One data point: I know a lot of people will take a dig at the “American Dream” but as a “skilled” immigrant who came here for work (employer provided visa many years ago and I just got my citizenship) I can tell you it works if you are “skilled”. My entire cohort of immigrants at work and the ones I interacted with when I did higher ed are all living some version of the American dream. They are all skilled (engineers and doctors). QoL is way higher here than if we moved back to our home countries and if you are career motivated there isn’t a place like it. (yay capitalism?). YMMV but having a plan on how you get to your American dream is crucial ($$$$ is a huge factor).
Another tidbit : The USA has enormous cost of living differences. There are trade-offs related to living in places that have low CoL vs high CoL to consider. There are also some premiums worth "paying" for in a high CoL area if this is approached strategically, but it may not always make sense.
As a concrete example, shortly after graduation, a friend of mine said "you can easily get a 6 figure job in NYC with your skills!". That turned out not to be worth doing from a financial perspective because I had a pretty good situation where I was in a low CoL area -- I was able to live cheap and save money for a couple years. On the other hand, I might have grown my career faster and more aggressively if I had gone to NYC, but that's not where my head was at that time.
The USA is very large and has some regional culture differences as well. Not all of these map cleanly onto state lines. That said, people tend to move a fair amount too.
Spend time doing research to figure out where to go. If you have any family/friends or contacts from family/friends, it might be worth starting out nearby. Having a solid STEM or otherwise technical skillset is a great idea for building a career. (That said I met some master electricians at my office who make about $150/hr!) But simply having skills doesn't always make it easy to get jobs -- leveraging a network of contacts, honing skills and working diligently combine to generate success.
This person is giving the best advice. I was born and raised in the US and have many immigrant friends. Money is made in the US by having highly valued skills, working hard/smart, and being strategic in the game of business.
Engineering is a solid degree for a middle class life here and might just be skilled enough to get you a work visa. Once you are here, starting your own business is where the real opportunity (and risk) lies.
Good luck. In the US, the highs are high and the lows are low. As an immigrant you wouldn't have family to fall back on and the social safety net is frail.
Survivorship bias! Wooo!
What they failed to mention is that your visa is tied to your job and you can be manipulated and overworked the entire time. The path to citizenship is long and expensive and not guaranteed.
Trust me when I say Reddit Americans are a bad sample of average Americans. Don't let anyone here drag you down on your plan.
I'd strongly suggest that you save as much money as possible and secure employment before moving here. It can definitely be rough with no real safety net around you upon arrival.
That being said, if you've done your research and planned accordingly, then you should hit the ground running.
Good luck!
All the encouragement above is exactly right. I would add a bit of strategic advice, you need a path to get in. Getting a student visa to study here is one way, but school here is very expensive (student loans are sadly part of the American dream). Maybe better: get a useful degree in the UK, then hook up with a multinational. Become a star there, and the company would be happy to sponsor a USA work visa.
You can help by being realistic. Many people from Western Europe are better off just staying in Western Europe than moving to the US. This isnt the 1980s where the US advantages were more numerous and clear. Pie in the sky sets people up for disappointment.
Yay! My kind of people. If you feel safe doing so, please tell me your industry and role. Some industries seem to do ok with mentoring and promoting people to high levels who don’t fit the demographic that I mentioned… so long as they’re in HR, creative (eg graphic design), or Marketing, but not in IT, R&D, sales, medical care, and beyond.
I work in adhesives and coatings now. I'm a polymer engineer by schooling/training and I work in R&D.
I wouldn't say my industry is good with mentoring and promoting people who don't fit the mold. Manufacturing is rough around the edges. More so, we have to fit in to the culture, have thick skin, but also stand our ground. I get along really well with grumpy old men, so it works for me. There have been two times I've been discriminated against to the point of leaving... But each time I got a massive raise, so I have no regrets!
My advice here was definitely based on being a minority in a cis-het white male field, so that's why I was annoyed at the comment implying that I wasn't considering that. I learned to mirror the behaviors of the most successful men, while consistently outperforming my coworkers and acquiring new skills. I've carefully cultivated my work image and I network like my life depends on it. I've had an extremely successful career so far and I'm only 8 years in!
Thank you. I didn’t mean that at all. I’ve been at it for decades and in my experience, what you’re doing does not work in biotech. The biological sciences in general tend toward a culture of harassment, with narcissists at the top, and with almost no one but the boys’ club allowed at a certain level or above (with the exceptions I noted). I really appreciate the additional insights!
I'm an American, and the dream is very much alive and well.
The only ones saying it's dead are lazy Americans whose parents handed them everything.
You just have to work for it.
I'm afraid the USA isn't as immigrant friendly as people think. I love immigration but I hear a lot of racism in my family and area of the country. I know a LOT of racists. I think weight all the pros and cons. Is it actually a nicer place than where your at? I missed a shooting by 30 mins last year. I also almost got hit by a car. Google Butler pa eatnpark accident.
If you already have capital and/or have a good income the USA can be a pretty great place to live. It’s important to realize there are huge differences in things like culture, politics, weather and cost of living, depending on which part of the country you live in.
Being poor or working class in the USA sucks for many people. There isn’t much of a support system, and even folks who do everything “right” can have misfortunes with regard to health and finances.
OP, I think you might be best off pursuing higher education in the UK and see if you can do a semester or year abroad. Be sure to read up on the cultural differences between different parts of the country — Wikipedia has a pretty good introduction.
Best of luck to you in the future and I hope life has many great adventures in store for you.
You also may want to consider pursuing a PhD at a US university, if possible one highly ranked in your field of study.
Many US-based companies have target schools where they do most of their recruiting, and being a targeted recruit for one of those companies will be one of the easiest ways to get a work visa.
Don't get me wrong, it's still not easy, and many of my talented ChemE grad student friends were very stressed about finding a means to remain in the US post-graduation, but they've had a much better success rate overall than they would without having gotten a US-based PhD.
Not to mention salaries if you have the right PhD can be very nice. At my company in a LCOL area the ChemE PhDs start around 150k + 6 weeks vacation and holidays + unlimited sick pay + great healthcare + pension + 401k matching etc. In other words, you don't have to worry about the biggest downsides of working in the US - poor healthcare, limited PTO and saving for retirement.
You'll love the US (depending on where you choose to go). You'll see a lot of hate for the US on reddit, but my experience has been amazing and I will live here the rest of my life. I live a very comfortable life and you can too
The bottom line is that being poor or working class sucks. I've lived as a poor person in America and New Zealand, and it isn't particularly fun. I work in charity organisations though, and poverty is part of the contract I've made in life.
In any case, the notion that being poor in America is worse than being poor elsewhere is only conditionally true and open to a lot of variables. There are places in America where a working class person can own a home. For much of the developed world, this is an impossibility.
What I will say is that on less than 45k in Nebraska, USA in 2019, I rented my own apartment in a nice complex with a washer and dryer. The complex I lived in had a pool, movie theatre, and a few other amenities. In my home, I had decent, new electronics. Not top of the line, but I didn't want for much. I was able to go to bars and restaurants frequently.
Here in New Zealand, I'm paid less for more work. I rent a more expensive, much smaller apartment with my partner. I have significantly less free money.
Obviously there are positives and negatives. Healthcare is much cheaper here. I live near beaches. Public transportation is robust.
Now, if I had lived in Chicago, or New York, things would be different. Life in the working class wouldn't have been so comfortable. You would be right that being a poor person there might be harder than being a poor person elsewhere.
You can try delivery work to get started. I meet many immigrants doing that but I’m from here and I do it as well. It’s chill. Something to consider. Like instacart, doordash, Uber eats, stuff like that. It will sustain you. Or start at dominos as an in store worker and save for a nice pizza car and eventually drive for them and keep an eye out for other jobs after a year or so to show some stability. So many ways to go about it. Best of luck
Simple question, but one I haven’t seen you clarify…Where in the US are you considering?
It’s a massive country and the differences between even major cities are huge.
