So I've been wanting move to the US for a long time now, but never actually did something. Well, that's gotta change now.
I'm sure there are some people out there with helpful information and some good advice. Basically I'm 20 and still a student, finishing my 2-year apprenticeship in IT in 2021. What would be the best way to obtain permanent residency?
I have an uncle that could hire me, but it would be in a totally different field of work from what I'm in currently.
Yes, it's a comedy program, but you'll find better factual information here than many other places, including official sources. Which says something about the mess that is the US immigration system today.
Are you wanting to stay in the US? Then, I suppose, it might be a good idea.
My husband went to grad school in the US, was hired as university faculty on an h1b visa, but got married (to me, a US citizen), so we went the marriage to green card route as it was easier. You still have to put up with the investigation and bullshit even if you do it by marriage. My husband got his green card in July 2001, so I can‘t even begin to tell you how it‘s different.
Also, if your uncle hires you, can his company sponsor you for a green card? No idea. One thing - i‘m assuming you have no criminal record, especially without any drug related incidents.
If you have a clean record and an uncomplicated case, you should be able to file on your own, given you can get the green card (employer sponsorship). We did it without an attorney. Try the lottery though.....why not?
I'm agree. I'm also American so maybe that sounds strange. Why would you want to saddle yourself with tax filing obligations forever? Have you ever lived in the USA before?
It's hard to say whether your uncle could sponsor you for a work visa given that you don't have many skills or work experience yet. You could always try studying at a U.S. university, and then at least you'd have "local" qualifications that are easier for employers to recognize and make you more attractive as a candidate.
Yeah, marriage would be the easiest for sure. But probably also my last resort...
And yeah, I've entered the lottery every year for the last 3 years, but my chances are pretty small lol.
An employer can definitely get me a work visa, and even sponsor me for a green card, but I'd be considered an "immigrant alien worker third preference", which doesn't sound that appealing haha.
Also, I probably phrased my original question a bit wrong. I'm dead set on moving to the US, even if that means giving up my Swiss citizenship.
Why would you have to give up your Swiss citizenship to move there? You can't become stateless and expect that will actually help you. At most, which is super unlikely, you'd have to renounce Swiss to get U.S. citizenship. But I'm not sure that's even a requirement for Swiss who want to become American, and we're talking a decade or more down the road from now. A lot can change between now and then.
So if an employer supports you, does that mean you‘d be like an H1B needing to adjust status? How long to get a visa number - because that‘s the thing....with marriage you get the visa number right away and then go through two years of stuff. With the employer, I think they need to prove you are uniquely qualified - not sure how long that takes.
But yeah, grad school in the US is a thought. Just make sure you don‘t have a visa where you have to leave for a couple years after grad school (J‘s?).
To become a US citizen, you do not have to give up your Swiss.
Hey, if you are fabulous looking, maybe you can get an Einstein visa like Melania Trump....( ).
You would not normally get a green card immediately. You would normally get a work visa first, and be able to apply for a green card after a few (~5?) years.
Think very carefully before applying for the green card lottery. If you apply for the green card lottery but are not selected, in the future whenever you are asked the question (for the ESTA/visa waiver for example) of whether you’ve previously applied for an immigrant visa, you’ll have to answer “yes.”
The US can be a great place to be. Don’t believe all the naysayers. As for any country, it really depends on your individual circumstances. If you want to move there, I hope that you able to do so, and wish you all the best.
The answers on Quora seem to disagree. Any chance you have a more official source than Quora, because I didn't find anything on the .gov sites one way or the other. I'm left with the impression that the DV lottery isn't technically a visa application. It's an application to be selected to apply for a visa which then allows you to enter with a green card up front as opposed to a typical visa route.
I didn’t know this and always answered “No” on ESTA, even though had applied for lottery and was selected... Where can I read about this rule? Thanks !
If you are selected you are entitled to submit a visa application, which than will be processed, and can be denied. Henceforth taking part in the lottery is not akin to a visa application itself. Not being selected in the lottery also does not mean your visa application has been rejected as there was never a visa application to start with.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to move to the US. Yes, it has many issues, but there is good. I was just in LA and wow I felt so good there. (yes I've been before but this time felt even better). yes, traffic and California has it's issues but man o man it was good to be back on US soil - the people, the food, I havent' felt like that in a while, I felt free.... maybe I"m growning tired of CH and Europe...yes, I want a HUGE Pick-up truck and big house now. BIG house ..BIG BIG house, non of these Swiss pieces of crap for 1 million.
Ok There are other ways to get the green card but you have to explore it. 2 ways, - both ways, I have serve a reference on multiple occasions 1. National Interest. 2. Special rare skill.
In my opinion, I both are similar, for one person I had a hard time in my reference letter to discrminate between the 2, nonetheless there are differences. For national interest you have to have an expertise that the US wants. its not that hard. I wouldn't call anyone who i've referenced that special, but all got their green cards with fairly fast turn around.
You need a good lawyer - both were already in university setting in the US already with H1b, so mine reference was on-top of a whole bunch of others.
Many tech firms in addition to Universities use a H1b process. They are under alot of scrutiny especially the tech firms but the H1b process is not so hard - again what you DO need 1. an employer willing to support your application, 2. a lawyer, 3. cash if the employer does not pay. My wife did this in NYC, she found an employer willing to support H1b and, no problemo. And of course a good immigration lawyer - we had a network of friends doing the same so she found a well referenced lawyer with basically 100 percent acceptance rate - he didn't accept clients where he didn't feel there was a chance of success. This was 2002 or so, so time maybe different now. A big issue for you is that it helps to already be on US soil, my wife had a J1 linked to being a student at the time. so ......... maybe school and then finding a job and employer willing to support.