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Hold

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 19, 2010
111
0
I am an Irish guy who would like to move over the the united states for a few years. How Can I live and work legally over there?
 

designs216

macrumors 65816
Oct 26, 2009
1,046
21
Down the rabbit hole
I think it's easier to obtain a work visa than to become a citizen. I know several expats who got their visa after accepting a job offer here. This way you can decide if the grass is really greener before suffering a bunch of unnecessary red tape to live here long term.
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
Someone close to me moved over from England a little over 10 years ago. The initial idea was that he would stay as long as the Visa would allow him so he could find a job and get a work Visa. That didn't work because despite the company's best efforts, INS did not believe it was necessary for him to be employed here or something like that. A work Visa should not be your only way.


You can come here on a Visa and extend it to the maximum amount of time. AFAIK, you must remain in your country as a resident while filing for residency here. Read here to start and you can read through personal anecdotes, but you want your information from INS. Of course you can marry a citizen and get residency that way.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/us...nnel=ae853ad15c673210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

Also, when asking these types of questions, regardless of the audience being less than ideal, I would most certainly give more information such as:

Which state are you looking to move to, age, educational status, marital status, etc.
Those are questions people who truly can help will want answers to.
 

Hold

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 19, 2010
111
0
Someone close to me moved over from England a little over 10 years ago. The initial idea was that he would stay as long as the Visa would allow him so he could find a job and get a work Visa. That didn't work because despite the company's best efforts, INS did not believe it was necessary for him to be employed here or something like that. A work Visa should not be your only way.


You can come here on a Visa and extend it to the maximum amount of time. AFAIK, you must remain in your country as a resident while filing for residency here. Read here to start and you can read through personal anecdotes, but you want your information from INS. Of course you can marry a citizen and get residency that way.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/us...nnel=ae853ad15c673210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

Also, when asking these types of questions, regardless of the audience being less than ideal, I would most certainly give more information such as:

Which state are you looking to move to, age, educational status, marital status, etc.
Those are questions people who truly can help will want answers to.

I am a 22 year old student that is doing Law and Business degree. I am looking into moving into the new England area.
 

puma1552

Suspended
Nov 20, 2008
5,559
1,947
You can basically either marry or engage an American, or come here on a work visa with a company sponsoring you (or on an education visa). That means you best have some unobtainium quality or stand out trait that makes hiring you worth the tremendous hassle over hiring a native.

In other words, this country and the immigration process isn't a revolving door like many would like to think. You can't just say, "Well I feel like living in America" and then go do it. You have to have a legitimate entry into this country other than want. There is an oversaturation of 22 year old business and law students with zero experience here in this country, so I don't know that you can come over based on academic or professional merit since the truth is you simply don't have any at 22 years of age.

Not sounding harsh, but I helped my wife immigrate here from Japan and even being married and doing Direct Consular Filing (the de facto quickest and easiest way to go bar none) it was a very invasive process and took months and stacks of paperwork.
 

Zombie Acorn

macrumors 65816
Feb 2, 2009
1,307
9,132
Toronto, Ontario
You can basically either marry or engage an American, or come here on a work visa with a company sponsoring you (or on an education visa). That means you best have some unobtainium quality or stand out trait that makes hiring you worth the tremendous hassle over hiring a native.

In other words, this country and the immigration process isn't a revolving door like many would like to think. You can't just say, "Well I feel like living in America" and then go do it. You have to have a legitimate entry into this country other than want. There is an oversaturation of 22 year old business and law students with zero experience here in this country, so I don't know that you can come over based on academic or professional merit since the truth is you simply don't have any at 22 years of age.

Not sounding harsh, but I helped my wife immigrate here from Japan and even being married and doing Direct Consular Filing (the de facto quickest and easiest way to go bar none) it was a very invasive process and took months and stacks of paperwork.

This isn't unique to America, trying to immigrate to the UK is just as difficult as the other way around if you don't have an in with a job offer or university.
 

opinioncircle

macrumors 6502
May 17, 2009
493
0
You can basically either marry or engage an American, or come here on a work visa with a company sponsoring you (or on an education visa). That means you best have some unobtainium quality or stand out trait that makes hiring you worth the tremendous hassle over hiring a native.

