07 0]

well, I would love to attend school out here, as long as its something I enjoy. Which anything in my current profession I would enjoy doing, its just a matter of finding the right school.. question would I have to apply for school first then the visa or the other way around?

[SapphireDreams 71]

well, I would love to attend school out here, as long as its something I enjoy. Which anything in my current profession I would enjoy doing, its just a matter of finding the right school.. question would I have to apply for school first then the visa or the other way around?

I'm not sure how this works, but it would be an F1 visa. Keep in mind that for a student visa, you must be able to show that you have the financial means to pay for the tuition AND your living expenses for the entire schooling period. The requirements can be pretty high since school is so expensive for international tuition. I remember looking into it and I needed at least $40,000/year to be able to get the visa. That was just for a regular undergrad.

[liebe.07 0]

wow, thank you very much for your informative information, I am going to price out everything and call schools to see how much it costs! thanks!

well, I would love to attend school out here, as long as its something I enjoy. Which anything in my current profession I would enjoy doing, its just a matter of finding the right school.. question would I have to apply for school first then the visa or the other way around?

I'm not sure how this works, but it would be an F1 visa. Keep in mind that for a student visa, you must be able to show that you have the financial means to pay for the tuition AND your living expenses for the entire schooling period. The requirements can be pretty high since school is so expensive for international tuition. I remember looking into it and I needed at least $40,000/year to be able to get the visa. That was just for a regular undergrad.

[Peachey 10]

I'm pretty sure you need your acceptance letter from the school in order to get a student visa. Best to check into it tho.