Your advice please?

[Mstephenson]

Hello, i'm new to this board and never thought i'd find myself in this situation but i would really appreciate any help and advice on the subject below.

My girlfriend is a US citezen who lives in New York, i am a UK citezen and for the last 2 years we have been doing the distance thing seeing each other every few months!

Well the time has come where we both want to take things up a level and live together - ideally in New York and then possibly back in the UK if i can persuade her in a few years time!

I have sent out my CV to several companies in New York area and have had no interest so i am wondering if it's because i'm a UK citezen that they don't want to take me on. I have UK degree and am looking for a job that would offer me sponsorship so i can get a work visa.

Don't really know what to do to help this process out now - from my understanding if can't get a job then i can't get a visa and if i can't get a visa i can't get a job - catch 22?!

Would marrage change our circumstances - this has always been on the cards for our future together but my hand maybe forced some what by the immigration process!

Thanks for reading this.

Murray

[Marco 72]

Hi. Have a look here: http://tinyurl.com/pulaskis

[Mstephenson]

Hi Marco 72, thanks for the response i spotted this but hoped there might still be another way?

What worried me most about the article is this.

"Recruitment agents will not take you seriously if you are not already in the US. Writing for jobs is often futile, and US employers have no idea what many foreign qualifications mean, so it may pay you to get your qualification translated into a US equivalent. You need a job offer before you can get the visa. Your employer will be your sponsor at a cost to them of $5k and up."

Does anyone know how to get your UK qualifications translated into US equivalent?

Regarding the marrage option - is it better to get married in the US or in the UK?

Thanks again.

Regards

Murray

[Marco 72]

Before even thinking about getting your qualifications translated, you should consider whether or not it's worth it. Unless you have high skills which are in demand, it's doubtful that a US company will want to spend thousands of dollars to petition for you, and wait several months before you start work, when there are so many unemployed people in the US who don't need a visa and can start work tomorrow.

In answer to your first post: first you need to get a job offer from an employer who is already familiar with the process, then the prospective employer must agree to sponsor you.

If marriage is your only option (and for most people it is) then getting married in the US usually involves less bureaucracy, depending on the state. You can either apply for a fiance visa and get married in the US, or get married anywhere, then apply for an immigrant visa (see the wiki on britishexpats.com for more info).

[Marco 72]

By the way, your girlfriend will need a UK "marriage visitor" visa in order to marry you in the UK (that's why my wife and I decided to marry in the US).

Another possibility would be for you to get married in Jersey - for that she wouldn't need a visa.

[Mstephenson]

Marco 72 - you are a star for the help!

I totally see your point you made in your second to last post regarding US employers views. Its the way the system is geared up to encourage US employment rather than bringing in people such as myself to take the jobs.

Once again i appreciate your help.

I guess romance is dead and i need to speak to my girlfriend regarding this whole process and start the ball rolling.

If you don't mind me asking Do you live in the US now? How long did the whole process take you? What concerns me is the amount of time once you've entered the US and married that you have to wait until you can start work - better start saving for this!

Murray

[Marco 72]

My wife and I got married in California, but then she moved to the UK rather than me moving over there (I work in the City, and neither of us fancied a move to NY).

If your objective is being able to work the moment you arrive in the US, then the best thing is for you to get married first and then apply for an immigrant visa (CR-1) from the UK. This takes something like 6-8 months to obtain. When you travel to the US with it, you become a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) on admission, and can work straight away. With a K-1 fiance visa on the other hand there would be a slight delay.

[Marco 72]

By the way, just to let you know - the visa process involved with a US citizen moving to the UK is much easier than the other way around.

[arnelsmith]

I suggest that , you need to consult any people from Immigration to ask about your problem. They really about this problem.