How to move to the USA

[Angeluth12 1]

Hi, I am an European-citizen living in the UK, England and I would like to know what are the legal ways to move to America to work, live and eventually study with my family(Me my wife and child). I have no knowledge about what are the first steps I need to take, I have read that for each activity I need a different visa and that there is a new type of visa(am not sure about this) called Diversity Visa. Can those that migrated to the US explain what were the steps they took many thanks.

 

Angelo Joaquim 

[Roel 7,192]

You didn't really do much study, did you?

Diversity Visa is not a visa. There is a thing called a Diversity Lottery.

I see you're a citizen of the UK? Then you are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply for the diversity lottery anyway.  By the way, it's like one of those money lotteries. You "win" if you're lucky.

 

Honestly? There is really very little ways someone can legally move to the US.

1. You're already married so marrying the US citizen is out of question.

2. I assume you have no parents living in the US who could sponsor you, so that's out of the question also.

 

3. Both work visa and student visa (if you're a student) are only TEMPORARY visas. They do not guarantee that you'd even become a permanent resident.

4. If you some some SPECIAL skills, you might be able to qualify for the work visa. Just a note, you do not apply for it. You'd have to find an employer in the US who would be willing to go through the visa paperwork and pay for you. Like I said, there is a bunch of requirements both sides here have to fulfill.

 

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

Also, to ad to Roel's message.

 

Even things like sponsorship from a company, not even guaranteeing they would sponsor an entire family to move. Might only be you.

 

Usually marriage to a USC or family sponsorships are best ways, or indeed, specialized education/job skills that an employer in the US would desire.

[Angeluth12 1]

Roel thanks for your reply, I am not an UK/British citizen I am a Portuguese citizen am not sure if that makes me eligible for Diversity Lottery, where can I get information about the sponsorship way ?

 

 

[Roel 7,192]

Do you have a close family in the US? Parents or siblings? If not, there is no family sponsorship. If yes, google or use the VJ guides.

Do you have any special occupation or skills? Answer yourself that before you google for US work visas. (Work visa doesn't give you a lifetime legal stay in the US.)

 

 

For the lottery, https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/diversity-visa/instructions.html

 

 

[DrEllaNJ 288]

no need to be sarcastic, I can't tell you how many Americans I've met who assume that foreigners can just move here äs long as they go through legal channels", forgetting there are very few of those channels.

For the diversity lottery, go here https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ You'll be able to sign up for the 2019 lottery sometime in October 2017 (there's a limited time window). I have no idea if Portugal is eligible but you can find out. 

And as said, it's a lottery. I tried a few times, and never got in. In the end though, I won a different kind of lottery, namely the heart of a US citizen

 

You could also try working for an international company with offices in the US. This would still be a temporary stay, but in some cases, it is possible to later get a green card (not exactly sure how that process works or what the criteria are)

Edited January 18, 2017 by DrEllaNJ
add

[Bayoubrit 18]

i believe the EB 5 visa is also an option if you got a lot of money to invest. 

hate to be a rain on the parade type of guy here but the chances of getting employment now would be almost impossible. With the change in the white house the US companies are going to freeze hiring for some positions, I know for a fact Apple has in some areas. You could apply to a UK company with a head office here and transfer. i know you have to be with the company for over a year and on a management level / extraordinary employee or that's how it was when i applied.  

I don't think the EU qualifies for the green card lotto either, gone are the wild west days you turned up with a hope and dream.

[Boiler 45,575]

Get a transfer with your existing Employer.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Just to correct some of the misinformation in the thread about DV, almost all European countries ARE eligible for the DV lottery, including Portugal. And, it doesn't matter what country you are a citizen of, it matters where you were born.

 

However it is not a new visa. It's been around since, I believe,the early 1990s.

 

so follow the link someone gave above for DV, be sure you only apply on the official site (off travel.state.gov) and not on one of the scam sites. It's a better chance than most lotteries but it's still a lottery with a small chance of winning. Still, people do get lucky on it, I did and so did most of the people posting in this forum!

