To wonder how feasible it would be to move to America?

[LellowYedbetter]

I’ve been many times now. I’ve seen New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Yosemite, Death Valley, FlagStaff, Mexican Hat, Panquitch, Sedona and Kingman and have driven to many other places in between. I’m absolutely obsessed with the country. I love it. I love the wide open spaces, the pace of life, the scenery, the culture, the weather, the animals ... I don’t think anywhere else in the world compares (and I’ve travelled a lot). I spend each waking minute thinking about it. When I’m driving I Day dream about the American roads, the long desert routes, the wide town roads ... when I’m walking the dog I daydream about the forests, national parks, waterfalls ... when I see kids playing in parks I have flash backs to watching kids jumping off cliffs into lakes in Sedona ...

I have asked Americans when I’ve been over there what my chances would be and in California I’m told I’d have no problem getting in. In Arizona/Utah I was told not to even try 😁

How feasible is it, really? AIBU to be so fascinated with a country that isn’t my own?

Immigration laws are federal. It doesn’t matter what state you want to live in. Once you have permission to live in the USA you can freely move anywhere, including Alaska and Hawaii.

I love Italy and have lived there, but in my youth, I wouldn't live there now with a family.

America is s fabulous place, go live there if you can, why not!

It's really hard. You'd need either job lined up in advance, or some exceptional skill.

I know one family who made the move, Dad was an expert on one of those database systems like Oracle and he was in the top 10 experts in the UK before he moved. He got the visa and his wife and daughter went too, but she's not allowed to work.

Canada is much easier to get into if you have a profession.

I moved from the UK to America, we live in a sunny southern state now. Honestly it’s almost impossible to get in unless you have a lot of spare money or a really desired skill. I feel for you though, I was exactly like you in how much I thought about moving here

I moved to be with my husband on a fiance Visa. Took 9 months expedited from the application and is very expensive with appointments needed along the way. It was very hard, lots of long applications and proof we are in a relationship. Another way would be to go on a work Visa but you'd need the desirable skills for the work place to sponsor you.

you have to have a job first, that is, a company has to want you & your skills enough to do all the visa paperwork. I know people who've done it for university jobs (e.g. professor).

without a job, your only option is to marry an american!

The British people I know in the USA have generally been transferred here by their companies, either temporarily or permanently. Or they are academics either on sabbatical here or working in universities. It isn’t like being on holiday, for one thing if you work on US employment terms you would probably only have two weeks holiday a year.

Very difficult, unless you have an American fiance or immediate family members who are citizens (and even then, it's hard work). As others have said, there's no points system or friendly UK/USA come-on-over agreement: immigration is federal and very skills-specific.

Broadly speaking, your best bet is to develop your career to a point where you become an attractive hiring prospect for US firms (it will cost them time and money to hire you), or to work for a UK firm with a US presence in the hopes of one day negotiating a transfer.

If you're very wealthy, you can get some sort of investment visa, or you could do postgraduate study there. If you were born in certain countries (not the UK) you can enter the green card lottery. Some seasonal work opportunities can get you a temporary visa, but you'd have to leave straight afterwards. Don't ever be tempted to overstay a visa or your 90-day ESTA, because it will really screw up future visits or applications.

Whatever you do, don't get suckered into paying money for dodgy 'immigration consultants' or websites which promise lists of visa-eligible jobs. There's no short cut.

Also, don't set too much store by what well-meaning American friends say, because most people have very little idea of the realities of immigration in their own country. America is generally a very friendly place for Brits, but the immigration system is nothing like that.

Aww don’t fancy divorcing current DH ... damn his British arse.

I’m a nurse if that helps? My dream was always to visit Thailand ever since I was a kid. I went and loved it. Went back, loved it again but my feelings for America do not even compare. This isn’t just a “ooo America is lovely!” It’s “I honestly believe that is my home”. And I’ve seen the shitty parts, I’ve seen gangs in LA, prostitution, drug dealers etc in Hollywood. I’ve seen homeless in NewYork. I travelled to the south bronx and seen the “real America”, I was shouted at and sworn at my a homeless guy in SF, I’ve had a gun laid in front of me on a table in an airb&b by a lovely guy who was confused as to why we didn’t have one ... I know USA isn’t “disneyworld” but it makes no difference. My heart is there. I seem I’m unable to think of anything else.

Have you looked into getting your qualifications recognised in the us and applying for jobs? What does your DH do?