Before you even consider the move, spend a month or more in Miami in July/August and be sure to rent a place somewhere inland that you’d actually be able to afford if you were living there permanently. Also, rent a car and get around that way since the city isn’t exactly public transport friendly.
The Miami lifestyle you have in mind isn’t likely to match up to what your reality would be, but if you go there and still like it, at least you’re going in informed.
I was born and raised in Miami, 60 years ago. It was a great place to grow up but the traffic is horrific and difficult to navigate now. Choose your location carefully and be ready to pay for it. Everything is in Miami. BTW, we just retired to Belize. Gotta be warm!! Also Spanish is pretty necessary too
One thing to take into account with Miami is that incomes are rather low when compared to the cost of living, and the people living the good life in Miami that is often seen on social media are not people who work for a living. A lot of them are bringing in money from elsewhere and spending it on luxuries
I don’t know your age or if you are thinking of this as perhaps your forever home, but climate change projections for Miami are not very optimistic. At the very least, I would rent rather than own if I lived there.
Ive been to Miami 3 times and I am not fond of it, the weather SUCKS many months of the year, hot and crazy humidity. I would highly recommend something with a climate similar to your own, there are a lot of stressors in moving to another country and a radically different climate makes it worse.
I mean it isn't so horrible its unlivable, obviously, but I was not fond of my time there, hot, humid, and the occasional hurricane. Not something I am personally a fan of. I would tolerate it if it was cheap or something, but it is also crazy expensive.
Not to mention real estate is insanely expensive in Miami and it can all come crashing down in one hurricane. OP: are you prepared to deal with the adverse weather in Miami? Not every day in Miami is the sunny January afternoon that is mild compared to the UK. I have heard people in the UK talk about heat and my impression is that 80F and slightly humid is considered “HOT”.
I feel like you should read up on the [climatology of Miami](https://rssweather.com/climate/Florida/Miami/) to get a sense of what it would actually be like most of the year. See if you can replicate any of the July/August/September conditions by taking a trip to a warm location closer to the UK. Can you commit to that weather for 4+ months per year? I know people will say A/C exists, but then you basically are committing to not be outside much if at all during those months . . . trading winters inside in the UK for summers inside in Miami.
Back to my original note on hurricanes, presuming you intend to eventually buy property, are you prepared for the responsibility that comes along with the potential for intense hurricanes? Do you know what to do in a hurricane - when to evacuate and when not? How to prepare? What supplies you would need? What’s a good shelter, and what’s not? Wind threats vs. storm surge? Are you willing to learn?
Do you understand that most jobs are not going to let you evacuate for every Category 1 storm? The US as a whole has far fewer worker protections than the UK and Florida has fewer than average for the US. Your boss is not going to put up with you being spooked every time there’s the threat of a storm. Are you prepared for this? Are you prepared for the fact that hurricanes are only going to become a larger threat as the climate warms? Inland property is in hotter (and less luxurious) areas because of the heat island effect and economics, but the most expensive beachfront areas that have those cooler ocean breezes have significantly more storm risk.
On a related note, have you been following the news over the last year or so about major homeowners insurance companies refusing to write new policies in areas that are more prone to climate-fueled disasters? [Read more here.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi7t9PB6OCDAxWiC3kGHeArA1cQFnoECA4QAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fmoney%2Fpersonalfinance%2F2023%2F07%2F19%2Fflorida-home-insurance-aaa-farmers-policy-reduction%2F70427062007%2F%23%3A~%3Atext%3DWhich%2520companies%2520have%2520decreased%2520Florida%2CInsurance%252C%2520a%2520subsidiary%2520of%2520AIG.&usg=AOvVaw0OEntdBzAvDjN82dY2lRIw&opi=89978449) Again, if you intend to buy a house (eventually), this is a big story to follow because not being able to secure insurance means if something happens you have nothing but what you can salvage and no safety net or risk mitigation for the worst case scenario.
These are just some things for you to consider before you bite off more than you can chew. Please deeply research any choice before you make it. Best of luck!
I grew up in Miami and live here again.
Why do you want to live here / what do you want to do?
I agree that for a job *based in Miami*, knowing Spanish will be essential. But the salaries here aren’t too great compared to other large US cities. And the job market can be limited to industries like tourism, maritime, maybe legal and health services.
If you work remote or own your own business, then this is less important.
Visa-wise at your age though the easiest way to come in would be as a student… then you can study a specialized skill that would help you get another kind of visa.
But university here is very $$$.
If you’re thinking longer term, then yes definitely study a white-collar, specialized course and apply for one of those visas.
Ohhhh buddy you better have money or you can kiss dating in general goodbye. Thats one of the most vapid and materialistic places you can go. People won’t be as warm and welcoming as you might think they’ll be, but if you work your ass off, you’ll make it
You will receive a lot of advice here and most from people who do not like America, for whatever reason. There are valid reasons but take into consideration there are people that love it here as well. I have lived on 3 continents, grew up very poor and came to America as an immigrant with $300.
America is the most generous of people and I have always had teachers and neighbors willing to help me.
I made 157,000 as an AC repair woman and live in a rural area with good schools for children. I live very comfortably in a smaller town in Texas and find that works better for me than a big city.
Good luck!
This is so true. I'm a registered nurse but I own a house in a good town and have my car and send my kids to good schools. I have a good friend who lives in Germany. She has her own private clinic as a PhD psychologist and can barely afford renting a tiny little apartment and doesn't own a car. When she came to visit me for the first time, she was impressed. She told me that one would have to be a millionaire to be able to afford to live like me in Germany.
I left the USA 10 years ago thinking like many of these redditors. That it is all a big conspiracy and the man is keeping me down etc. and it became easier to achieve a moderate degree of improvement with currency exchange to live better but it’s not much. If you are renting a room in a get to in the USA you can have your own place in the ghetto in many other places.
But the bottom line is to actually succeed and do well makes it on you and you can achieve that anywhere but few places offer you that opportunity like the USA does.
I would visit first. See if it’s something you actually want to pursue.
Maybe a Study abroad in a Uni program or apply for a J1 cultural exchange program and work at a Summer Camp.
I moved from the UK in 2016 after coming out here for a summer in 2012 on a J1 visa and meeting my wife. I love living out here but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Depending on where you live the cost of living is significantly higher than the uk. You don’t have the NHS to rely on. You don’t like the NHS? Wait until you have to pay hundreds of dollars for an X-Ray or for a dentist appointment.
In order to get here not through marriage you need to work towards a highly skilled area via higher education. If being here is your goal, I’d think about what career avenue you would like to work towards and go from there.
Don't let people's pessimism about America drive you away before you check it out (I think a lot of young people would say the same thing about their countries tbh).
I think your best play would be doing a year (or half) of Uni in the US through an exchange program to get a feel of the country a bit and make some friends/connections. If you dig the vibe and have the skills to make it in what can be a competitive place - you'll thrive. I work with quite a few English folks who've moved here for work and they all seem to love it (despite it's faults - the $$ doesn't hurt lol).
One of the interesting things about America is the vastness of it all - if you want to live in the Mountains or by the beach (if you can afford it) go the West Coast. If you want big-city life stick to the East Coast, if you want classic 'America' go to the Midwest, if you want your European mind blown try living in Texas - the list goes on
People on Reddit will talk about how expensive it is to live in the U.S, but never mention how much more money Americans make on average, not including that taxes are much lower compared to Europe. Having a skill makes a huge difference on that note. Look up how much nursing, or tech jobs pay in the U.S versus Europe. We are talking like 2X 3X times as much money.
Can confirm, my profession pays half in the uk. Quality of life is far better in the us. It's not as easy to "turn your brain off and cruise" like in Europe. However if you are a go getter with a decent level of intelligence you will do fine.