Edited January 18, 2017 by SusieQQQ

[Bayoubrit 18]

3 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Just to correct some of the misinformation in the thread about DV, almost all European countries ARE eligible for the DV lottery, including Portugal. And, it doesn't matter what country you are a citizen of, it matters where you were born.

 

However it is not a new visa. It's been around since, I believe,the early 

 

so follow the link someone gave above for DV, be sure you only apply on the official site and not on one of the scam sites. It's a better chance than most lotteries but it's still a lottery with a small chance of winning. Still, people do get lucky on it, I did and so did most of the people posting in this forum!

Thank you for clearing up the DV mis-information, being from the UK and not included i wasn't sure so gave a wishy washy answer like ' i don't think' 

interesting that the EU countries are ellagiable, i might have to look at it and see why.

[Boiler 45,575]

Eligibility is not that simple but not relevant to this thread as he is Portuguese.

[Angeluth12 1]

46 minutes ago, Bayoubrit said:

Thank you for clearing up the DV mis-information, being from the UK and not included i wasn't sure so gave a wishy washy answer like ' i don't think' 

interesting that the EU countries are ellagiable, i might have to look at it and see why.

Why wouldn't EU countries be eligible ? The American law says that all countries where the affluence of migrants to the USA is low are eligible.

 

Thanks to all of those that reply to my question I appreciate you sharing your knowledge, but all I have to say is that America seems to be a great country and  I have a great esteem for its history and its influence in the western society and even in the history of the world but some bureaucracies of today ages just lead and will continue perpetuate corruption and actions against the law, now I understand why a lot of people take the broad road instead of the narrow in order to enter the country and why some of my American friends say that its easier to enter in America illegally than legally and it seems that even those that today are legal did it illegally no wonder why in my research 90% of people are getting into America through arranged marriage as this seems to be the easiest way for some as marriage for some have no meaning anyway. To those that are Americans I tell you fight to change the actual system because your leaders still listen to you. 

 

Salute

[Bayoubrit 18]

8 minutes ago, Angeluth12 said:

Why wouldn't EU countries be eligible ? The American law says that all countries where the affluence of migrants to the USA is low are eligible.

 

As i said ... I don't know about the EU countries because the UK isn't allowed i assumed that it applied across the EU. As a Englishman and a Brit why would i know about immigrating from Spain or the EU?  I then went on to say thank you for setting the record straight.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Bayoubrit

[Roel 7,192]

Funny, because UK is STILL the member of the EU, lol. So you kind of should have know about immigration from EU since you're a part of it. But nevermind that.

 

There are few countries that are not eligible to join the visa lottery and the information is pretty easy to find:

"

Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland

born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El

Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico,

Nigeria,Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea,

United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam

"

 

OP can try his luck in the lottery of course. But should read into other requirements he needs to fulfill in order to participate. (like education, etc)

[caliliving 606]

3 hours ago, Angeluth12 said:

Why wouldn't EU countries be eligible ? The American law says that all countries where the affluence of migrants to the USA is low are eligible.

 

Thanks to all of those that reply to my question I appreciate you sharing your knowledge, but all I have to say is that America seems to be a great country and  I have a great esteem for its history and its influence in the western society and even in the history of the world but some bureaucracies of today ages just lead and will continue perpetuate corruption and actions against the law, now I understand why a lot of people take the broad road instead of the narrow in order to enter the country and why some of my American friends say that its easier to enter in America illegally than legally and it seems that even those that today are legal did it illegally no wonder why in my research 90% of people are getting into America through arranged marriage as this seems to be the easiest way for some as marriage for some have no meaning anyway. To those that are Americans I tell you fight to change the actual system because your leaders still listen to you. 

 

Salute

What is your occupation?? any degrees??? do you have upper management job experience?? Money to start your own business??

 

no entry level position will sponsor you.. maybe if you know a company in the USA you will have a better shot.

 

And I agree. I know lots of graduate level students who ended up leaving the USA because they could not find employment.

However, i know far more people that come on a tourist visa and end up falling in love!

I think it is sad that it is harder to get here through a work visa even with a higher level of education (masters, PHD) yet, you can meet someone once and bring them to America.  So I know for alot of people it comes down to, do i waste my time going on job interviews or dates?

Thats why more people spend there time looking for love then looking for a job:(