In other words, this country and the immigration process isn't a revolving door like many would like to think. You can't just say, "Well I feel like living in America" and then go do it. You have to have a legitimate entry into this country other than want. There is an oversaturation of 22 year old business and law students with zero experience here in this country, so I don't know that you can come over based on academic or professional merit since the truth is you simply don't have any at 22 years of age.

Not sounding harsh, but I helped my wife immigrate here from Japan and even being married and doing Direct Consular Filing (the de facto quickest and easiest way to go bar none) it was a very invasive process and took months and stacks of paperwork.

The company sponsoring you bears higher costs (paperwork mostly) and also has to proof you out as the guy they can't find on the American job market.

Coming off that cycle myself with some big names companies (both foreign and US), it is rather hard to get it done. Matter fact, they didn't want to sponsor me...
But am no Harvard educated guy, just a college graduate in two countries, with professional experience in Europe and North America, speaking 3 languages, a fourth on the way. My field? International business :)

Anyhow best of luck to you, I found out that getting a sponsored company to get you in is not necessarily hard to find, when you're looking at SMC companies, rather than international corporations.

On a personal note and not bashing anything, I find odd that immigration is such a complex process in the US, especially when you look at US history...;)!!
 

Hold

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 19, 2010
111
0
So as an Irish guy that wants to make the move, how to I get a green card?
I had a green card as a kid but it expired. Can I renew it?
 

andiwm2003

macrumors 601
Mar 29, 2004
4,382
454
Boston, MA
So as an Irish guy that wants to make the move, how to I get a green card?
I had a green card as a kid but it expired. Can I renew it?

Well, first thing is to join the green card lottery. it's for free and online and very easy. do not pay any of the scam sites, just do it on the .gov site. disadvantage is the next greencards are given for 2014 if you join the green card lottery now. In any case try that and maybe you are lucky.

Then you could try to study there via a university exchange program and once you are there you could find a job and apply for a H1 visa (allows you to work for any employer for up to 6 years) in the USA.

Third choice is to find a job in the US and once you have the job the employer applies for a H1 visa for you. Chances to get a job without a visa are very low. It would have to be a job where the employer needs your connection to the EU or Ireland otherwise they will simply hire somebody already in US.

You could also get a job in Ireland in a company that has offices in the US. Then you get fairly easily a L1 or L2 visa (transfer to the US within a company, is good for up to 5 years but you are not allowed to work for other employers). Once you are in the US you could find a new job and get a H1 visa with a new employer or apply for a green card. But that is not that easy since you need to show that you have a specific qualification that can not be filled by an american.

I did the latter one. I worked for a german company, was transferred to the US within our company and got the L1 Visa. Then after three years I applied for a green card based on my specific qualification (supported by my employer) and got it after about a 9 month process.

I think university exchange programs or employers with sites in Ireland and US are your best chance. Finding an employer who is willing to wait till you have a visa is almost impossible in this economy.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Macky-Mac

macrumors 68040
May 18, 2004
3,488
2,531
So as an Irish guy that wants to make the move, how to I get a green card?
I had a green card as a kid but it expired. Can I renew it?

if you had a green card as a kid, what happened to the parent or family member you were with? Did they stay in the US or leave? If they stayed then you might be able to get a green card as a family member.

these links have a lot of info that's going to be more in depth than most of us can give you

US embassy in Dublin

USCIS info about family related visas
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
I am a 22 year old student that is doing Law and Business degree. I am looking into moving into the new England area.

Student Visa. Perhaps your school has an exchange with a US institution. The basic problem you will face is that many Americans are out of work, so getting permission to take one of those jobs is difficult. However, if you come as a student you are effectively paying to keep people employed... so there is less of problem.

One thing you will absolutely need to know is that if you are in the US temporarily, arrange medical insurance before you go. The US system is a good one, but it is strictly user-pay. A simple trip to Emergency will cost at a minimum hundreds of dollars, and more likely thousands of dollars even for a relatively minor issue. [Note to others: Not trying to start a comparison of medical care - just pointing out that the US system is different than the Irish system.]

(Disclosure: I'm Canadian, not American, but we usually have a better idea of immigration issues since we are considered foreigners - technically. People who live in a country usually have no idea what is required to enter that country.)
 

rei101

macrumors 6502a
Dec 24, 2011
976
1
So as an Irish guy that wants to make the move, how to I get a green card?
I had a green card as a kid but it expired. Can I renew it?

I am here with a green card.