Are you eligible for a passport from somewhere like Ireland? You could enter the green card lottery and get in that way, but not using a British passport.
We lived there for most of my adult life. But only because MIL was a citizen (GI baby from WW2) so she moved the family over and I married into it.
You either need a shitload of money to invest in a business that employs US residents/citizens (we knew a family who did that) Or marry a citizen, like me. Or have a skilled job that is in demand. Or get a company transfer like many do.

Your nursing qualifications may not be accepted without doing a conversion course - this was the case for a cancer care nurse friend who had to do 9 month course at college there to convert when she moved with her American husband.

My company has a large US division and has had the number of HB1 visa permits for inter company transfers cut so it's not even totally smooth sailing if you work for a company. We only send v high level people with a niche skill now.

Remember that us healthcare costs are very high, there is much less in the way of pension/benefits and so you would need to put a much larger share of your income aside into insurance, pension and savings than you do now.

Have you tried looking for jobs?

I lived in California for 10 years, applied for a computer programming job via a UK consultancy company, worked via the consulting company for about 4 years then got my green card and worked directly for the American company. Both my kids were born there and they are dual nationals.

We returned to the UK 12 years ago and have lost our green cards but could possibly get one of our kids to sponsor us once they reach 21 if we want to return.

Best bet would be to find a reputable agency who help nurses find jobs and take care of the visas. . nursing.careercast.com/article/what-foreign-trained-nurses-need-know-about-sponsorship-usa

There is a nurse shortage. Look into it. Salaries for nurses are great where I am (Pennsylvania)

I think there's an issue with visa retrogression for nurses, ie a huge delay/backlog (?). But that's something you'd need specialist advice about, also with regards to relevant qualifications, certifications and retraining. The USA section of the BritishExpats website is a good place to start.

I don't think it's a question of imagining the US as Disneyland vs seeing gangs, prostitutes and guns. There's a huge middle ground of daily reality stuff which will affect your life, and which is very hard to gauge when you're there on holiday. Healthcare, property tax, the school system, the climate, the cost of living, transportation, social conventions, religion, vacation allowance, long-term financial security... I'm not saying any of this is all good or all bad, just that it is a very different country, it's not your home, and it's vital to take a clear-eyed view of how exactly it would work for you.

Nursing was taken off the skill job list at one point, not sure if it's been put back on you'll have to check.
You'll have to take the NCLEX exam it can be done in London. Make sure you have a Nursing degree, (not trained back in the day in Nursing school like I did)
Have a look at catagories. travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/employment-based-immigrant-visas.html#first

when I'm driving I daydream about the American roads

Please don't. Save your daydreams for those moments when you don't need to concentrate fully on your surroundings.

We all have daydreams, mine is a house I saw on right move some years ago, I would have to win the lottery and make an offer they couldn't refuse to the people who live there to achieve my dream, so it is as likely to happen as yours, but I save my daydreams for times when I am not in charge of a ton of potentially deadly machinery.

California you’d have no problem? Bullshit. Immigration is subject to federal law but waiting times for fiancée/residency/work visas are determined by the number of applications to a given state. USCIS in some states work at a snail’s pace, in California they work at a snail crawling through treacle pace.

Also, unless you’ve got a massively in demand and underserved skillset - high tech, engineering, medicine - for a work visa with a sponsor and job offer in place or an American fiancé or you’re fabulously wealthy and won’t need a job and can afford healthcare independently it’s not going to happen. Even with any of those things it’s going to take years rather than months in the current climate. Sorry to burst your bubble but that’s the reality.

And speaking of reality, living here as opposed to holidaying here is a very different thing. Those desert highways and wide open spaces you speak of, well, paid vacation here is laughably pathetic compared to the UK. In your first year you’ll be lucky to accrue a week, by year 3 you might rise to 2 weeks and year 5, 3 weeks; so your chances of spending a lot of time out in the wilderness unless you live and work there (clue: there are no high paying jobs or even many low paying jobs in those areas) are going to be limited.

Where you are more likely to live and work, lets say the bigger cities in California, even basic accommodation is expensive and people on 6 figure salaries have to live further and further out to be able to afford a tiny apartment so commutes are long in nightmare traffic.

Then there’s healthcare, sure your/DH’s employer will probably provide insurance cover but you’ll still have expensive copays, deductibles and prescription charges to meet.

There is a lot to love about living here, and I do love living here, but it’s a long, tedious process to get in and when you’re in there’s a lot UKers take for granted that just isn’t the same here so a lot not to love too.

California has very strict immigration.

I am lucky and I am able to get a green card but the process is a few years unless sponsored by a work placement (and this can’t be family)

Life is difficult for many in California at the moment the rise in living costs and health insurance, many people have more than one job, many are living off credit

If you are poor there there is less help and less support to get you back on your feet I wouldn’t go without savings and support from people who live there

They have very little holiday in the US so you wouldn’t be having a couple of nice 1/2 week holidays here and there .. and Heath care prices if you get seriously ill?