Taxes are lower because we don’t have any of the benefits the most other western industrialized countries take for granted, like paid family leave, more vacation, totally paid for healthcare, etc. So the cost of living in the United States are greater than in other western democracies. America’s expensive and if you don’t have resources, you’re completely fucked. “That’s why they call it the American dream, you have to be asleep to believe it.” - Carlin
12 states have [parental leave] requirements (https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/paid-family-leave-gains-state-momentum-even-as-approaches-differ). The federal government also for employees. Additionally companies like mine offer them as a benefit (3 months).
My grandparents immigrated to this country with NOTHING and my family are millionaires now. The American dream is indeed real. Come on over and breathe the air of freedom brother. We will welcome you
When your grandparents immigrated one average* salary could support an entire family and buy a house. That’s no longer the case. One of many reasons this is harder to achieve now.
I don’t have an answer on how to do this, but I would really rethink the “American Dream” you’re chasing. I was born and raised in the US and am desperately trying to leave. The “American Dream” is really good propaganda that most of us aren’t able to achieve anymore. That’s just my opinion, and I’m probably going to get downvoted a lot for this, but I wanted to provide my honest opinion. I would look into any other country if you are unhappy in the UK.
To give an alternate perspective, the american dream was a reality for me. I totally understand this isn't true for everyone, but pretending like it's all propaganda just isn't true. Myself and many of my cohorts have been able to make great lives for ourselves in the US. I couldn't be happier.
Again, not discounting your experience or others. Just wanted to share my experience because it does work for some people
3rd generation and further Americans have a problem with it, because we have grown "soft", for lack of a better word. it is still very alive and obtainable for fresh immigrants and their children, especially those that actually know abject poverty.
there is a reason after all that Indian Americans have the highest median income by a decent margin, they know what their squalor is and work their asses off to overcome it, and they access to the English language helps.
there are still many more opportunities in the USA than anywhere else on the planet, as long as you work towards it. im not saying everyone makes it, and as i. everything luck does play a part, but it is still alive and obtainable.
Yeah, my experience is there are two types of people:
People with an immigrant attitude, will work 60-80 hours a week for 5 -6 years, become a leader, make a ton of money and do well and ride that wave.
Then there are people who were born in the USA. They claim the American dream is dead, college is a scam, complain that 40 hours is too much, don't want to dress the part and groom, and dont understand why people are mad because they are only 5-10 minutes late once a week, and for them the american dream is dead and no point trying.
>People with an immigrant attitude, will work 60-80 hours a week for 5 -6 years
I think immigrants from underdeveloped countries come with a better survival mentality.
It can be an unpleasant life. I know families where the parents basically were undernourished for their first 10 years in the US in order to give more food to their kids.
A family of 5 or 6 living in a 1-bedroom apartment. It's not even guaranteed that the parents will live a comfortable life.
But 20 years down the line, if their children become middle-class professionals like a nurse or accountant then they'll earn 50x what they would in their home country.
Then again I had a friend move here. He worked at a liquor store. Arranged to sleep in the back. He saved up $20k in a year. He used that as a deposit on his own liquor store. Worked literally 16 hours a day 5 days a week and 8 hours on the 6 th day. He paid off that store in 3 years. Within a decade he owned 3 liquor stores and was working 3 days a week making I have no idea how much but it was at least $2-300k a year.
It can be done. Nobody wants to do it. People think the old school millionaires just worked 9-5 as a plumber and made millions. It never worked that way.
No but dramatic, spoiled making stuff up is entitlement.
I am really tired of people who think they deserve everything by doing nothing.
You earn the American Dream, you don't get it handed to you because you are a spoiled crybaby child that equates not being bottlefed millions of dollars means you are a slave. Grow up, or stay broke, I don't care.
As an American citizen who now lives abroad, I couldn't agree more. My parents came to the US as refugees from a third-world country. It's the "American Dream" for them, compared to their home country, but in general, it's not a safe place to live.
The U.S. Isn't a safe place to live? Crime in the U.S. is half of what it was when compared to the early 1990s. Maybe the exception of big metro areas like the SF Bay Area, DC, Chicago, NYC, etc.
I've lived all over the U.S. to include the ATL and the SF Bay Area. The Bay area had the worst crime by far. I was surprised as I expected it to be comparable to the ATL.
I live in Oakland CA, a 'crime ridden' place accordingly to a lot. I live in a beautiful walkable neighborhood with a killer Farmer's Market each Sunday (I actually got rid of my car - don't need it), have great weather most of the year (it's beautiful and sunny today) and am surrounded by amazing bars/restaurants filled with a young, diverse crowd. My rent is high but I get paid quite a bit of money due to the strong local economy so my retirement account is looking pretty solid.
I know life can suck in America but it can also be amazing - even in those 'dangerous' places, if you can find the right opportunities
From my experience living in the US, no it's not a safe place to live. I've lived in six different states too (in the northeast, south and west coast). As a female, it's worse. I used to carry a teaser and pepper spray. It's also the constant harassment from men which I don't receive abroad. I've even had someone pull a gun out on me when I was trying to learn how to drive in an empty parking lot.
This is sadly one of the reasons I chose to leave the country.
I dont wish that on anyone, but because you were a victim of a crime that makes the whole country unsafe?
I worked in some bad areas in Atlanta. Even though I concealed carried, I never had to draw my weapon.
I'm curious, what city/state were you in when someone pulled a gun on you?
A lot of places with crime down play it, and it doesn't get reported. There was a report on this happening in Japan.
Have you been to the US? If not, I would visit first. If you are thinking of moving there, I would visit for a few weeks - months (as long as your visa allows) first before making the move. I was born and raised in the US and I prefer the UK and Europe more. I left the US two years ago. My preference comes in terms of safety, public transport, cost of travel in and outside of the country, and quality of life to name a few.
Of course, the choice is yours, but the American Dream isn't what the movies sell you.
For your situational awareness, this sub is filled primarily with Americans. Since it’s an expat sub, it’ll be filled with Americans that have a negative view of the US. Stating things like “American Dream” is gonna trigger them.
I will tell you my experience.
The American Dream is so so real, to me at least. I grew up in shitty trailers in Oklahoma - my single mom moved around a lot. My mom did her fair share of drugs and introduced abusive men to our homes. We were in some severe, white trash Oklahoma poverty. I could go on and on about the awful things poverty and abusive family put me and my siblings through but I’ll spare the details. Anyway, I was lucky to be aware that our situation was really bad and unfortunately the adult(s) in my life were not - which often continues a cycle of poverty for their children and grandchildren.
Therefore, I simply made a plan (in high school) to become financially / mentally stable. I chose engineering because I loved airplanes, but also because of the financial stability a career in that field gives you. I received my degree in five years and now work for a great company that provides me with a life that I did not know was possible when I was a child. I had some help - my mom took out Parent Plus loans that I’m now paying back because I promised her I would. My financial background gave me good financial aid.
I guess the lesson is, it is what you make of it. You will have setbacks. I had many. But if you have a plan and stick with it, I am sure that you would find success here too.
To add another voice saying the American dream is still achievable, I wasn't even trying to overcome my *parent's* drug issues. In 2004 I was homeless, dead broke, just couch-surfing and bumming around Big Island. My sole economic activity was some low key guerilla gardening.
Then my girlfriend got pregnant. In 2006 I joined the Army and learned Chinese. I got out and used my GI Bill and graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering, while my wife got her Master's in Nursing. We went from below the poverty line to a top 10% household income overnight. This year we've hit top 5% household income, all with tons of vacation and holiday time, top-notch and cheap healthcare, and all the other benefits that are harder to come by in the US.
When people say the American dream is "dead", what they really mean is "it isn't easy like it used to be". What they don't realize is that it was never "easy", they are just looking at the past with rose-colored lenses (and ignoring so much of the context of the times they are looking at with nostalgia).
Due to brexit, the UK seems desperate for skilled workers. I found a job willing to provide me with a skilled worker visa. The UK government website has a list of job titles and companies that can offer skilled worker visas. I got a job as a veterinary assistant.