To move to the US just like that is not possible.

1. If you find a potential employer, he would have to justify you are the only person who can fulfill that position. That mean he has to offer your position for several months in different news papers. And you are young so you do not have experience in your field yet.

2. The process takes at least 2 years IF you fin that sponsor.

Now, you got a green card as a kid, how? is any of your parents a US citizen? Because my mother is and it took me 7 years to get my green card.

3. You can get an student visa but you need to prove you can pay the tuition and there are not student loans for international students unless you are A+. And you need to have the money of the cost of the entire tuition in a bank account for at least 6 month prior the visa request.

And things like that. I am 37 and I had student visa, work visa and green card. But it has been a lifetime process. It is possible but is not like getting a turist visa.
 

ericrwalker

macrumors 68030
Oct 8, 2008
2,812
4
Albany, NY
So I guess things didn't work out with your co-worker? Did you ever ask her out? I was waiting for a follow up on that last year.
 

Prototypical

macrumors 6502
Apr 22, 2011
413
57
Nebraska
Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason as to why you want to move to the US?

My wife and I would move to Ireland in a HEARTBEAT if there were any viable jobs available for immigrants. We were there for a couple of weeks over our honeymoon and fell in love with the country and its people. I love the US, but Ireland is so much more our speed. :D Far better than New England, IMO.
 

SkyBell

macrumors 604
Sep 7, 2006
6,603
219
Texas, unfortunately.
It's a shame, the difficulty in emigrating to a different country. I understand the reasoning behind all the red tape, but still... if it were just a bit less of a hassle, I'd have a savings fund already started for moving to England. :eek:
 

opinioncircle

macrumors 6502
May 17, 2009
493
0
It's a shame, the difficulty in emigrating to a different country. I understand the reasoning behind all the red tape, but still... if it were just a bit less of a hassle, I'd have a savings fund already started for moving to England. :eek:

Moving to England for a US citizen shall be pretty easy from what I've heard. What's stopping you :cool:??
 

SkyBell

macrumors 604
Sep 7, 2006
6,603
219
Texas, unfortunately.
Moving to England for a US citizen shall be pretty easy from what I've heard. What's stopping you :cool:??

I've read a couple of pretty detailed guides and experiences on the matter, and from what I gather it's a complete nightmare to get all the necessery documents and forms sorted out. On the other hand, most of these guides and stories are over ten years old, maybe its become easier in recent years.
 

Hold

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 19, 2010
111
0
for those who asked about my green card. I won it as did my parents in the lottery when I was a minor. If i recall correctly we needed to spend about 1 month in the U.S.A every year to keep them valid. My parents did this with me for about 5-6 years then stopped and the green cards are no longer valid. I still have the actual green card at home with a social security number and all. Is there now way to renew it? I was a minor when my parents decided to stop the trips needed to maintain it.
 

Roller

macrumors 68030
Jun 25, 2003
2,852
1,967
Back when I had a green card (before I became a U.S. citizen), there were conditions that one had to meet to maintain permanent residency status. From the INS website, that is still true:

You may be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status if you:

• Move to another country intending to live there permanently
• Remain outside of the United States for more than 1 year without obtaining a reentry permit or returning resident visa. However, in determining whether your status has been abandoned, any length of absence from the United States may be considered, even if less than 1 year
• Remain outside of the United States for more than 2 years after issuance of a reentry permit without obtaining a returning resident visa. However, in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the United States may be considered, even if less than 1 year
• Fail to file income tax returns while living outside of the United States for any period
• Declare yourself a “nonimmigrant” on your tax returns


If you're serious about moving back to the U.S., you should consult an immigration attorney. Most will agree to review your status and provide preliminary guidance for a fee, possibly no more than a few hundred dollars. As well, large companies and institutions often employ counsel and other staff who deal with immigration issues for prospective employees if they're wanted/needed badly enough.
 

opinioncircle

macrumors 6502
May 17, 2009
493
0
for those who asked about my green card. I won it as did my parents in the lottery when I was a minor. If i recall correctly we needed to spend about 1 month in the U.S.A every year to keep them valid. My parents did this with me for about 5-6 years then stopped and the green cards are no longer valid. I still have the actual green card at home with a social security number and all. Is there now way to renew it? I was a minor when my parents decided to stop the trips needed to maintain it.

Indeed that's the rule I read. However where is the green card website?
 
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