Living somewhere and holidaying some where is not the same , I found out the hard way

Healthcare, property tax, the school system, the climate, the cost of living, transportation, social conventions, religion, vacation allowance, long-term financial security... I'm not saying any of this is all good or all bad, just that it is a very different country, it's not your home, and it's vital to take a clear-eyed view of how exactly it would work for you.

^^This is the truth

OP, I'm American born but have been living in the UK for most my adult life. I've got to be honest, what you describe about loving America sounds like it is coming from the perspective of a holiday-maker.
IMO America is great to travel and holiday in but not to live in unless you are very wealthy & white and even then there are still major issues. I wouldn't go back to live there if I had the chance because reason my whole life is in the UK but the other main reasons are:

WORK LIFE BALANCE SUCKS: Are you prepared to only get 1 week of annual leave a year? If you're lucky 2 weeks? If you do get that and take it then be prepared to be made to feel guilty about it. Sick leave? Let's hope you're employer is somewhat decent, I've known people get fired for taking sick leave if their employer felt they needed to be in work. If you have children then good luck coping with any kind of crisis with your employer. This is known issue with America as they do not seem to grasp the concept of a good work-life balance.

HEALTHCARE: This is obvious but its expensive, even with insurance. Do you have enough money to cover any accidents and illness? If you need an ambulance then be prepared to pay for one and God forbid you have anything horrible happen in your family such as cancer or any other serious illness as it could take you into serious debt. The medical insurance is costly and wont even cover anything. It disgusts me how greedy the medical industry over there is- making money off of people's health & misfortune.

ATTITUDE: People will say Americans are friendly and they do appear so but it really is a faked happiness. They are much more focused on appearances and how they are perceived then actual honesty. Think "Perfect suburban white picket fence" That doesn't really appeal to me

RACISM: This may or may not be relevant to you, I don't know. But it is an major issue (I struggled with it whilst growing up in America) and with Trump it really is not getting better

GUN VIOLENCE: I have friends in America who are planning on home schooling their children because of the risk of a school shooting, and this is in the nice, upper class areas. When I was growing up we didn't just have fire drills, we had to practice what to do in the situation of a shooter- again I grew up in nice middle class areas. Look up the statistics for how many shootings happened in the first 3 months of 2018. Its awful.

I'm sorry if this is a long and miserable post. If it is truly what you want to do then go ahead and do the research. It is a lot more expensive to live in American than the UK. The desirable locations you have mentioned (such as California) are even more expensive. You need to think about all the costs included and need to have a good paying and stable job lined up before you move.

As an immigrant to Britain who has spent a long time in the US and is just about to head home to the UK from an American stint I echo the above:

• for 4 hours in an emergency room with a wheezing child I was billed 2000 dollars. My insurance covered it after we spent roughly 5 hours on the phone. Even with good insurance you may be shocked by how much you have to co-pay.
• zero work life balance. People are expected to work long hours. Annual leave is unheard of and other than Thanksgiving and Christmas no one ever takes time off. Ever. If you take too much sick leave you can get fired etc. Both DH and I work for UK/European firms and have expat contracts so we are somewhat protected.
• guns. I live in a v Democrat state with strict gun laws. A friend of mine (British) said she always has to ask parents before a potential play date if they have guns and if they are kept securely. To say I was WTF is an understatement. In primary school they have regular shooter drills.

An America is expensive. We had a good life in London but I spend a lot more on cell phone contracts, groceries etc than I did in the UK.

my cousin did it - but he had been at a international company for 6 years and a promotion came up he got it and moved to head office. He has been there ever since

So you need to prove that you are the right person for a job basically

But heed PengAly advice - liking somewhere as a tourist is not the same as living there. I love Italy but I know that living there I would have the same old issues as I do here

I don't think it's a question of imagining the US as Disneyland vs seeing gangs, prostitutes and guns. There's a huge middle ground of daily reality stuff which will affect your life, and which is very hard to gauge when you're there on holiday. Healthcare, property tax, the school system, the climate, the cost of living, transportation, social conventions, religion, vacation allowance, long-term financial security... I'm not saying any of this is all good or all bad, just that it is a very different country, it's not your home, and it's vital to take a clear-eyed view of how exactly it would work for you

I was going to say this but you already did. I think you only find out what a country is 'really' like when you live in it for a while.

Having said that, the first time I moved to the US I felt like I'd found my people, and I've felt like that ever since - it'll be 30 years this year.