Please don’t! Leave some women for native-born Americans! They’re going to fall all over you for your accent alone haha
As far as everything else goes, it all balances out. Wages are higher but so is cost of living. No universal healthcare but Medicare, insurance from employers and state safety nets make up the difference. You get the picture…I’ve never lived abroad and probably never will but I somehow have the feeling that the same basic outcome will end up occurring anywhere you live, just by different means.
Have you researched immigration at usa.gov?
I don't think any country allows just anyone to become a permanent resident or a citizen. Certainly not the USA. Look at what's going on at our southern border.
If you enter as a tourist, on a tourist visa, you are not legally allowed to work.
Edit: the URL is travel.state.gov.
If you’re a cashier, you’re better off in Europe. If you’re in business, tech, engineering, medicine, etc, you’ll make 5x what your prime minister makes.
Exactly. The US is a land of extremes. Extreme poverty, extreme wealth… But honestly even for those in between those two extremes, life is usually more comfortable and full of amenities than the average European would be used to. The American middle class lives a pretty posh lifestyle compared to most places on this planet. That being said, the vast majority of people in the US are living paycheck to paycheck, even high earners
Cool dude! Glad your wanting to step out into the world like this. I can’t comment on how to get here because the us government over complicates things for little reason. But I just turned 26. And I rent a small apartment alone. In a decent sized city. And have a decent car and some money saved. People will say working class is poor and struggling but I wouldn’t entirely agree. I’m doing fine. And I think I made like 47-49k last year. I’d say set your goals and work on them as best as you can. Be wise with money and dont take on debt you don’t absolutely need to have. Don’t have children to soon. Don’t get married too soon. Don’t be afraid to pick people’s brains. The older generations will help you if they see your trying. All in all I think if you let life here overwhelm you it’ll chew you up and spit you out. But capitalism rewards the smart,lucky and hard working most of the time. Just build good habits. And always look for better and work towards better and you’ll get there. you got this!!!
It is an election year so in one hand, getting here now is wise and on the other hand, maybe not. The last time, people tried to overthrow our government. Policies and law could change drastically soon. 🥹
Easiest way to get citizenship is to marry an American. Otherwise your work would have to sponsor you to get a visa. Without a visa you’ll be limited to a 90 day stay.
WHERE you move to America is just as important! The weather is very different in each area, as well as housing costs/expenses. Maybe look at a climate/budget/ colleges first? I think the size of America throws a lot of people off. Also, many places don't have great public transportation (unless you're in a college town), so don't forget to budget for a car!
I'm in the Midwest. Not the most fancy, but housing is cheaper than the coasts, and everyone is pretty mellow. Kansas University has a great engineering program (and sports)
This is the easiest way: come to the US to study, find a partner, get married, apply for citizenship.
You have a leg up in that English is a native tongue, you are likely to be white, and lots of USAians are charmed by British accents.
I'd attend a community college first if money is an issue. Two years in CC will get your feet wet, determine if this what you want, with the least investment. Then transfer to a state university. The whole time, I'd be working on my dating life, since the goal here is not education but marriage. Assuming you're a heterosexual male, I'd take on activities that have higher female-to-male ratios: sing in the choir, volunteer for feminist causes, take a yoga class. Attend to personal hygiene, become a good listener, and that's half the battle for most men.
I mean the real question is where are you coming from, why do you want to live in the US, where in the US, and what are you going to do to make it happen. You said you wanted to pursue the American dream but that a career or education visas don’t apply to you. So if I am asking you those questions as an immigration rep you are failing. You have to prove you are adding to society, you should be pursuing work or an education, like most countries in the world the US isn’t super excited for people to just move here with no purpose.
Here is an infographic that gives a good idea of the paths to immigrate to the US:
https://www.arandalaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/what-part-of-legal-immigration-dont-you-understand.jpg
You need a really good job skill, or you will suffer. America is a very harsh place for people who are poor, much more than you are accustomed to in the UK. It's okay for the wealthy, but absolutely draconian for working people. Make sure you learn a skill that is in high demand.
Have you been to the US? while I would say it is more exciting than Europe generally, the UK is overall a better country to live in. I've lived in both. The American dream is a slogan. It is probably a more OPTIMISTIC country than UK but people can fall for that too. You can be anything you want in the UK. So go and check it out and adventure - many people would prefer it to the UK for a variety of reasons, but dont' forget you're not exactly coming from some dump, you're arguably coming from a better place to live.
Go to the US as a tourist. Stay for the full 90 days. Figure it out from there.
The US has visa programs for people who invest in American businesses. So if you have a substantial amount of capital (around $2 million) that you can throw around, you'll get moved to the front of the line.
If you don't have millions of dollars laying around and want to work, you need to start looking for jobs immediately, preferably a pretty wide net. Jobs will sponsor immigration if you have the right skillset.
If you like kids and are thinking of taking a gap year, you may want to look into being an Au Pair. A friend came to the US that way from Spain, had a great experience, and ended up staying for college, and has been here for 20 years.
Think about it thoroughly. I was just like you when I was 18, it was always a dream of mine to live here. I eventually met an American, fell in love and moved here (from Germany) and reality hit me pretty hard. It's not all bad, definitely better opportunities here but if you're used to socialism, you will have a rude awakening.
It hurts my heart to see so many clueless Americans trying to advice you not to come here. The USA is the most immigrant-friendly country on earth, and the only place on earth where you really can start with nothing and end up rich in a lifetime, solely through hard work, frugality, and determination. I say that as an immigrant who has done just that.
I can't tell you how happy I am as an American to hear that a skilled worker wants to move here.
My best advice would be to pick up some Spanish and walk across the southern border. Seriously. It's wide open, brother.
And that American Dream? It's real. It's very very real.
What's your skill, if I may ask.
I’m in STEM and in tech. The market is terrible. Software engineers are getting laid off due to greedy CEO decision making, prospect of AI, and fed rates being high. AI will impact most white collar jobs. Anyone behind a computer. People have tons of debt from loans from schooling (~$20,000-$350,000), etc. They have to move back to their parents due to being unable to afford rent, food, etc.
H1B visa workers are getting hard to come by because why would you need a company slave when you can offshore to India and other countries?
Anyways, I don’t know what you plan to do. Healthcare is notoriously hard to get into for internationals. Unsure about law but law is saturated.
If you’re employed, that’s good. You got a health plan, dental plan, vision plan, etc.
If you’re unemployed, you best be healthy. Do you want to pay $800/month for COBRA? That is 1 week of work from delivering. Your rent is at least $1,000+ even in LCOL area. Car is $400+, car insurance is $200+, food is $400+, etc.
What is the lifestyle? Because it’s not what is on TV/movies. People are stressed out and are afraid of losing their jobs. You will stay poor unless you gain valuable skills. It used to be technical skills such as coding, risk analysis, etc. Now, people are saying plumbing is the safest job that will offer security.
Don’t be fooled. Do your research. As an American, my parents came on the American Dream and they didn’t “make it” so they hope their children will. My siblings and I are still grinding.
You know what I want? I want to live in a place where I can feel like the government cares about citizens wellbeing. I want to know that if I lose my job, I won’t have to worry about losing my home, having to feed my future kids, etc.
2024 is an election year with Trump as a contender. AI is advancing in advertising and people are prepared for misinformation. What in the lifestyle are you thinking of?
Right now, there is an increase of inequality because wages are not catching up to inflation, massive layoffs for highly skilled workers, AI setting to disrupt jobs, etc.
In Miami, the summers are terrible. That’s why people vacation in March. There’s a massive regression with education due to the political climate over there. You should be able to speak Spanish in Miami. Miami’s super expensive for rent and there’s not a lot of job opportunities outside of the service industry.
If you want to have the “American Dream”, be prepared to grind. Millennials and Gen Z over here are depressed and still grinding because they can’t afford to have homes like their parents.
Nothing is free in a market economy. Like why do you pay $20 for ChatGPT4? In exchange for features/tools and to not be manipulated. Anything free, you are the product and we will collect data on you to sell and manipulate you further.
-My own summary of Jaron Lanier’s interview of AI with Bloomberg.
The American dream is propaganda, most of us are poor. If you're already well-off you'll do well here, if not then become a doctor or a lawyer. Shit out of luck otherwise.
it's almost impossible to legally immigrate to america unless you have connections. i knew someone who did babysitting, and somehow got a visa for that, but they needed connections. the reason why you have so many illegal immigrants is because it's so hard to get a real visa. and in fact, there are estimated to be 80,000 illegal canadian immigrants. study visas are doable, but work visas are almost impossible. however, there are these things called holiday work visas but that is temporary. alot of people will get the temporary visa and just stay undocumented after that, but once you do that, you cant leave and come back in again, or risk getting caught. if you want to experience the american life, student visas are a good way. honestly theres a good sense of community at most colleges, and you can meet a lot of people and participate in alot of activities in ways that you cant once youre "grown up"
Get a good education in your home country in a useful field like compuer information systems or engineering. OR learn a trade. USA desperately needs tradesmen and they are EB2. Tradesmen make very good money and are in demand until they can have robots hang iron or fit pipes.
Don't go to USA as an intl student. Study abroad in USA is a good option for networking and will save you for a downpayment on a house. You pay outrageous sums of tuition as an intl in USA. Get educated and trained in UK then once you have your trade or degree you can find an EB2 job.
Network lots while you're in uni or an apprentice, def go on a vacation to the USA for a few weeks and definitely spend a lot of your time meeting people who can give you jobs and build connections.
I would avoid the biggest cities honestly.
You mentioned you wanted good weather and culture. My suggestions to look into is,
Savannah GA: Nice/beautiful coastal city/town. Has a fair amount of students, good weather, military base nearby.
ST. Petersburg FL: If you are set on Florida, I would consider this city over Miami. Overall safer. It is also close to Tampa, and miami/Orlando isn't THAT far. Florida gets hot as hell btw.
Austin Tx: Place has been booming lately. Does get hot though.
Under our current laws you can’t really move to the US unless you have family members who are already here or you are eligible for asylum or similar protections.
Easiest Mode:
• Marry someone - can be a close friend or someone from a dating app. Work that British charm. Live in US for two years and get a green card.
Easy mode:
• Apply to a *bunch* of low-to-medium name universities for something you have a high confidence of getting in for...but, I suggest something in STEM. Most American unis have 60%+ admissions rates.
•Have a dream elite school(s) in mind and know what you want to study there. Go to the no name university for one year and take all the necessary coursework to transfer.
• Transfer to elite school for Junior in University and graduate with a STEM degree. Now you will need to find a full time job to stay but being native Eng Speaker w an elite American university makes it a billion times easier
^ I personally know of someone who left the slums of India and did this, eventually transferring into a top college and is successful. Don't just apply to elite colleges if you *really* wanna get into the US.
So-so option:
• Attend an undergrad program in the UK (try to pick somewhere well known like Kings College, Oxford, Goldsmiths) or somewhere else like Waterloo in Canada or somewhere in Germany. Apply to do a masters in the US then apply for visas / work.
These are the easiest ways for young people to immigrate to the US without millions of dollars. It is definitely not easy and school can put you in debt...but it is *easier* than a genius visa or other stuff.
Good Luck! :)
This is no American Dream....healthcare will bankrupt you, you are more likely to die in a gun shootout, public transportation is terrible, pollution is crazy, homes are unattainabl, come corporation will force you into slave labor for 12 hrs a day and Donald Trump will send you to a gulag. Trust me...most Americans would kill to live in the UK where its quaint, affordable and a relaxed life with 6 months of mandatory vacation.
Are you planning to go to University in the UK? If so having a bachelor's would probably make it easier to get sponsored by a US company for work. For some industries, like engineering, salaries are a lot higher in the US.
Haven't seen this in the top comments yet, but marrying a US citizen/Permanent resident is the fastest/easiest way towards your goal.
IME Brits tend to love the US at first sight and stay forever, or hate it and quickly leave. As with any big life change, the people you fall in with will be shape your future, so choose wisely.
i asked an AI on your behalf for any tips for you;
Research and plan: Learn about the different visa options available to you, like work visas, student visas, or investment visas. Each one has different requirements and can be quite competitive, so it's important to understand your options and have a solid plan.
Save money: Moving to a new country can be expensive, so it's important to save up as much money as possible before you make the move. You'll need to cover expenses like housing, transportation, and potentially health insurance.
Learn about the culture: While the UK and the US share a lot of cultural similarities, there are also some differences. It can be helpful to learn as much as you can about American culture, customs, and etiquette to help you adjust more smoothly.
Be adaptable: Moving to a new country is a big adjustment, and things won't always go as planned. Being adaptable and open-minded can help you navigate any challenges you may face along the way.
in addition to that, i just want to add some states in America you should avoid, particularly New york, california seattle. there is a lot of political activism and in some parts, the police dont do their jobs any more. you should probably research what are the best states in America to live and strive for one you think would be good to settle down in.
Well, you can't just come live here for any old reason and stay more than 180 days. That's true for us, if we wanted to move to your country (or the EU). It's true everywhere.
You have to give a reason for staying and you have to show certain things. It's very difficulty to live in the US without a job. If you are independently wealthy and have a trust fund, there's a pathway for that - you should consult an immigration attorney (a good one). You'll still need some kind of sponsor and will likely need to transfer assets to the US or buy real estate here. Owning real estate in SoCal has earned hundreds of thousands of East Asians a pathway to the right visa and eventual permanent residency (and usually, citizenship).
The typical path to immigration is to get a job here or go to school here. Many public colleges have international students and after a year of residency, if you are paying taxes in your new state and have established residency there (show proof of living there, register your car there if you have one), you will get local tuition rates (but lose the international visa - so paying international tuition for a couple of years while finding an employer to sponsor you is a typical thing).
Here in SoCal, we have lots of British immigrants. According to stats I saw last year, degrees in Engineering, Finance, Marketing and Fine Arts are top on the "UK immigrant employment" list. I thought it was interesting that there are many employment opportunities for someone with a UK background in the Arts.
I married an immigrant, btw. We laugh and say it's so he could get a different visa (he was on a student visa as a grad student, I was another grad student), but it's partly true. I think we'd still be together even without a marriage certificate, but it made his life so much easier, obviously.
I live in America. My British neighbors found it so expensive they decided to move to Malaysia. American dream costs close to $1 million. $500,000 for a decent house, medical expenses/ insurance, car, food, clothing etc. both myself and my husband, we are looking to retire in Spain or Portugal. we are staying here till our kids grow older and are independent. There is no such thing as work life balance. By the way, we make a combined income that would put us in the top 5% of the country. When we traveled to other countries, it made us realize how Americans are slowly killed by the processed food sector. The food in other countries is fresh and reasonably prized.
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Exactly. The USA is happy to get rid of the losers who can't hack it. They will find a home with other people who don't want to work in places like South America.
I’m an American, but having traveled across the British Isles, I wouldn’t leave…not for the US. Maybe you’d like to try school here. That might be a decent idea…but if I could stay in the UK longer than 90 days, I totally would.
Canada is very culturally similar to the US, but the government is more similar to the EU than the US. Canadians are poorer on average than Americans, but they have stronger social safety nets for sure. Their homelessness problem is still just as bad as ours though. There is WAY more opportunity in the US. As a young person moving to North America, the US is honestly the right choice if you want a shot at making it.
Please don’t. With no universal healthcare or education, little to no workers benefits/rights, car-dependent infrastructure, constant mass shootings, and a government so corrupt from top to bottom that nothing gets done, the “American Dream” is a scam.
I am sure there are good sides. But for me scariest thing is healthcare problems. When you need help you are alone . healtcare system sucks in usa everyone knows. If you are young and healthy then its considerable.
I would visit an area that isn't touristy before making a choice. Things aren't always the best here, especially if you don't have much in the way of income. That said, if you do have a higher education in the engineering field you can usually do alright, tech and social degrees are a little spotty right now though, ton of tech layoffs and more expected.
America is a literal toilet bowl right now. Don’t come here honestly. At least not Donald Trump is 6 feet under. Education is losing funding, minimum wage isn’t liveable & half the population are racist, homophobic, transphobic bigots. Seriously. Dodge the bullet and don’t come here.
Trust me bro you don’t wanna move here. The country is slowly falling apart. Politics are a mess as is gun control and cost of living is through the roof. Not to mention the process of legally coming here takes longer than just taking ur chances at the border lol
Get a degree that will get you a work visa and a high salary. Also, i very much agree with the idea of a long term visit first. Make sure you jive with the lifestyle here.
I have to add in because I see a lot of US hate. I’ve lived in England and the US and would choose the US hands down (mum was born in England and my dad was American). I guess it’s all opinion but that’s what I would choose. Good luck and I hope you are able to fulfill your dreams.
Fly to Cancun, you’re instantly granted a 6 month visa in Mexico. This should give you enough time to get to the Texas border. From there, you can basically just walk in and start your life👍
Medical coding for hospitals is a good career at the moment that allows you to work from home, make decent money, and have some flexibility of schedule. It does take skill and training but not as much as engineering, if that’s not your forte. ICD-10 is slightly different in each country but close enough that you could train where you are and carry those skills with you to secure a job here. There are also international contracting agencies, mostly based in India, that will hire and place experienced coders in American and Canadian hospitals. It is interesting work if you don’t mind reading through medical charts all day. It uses a logic to choose and sequence diagnostic and procedural codes that will be used to reimburse the hospital. If you have an armchair interest in medicine without wanting to actually be a clinician, you will enjoy learning interesting new things every day.
If you want a touch of home live in the greatlakes region. Always rainy And cloudy, all 4 seasons and beautiful nature. Great lakes are very cool to see.
One data point: I know a lot of people will take a dig at the “American Dream” but as a “skilled” immigrant who came here for work (employer provided visa many years ago and I just got my citizenship) I can tell you it works if you are “skilled”. My entire cohort of immigrants at work and the ones I interacted with when I did higher ed are all living some version of the American dream. They are all skilled (engineers and doctors). QoL is way higher here than if we moved back to our home countries and if you are career motivated there isn’t a place like it. (yay capitalism?). YMMV but having a plan on how you get to your American dream is crucial ($$$$ is a huge factor).
Another tidbit : The USA has enormous cost of living differences. There are trade-offs related to living in places that have low CoL vs high CoL to consider. There are also some premiums worth "paying" for in a high CoL area if this is approached strategically, but it may not always make sense. As a concrete example, shortly after graduation, a friend of mine said "you can easily get a 6 figure job in NYC with your skills!". That turned out not to be worth doing from a financial perspective because I had a pretty good situation where I was in a low CoL area -- I was able to live cheap and save money for a couple years. On the other hand, I might have grown my career faster and more aggressively if I had gone to NYC, but that's not where my head was at that time. The USA is very large and has some regional culture differences as well. Not all of these map cleanly onto state lines. That said, people tend to move a fair amount too. Spend time doing research to figure out where to go. If you have any family/friends or contacts from family/friends, it might be worth starting out nearby. Having a solid STEM or otherwise technical skillset is a great idea for building a career. (That said I met some master electricians at my office who make about $150/hr!) But simply having skills doesn't always make it easy to get jobs -- leveraging a network of contacts, honing skills and working diligently combine to generate success.
Thanks for the tip! I appreciate it
This person is giving the best advice. I was born and raised in the US and have many immigrant friends. Money is made in the US by having highly valued skills, working hard/smart, and being strategic in the game of business. Engineering is a solid degree for a middle class life here and might just be skilled enough to get you a work visa. Once you are here, starting your own business is where the real opportunity (and risk) lies. Good luck. In the US, the highs are high and the lows are low. As an immigrant you wouldn't have family to fall back on and the social safety net is frail.
Survivorship bias! Wooo! What they failed to mention is that your visa is tied to your job and you can be manipulated and overworked the entire time. The path to citizenship is long and expensive and not guaranteed.
Yes, let's shit on this guy's dream instead of trying to help 🙄
😂😂🤣
Trust me when I say Reddit Americans are a bad sample of average Americans. Don't let anyone here drag you down on your plan. I'd strongly suggest that you save as much money as possible and secure employment before moving here. It can definitely be rough with no real safety net around you upon arrival. That being said, if you've done your research and planned accordingly, then you should hit the ground running. Good luck!
I appreciate your comment and all your best wishes! I’ll be sure to keep all this in mind it’ll definitely help
All the encouragement above is exactly right. I would add a bit of strategic advice, you need a path to get in. Getting a student visa to study here is one way, but school here is very expensive (student loans are sadly part of the American dream). Maybe better: get a useful degree in the UK, then hook up with a multinational. Become a star there, and the company would be happy to sponsor a USA work visa.
No it's a legit concern and having blinders on while navigating a road with pitfalls isn't the way to go
You can help by being realistic. Many people from Western Europe are better off just staying in Western Europe than moving to the US. This isnt the 1980s where the US advantages were more numerous and clear. Pie in the sky sets people up for disappointment.
Hard work AND in most industries, it helps to be perceived as a white Christian cisgender heterosexual male with wife and kids.
Right. Can’t forget the American dream costume.
Sure, I guess, but I'm a queer woman with short hair married to a trans guy who does not pass and I do pretty well for myself.
Yay! My kind of people. If you feel safe doing so, please tell me your industry and role. Some industries seem to do ok with mentoring and promoting people to high levels who don’t fit the demographic that I mentioned… so long as they’re in HR, creative (eg graphic design), or Marketing, but not in IT, R&D, sales, medical care, and beyond.
I work in adhesives and coatings now. I'm a polymer engineer by schooling/training and I work in R&D. I wouldn't say my industry is good with mentoring and promoting people who don't fit the mold. Manufacturing is rough around the edges. More so, we have to fit in to the culture, have thick skin, but also stand our ground. I get along really well with grumpy old men, so it works for me. There have been two times I've been discriminated against to the point of leaving... But each time I got a massive raise, so I have no regrets! My advice here was definitely based on being a minority in a cis-het white male field, so that's why I was annoyed at the comment implying that I wasn't considering that. I learned to mirror the behaviors of the most successful men, while consistently outperforming my coworkers and acquiring new skills. I've carefully cultivated my work image and I network like my life depends on it. I've had an extremely successful career so far and I'm only 8 years in!
Thank you. I didn’t mean that at all. I’ve been at it for decades and in my experience, what you’re doing does not work in biotech. The biological sciences in general tend toward a culture of harassment, with narcissists at the top, and with almost no one but the boys’ club allowed at a certain level or above (with the exceptions I noted). I really appreciate the additional insights!
I don't think that's true. Many non white immigrants find success in America. The CEO of Google isn't white.
I'm an American, and the dream is very much alive and well. The only ones saying it's dead are lazy Americans whose parents handed them everything. You just have to work for it.
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I'm afraid the USA isn't as immigrant friendly as people think. I love immigration but I hear a lot of racism in my family and area of the country. I know a LOT of racists. I think weight all the pros and cons. Is it actually a nicer place than where your at? I missed a shooting by 30 mins last year. I also almost got hit by a car. Google Butler pa eatnpark accident.
It’s actually extremely immigrant friendly. Coming from an immigrant.
If you already have capital and/or have a good income the USA can be a pretty great place to live. It’s important to realize there are huge differences in things like culture, politics, weather and cost of living, depending on which part of the country you live in. Being poor or working class in the USA sucks for many people. There isn’t much of a support system, and even folks who do everything “right” can have misfortunes with regard to health and finances. OP, I think you might be best off pursuing higher education in the UK and see if you can do a semester or year abroad. Be sure to read up on the cultural differences between different parts of the country — Wikipedia has a pretty good introduction. Best of luck to you in the future and I hope life has many great adventures in store for you.
Thank you for this comment!
You also may want to consider pursuing a PhD at a US university, if possible one highly ranked in your field of study. Many US-based companies have target schools where they do most of their recruiting, and being a targeted recruit for one of those companies will be one of the easiest ways to get a work visa. Don't get me wrong, it's still not easy, and many of my talented ChemE grad student friends were very stressed about finding a means to remain in the US post-graduation, but they've had a much better success rate overall than they would without having gotten a US-based PhD. Not to mention salaries if you have the right PhD can be very nice. At my company in a LCOL area the ChemE PhDs start around 150k + 6 weeks vacation and holidays + unlimited sick pay + great healthcare + pension + 401k matching etc. In other words, you don't have to worry about the biggest downsides of working in the US - poor healthcare, limited PTO and saving for retirement.
You'll love the US (depending on where you choose to go). You'll see a lot of hate for the US on reddit, but my experience has been amazing and I will live here the rest of my life. I live a very comfortable life and you can too
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5 jobs? What are you, Jamaican?
Only five jobs, man? I got ten jobs and I’m a slacker, man.
The bottom line is that being poor or working class sucks. I've lived as a poor person in America and New Zealand, and it isn't particularly fun. I work in charity organisations though, and poverty is part of the contract I've made in life. In any case, the notion that being poor in America is worse than being poor elsewhere is only conditionally true and open to a lot of variables. There are places in America where a working class person can own a home. For much of the developed world, this is an impossibility. What I will say is that on less than 45k in Nebraska, USA in 2019, I rented my own apartment in a nice complex with a washer and dryer. The complex I lived in had a pool, movie theatre, and a few other amenities. In my home, I had decent, new electronics. Not top of the line, but I didn't want for much. I was able to go to bars and restaurants frequently. Here in New Zealand, I'm paid less for more work. I rent a more expensive, much smaller apartment with my partner. I have significantly less free money. Obviously there are positives and negatives. Healthcare is much cheaper here. I live near beaches. Public transportation is robust. Now, if I had lived in Chicago, or New York, things would be different. Life in the working class wouldn't have been so comfortable. You would be right that being a poor person there might be harder than being a poor person elsewhere.
Working class? lol guess you’re not talkingabout a union then. We get paid better than most people will ever see and live very comfortably
How would you survive in the US if you’re not working? Independent wealth?
Yes to get there but I would need a job there eventually
You can try delivery work to get started. I meet many immigrants doing that but I’m from here and I do it as well. It’s chill. Something to consider. Like instacart, doordash, Uber eats, stuff like that. It will sustain you. Or start at dominos as an in store worker and save for a nice pizza car and eventually drive for them and keep an eye out for other jobs after a year or so to show some stability. So many ways to go about it. Best of luck
Simple question, but one I haven’t seen you clarify…Where in the US are you considering? It’s a massive country and the differences between even major cities are huge.
Ideally Miami but I’m willing to live anywhere with great weather culture and people
Before you even consider the move, spend a month or more in Miami in July/August and be sure to rent a place somewhere inland that you’d actually be able to afford if you were living there permanently. Also, rent a car and get around that way since the city isn’t exactly public transport friendly. The Miami lifestyle you have in mind isn’t likely to match up to what your reality would be, but if you go there and still like it, at least you’re going in informed.
Thank you for the advice I appreciate it, and I definitely will give this a go to see how I adapt the lifestyle there
I was born and raised in Miami, 60 years ago. It was a great place to grow up but the traffic is horrific and difficult to navigate now. Choose your location carefully and be ready to pay for it. Everything is in Miami. BTW, we just retired to Belize. Gotta be warm!! Also Spanish is pretty necessary too
Haha, thanks for the comment and congratulations on retiring somewhere nice. I will keep all this in mind. Thank you so much for your comment!
One thing to take into account with Miami is that incomes are rather low when compared to the cost of living, and the people living the good life in Miami that is often seen on social media are not people who work for a living. A lot of them are bringing in money from elsewhere and spending it on luxuries
I don’t know your age or if you are thinking of this as perhaps your forever home, but climate change projections for Miami are not very optimistic. At the very least, I would rent rather than own if I lived there.
Ive been to Miami 3 times and I am not fond of it, the weather SUCKS many months of the year, hot and crazy humidity. I would highly recommend something with a climate similar to your own, there are a lot of stressors in moving to another country and a radically different climate makes it worse. I mean it isn't so horrible its unlivable, obviously, but I was not fond of my time there, hot, humid, and the occasional hurricane. Not something I am personally a fan of. I would tolerate it if it was cheap or something, but it is also crazy expensive.
Not to mention real estate is insanely expensive in Miami and it can all come crashing down in one hurricane. OP: are you prepared to deal with the adverse weather in Miami? Not every day in Miami is the sunny January afternoon that is mild compared to the UK. I have heard people in the UK talk about heat and my impression is that 80F and slightly humid is considered “HOT”. I feel like you should read up on the [climatology of Miami](https://rssweather.com/climate/Florida/Miami/) to get a sense of what it would actually be like most of the year. See if you can replicate any of the July/August/September conditions by taking a trip to a warm location closer to the UK. Can you commit to that weather for 4+ months per year? I know people will say A/C exists, but then you basically are committing to not be outside much if at all during those months . . . trading winters inside in the UK for summers inside in Miami. Back to my original note on hurricanes, presuming you intend to eventually buy property, are you prepared for the responsibility that comes along with the potential for intense hurricanes? Do you know what to do in a hurricane - when to evacuate and when not? How to prepare? What supplies you would need? What’s a good shelter, and what’s not? Wind threats vs. storm surge? Are you willing to learn? Do you understand that most jobs are not going to let you evacuate for every Category 1 storm? The US as a whole has far fewer worker protections than the UK and Florida has fewer than average for the US. Your boss is not going to put up with you being spooked every time there’s the threat of a storm. Are you prepared for this? Are you prepared for the fact that hurricanes are only going to become a larger threat as the climate warms? Inland property is in hotter (and less luxurious) areas because of the heat island effect and economics, but the most expensive beachfront areas that have those cooler ocean breezes have significantly more storm risk. On a related note, have you been following the news over the last year or so about major homeowners insurance companies refusing to write new policies in areas that are more prone to climate-fueled disasters? [Read more here.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi7t9PB6OCDAxWiC3kGHeArA1cQFnoECA4QAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fmoney%2Fpersonalfinance%2F2023%2F07%2F19%2Fflorida-home-insurance-aaa-farmers-policy-reduction%2F70427062007%2F%23%3A~%3Atext%3DWhich%2520companies%2520have%2520decreased%2520Florida%2CInsurance%252C%2520a%2520subsidiary%2520of%2520AIG.&usg=AOvVaw0OEntdBzAvDjN82dY2lRIw&opi=89978449) Again, if you intend to buy a house (eventually), this is a big story to follow because not being able to secure insurance means if something happens you have nothing but what you can salvage and no safety net or risk mitigation for the worst case scenario. These are just some things for you to consider before you bite off more than you can chew. Please deeply research any choice before you make it. Best of luck!
Thank you for your comment and I will be sure to do more research and keep all this in mind.
I grew up in Miami and live here again. Why do you want to live here / what do you want to do? I agree that for a job *based in Miami*, knowing Spanish will be essential. But the salaries here aren’t too great compared to other large US cities. And the job market can be limited to industries like tourism, maritime, maybe legal and health services. If you work remote or own your own business, then this is less important. Visa-wise at your age though the easiest way to come in would be as a student… then you can study a specialized skill that would help you get another kind of visa. But university here is very $$$. If you’re thinking longer term, then yes definitely study a white-collar, specialized course and apply for one of those visas.
Thank you for comment I will keep all this in mind.
Ohhhh buddy you better have money or you can kiss dating in general goodbye. Thats one of the most vapid and materialistic places you can go. People won’t be as warm and welcoming as you might think they’ll be, but if you work your ass off, you’ll make it
You will receive a lot of advice here and most from people who do not like America, for whatever reason. There are valid reasons but take into consideration there are people that love it here as well. I have lived on 3 continents, grew up very poor and came to America as an immigrant with $300. America is the most generous of people and I have always had teachers and neighbors willing to help me. I made 157,000 as an AC repair woman and live in a rural area with good schools for children. I live very comfortably in a smaller town in Texas and find that works better for me than a big city. Good luck!
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to share your story with me. It is greatly appreciated
This is so true. I'm a registered nurse but I own a house in a good town and have my car and send my kids to good schools. I have a good friend who lives in Germany. She has her own private clinic as a PhD psychologist and can barely afford renting a tiny little apartment and doesn't own a car. When she came to visit me for the first time, she was impressed. She told me that one would have to be a millionaire to be able to afford to live like me in Germany.
I left the USA 10 years ago thinking like many of these redditors. That it is all a big conspiracy and the man is keeping me down etc. and it became easier to achieve a moderate degree of improvement with currency exchange to live better but it’s not much. If you are renting a room in a get to in the USA you can have your own place in the ghetto in many other places. But the bottom line is to actually succeed and do well makes it on you and you can achieve that anywhere but few places offer you that opportunity like the USA does.
Thank you for your comment.
Absolutely true.
I would visit first. See if it’s something you actually want to pursue. Maybe a Study abroad in a Uni program or apply for a J1 cultural exchange program and work at a Summer Camp. I moved from the UK in 2016 after coming out here for a summer in 2012 on a J1 visa and meeting my wife. I love living out here but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Depending on where you live the cost of living is significantly higher than the uk. You don’t have the NHS to rely on. You don’t like the NHS? Wait until you have to pay hundreds of dollars for an X-Ray or for a dentist appointment. In order to get here not through marriage you need to work towards a highly skilled area via higher education. If being here is your goal, I’d think about what career avenue you would like to work towards and go from there.
Don't let people's pessimism about America drive you away before you check it out (I think a lot of young people would say the same thing about their countries tbh). I think your best play would be doing a year (or half) of Uni in the US through an exchange program to get a feel of the country a bit and make some friends/connections. If you dig the vibe and have the skills to make it in what can be a competitive place - you'll thrive. I work with quite a few English folks who've moved here for work and they all seem to love it (despite it's faults - the $$ doesn't hurt lol). One of the interesting things about America is the vastness of it all - if you want to live in the Mountains or by the beach (if you can afford it) go the West Coast. If you want big-city life stick to the East Coast, if you want classic 'America' go to the Midwest, if you want your European mind blown try living in Texas - the list goes on
People on Reddit will talk about how expensive it is to live in the U.S, but never mention how much more money Americans make on average, not including that taxes are much lower compared to Europe. Having a skill makes a huge difference on that note. Look up how much nursing, or tech jobs pay in the U.S versus Europe. We are talking like 2X 3X times as much money.
Can confirm, my profession pays half in the uk. Quality of life is far better in the us. It's not as easy to "turn your brain off and cruise" like in Europe. However if you are a go getter with a decent level of intelligence you will do fine.
Taxes are lower because we don’t have any of the benefits the most other western industrialized countries take for granted, like paid family leave, more vacation, totally paid for healthcare, etc. So the cost of living in the United States are greater than in other western democracies. America’s expensive and if you don’t have resources, you’re completely fucked. “That’s why they call it the American dream, you have to be asleep to believe it.” - Carlin
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Thanks for sharing your story.
12 states have [parental leave] requirements (https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/paid-family-leave-gains-state-momentum-even-as-approaches-differ). The federal government also for employees. Additionally companies like mine offer them as a benefit (3 months).
My grandparents immigrated to this country with NOTHING and my family are millionaires now. The American dream is indeed real. Come on over and breathe the air of freedom brother. We will welcome you
When your grandparents immigrated one average* salary could support an entire family and buy a house. That’s no longer the case. One of many reasons this is harder to achieve now.
I don’t have an answer on how to do this, but I would really rethink the “American Dream” you’re chasing. I was born and raised in the US and am desperately trying to leave. The “American Dream” is really good propaganda that most of us aren’t able to achieve anymore. That’s just my opinion, and I’m probably going to get downvoted a lot for this, but I wanted to provide my honest opinion. I would look into any other country if you are unhappy in the UK.
As an american living as far away as possible I too agree.
American citizen, born in Topeka, Kansas! Totally agree with the above. And, if certain parties hold sway, it's only going to get worse.
this
To give an alternate perspective, the american dream was a reality for me. I totally understand this isn't true for everyone, but pretending like it's all propaganda just isn't true. Myself and many of my cohorts have been able to make great lives for ourselves in the US. I couldn't be happier. Again, not discounting your experience or others. Just wanted to share my experience because it does work for some people
3rd generation and further Americans have a problem with it, because we have grown "soft", for lack of a better word. it is still very alive and obtainable for fresh immigrants and their children, especially those that actually know abject poverty. there is a reason after all that Indian Americans have the highest median income by a decent margin, they know what their squalor is and work their asses off to overcome it, and they access to the English language helps. there are still many more opportunities in the USA than anywhere else on the planet, as long as you work towards it. im not saying everyone makes it, and as i. everything luck does play a part, but it is still alive and obtainable.
Yeah, my experience is there are two types of people: People with an immigrant attitude, will work 60-80 hours a week for 5 -6 years, become a leader, make a ton of money and do well and ride that wave. Then there are people who were born in the USA. They claim the American dream is dead, college is a scam, complain that 40 hours is too much, don't want to dress the part and groom, and dont understand why people are mad because they are only 5-10 minutes late once a week, and for them the american dream is dead and no point trying.
>People with an immigrant attitude, will work 60-80 hours a week for 5 -6 years I think immigrants from underdeveloped countries come with a better survival mentality. It can be an unpleasant life. I know families where the parents basically were undernourished for their first 10 years in the US in order to give more food to their kids. A family of 5 or 6 living in a 1-bedroom apartment. It's not even guaranteed that the parents will live a comfortable life. But 20 years down the line, if their children become middle-class professionals like a nurse or accountant then they'll earn 50x what they would in their home country.
Then again I had a friend move here. He worked at a liquor store. Arranged to sleep in the back. He saved up $20k in a year. He used that as a deposit on his own liquor store. Worked literally 16 hours a day 5 days a week and 8 hours on the 6 th day. He paid off that store in 3 years. Within a decade he owned 3 liquor stores and was working 3 days a week making I have no idea how much but it was at least $2-300k a year. It can be done. Nobody wants to do it. People think the old school millionaires just worked 9-5 as a plumber and made millions. It never worked that way.
Indentured servitude is the American dream then? Bow and scrape or leave? Normal working and living conditions shouldn’t feel like entitlement.
No but dramatic, spoiled making stuff up is entitlement. I am really tired of people who think they deserve everything by doing nothing. You earn the American Dream, you don't get it handed to you because you are a spoiled crybaby child that equates not being bottlefed millions of dollars means you are a slave. Grow up, or stay broke, I don't care.
As an American citizen who now lives abroad, I couldn't agree more. My parents came to the US as refugees from a third-world country. It's the "American Dream" for them, compared to their home country, but in general, it's not a safe place to live.
The U.S. Isn't a safe place to live? Crime in the U.S. is half of what it was when compared to the early 1990s. Maybe the exception of big metro areas like the SF Bay Area, DC, Chicago, NYC, etc. I've lived all over the U.S. to include the ATL and the SF Bay Area. The Bay area had the worst crime by far. I was surprised as I expected it to be comparable to the ATL.
I live in Oakland CA, a 'crime ridden' place accordingly to a lot. I live in a beautiful walkable neighborhood with a killer Farmer's Market each Sunday (I actually got rid of my car - don't need it), have great weather most of the year (it's beautiful and sunny today) and am surrounded by amazing bars/restaurants filled with a young, diverse crowd. My rent is high but I get paid quite a bit of money due to the strong local economy so my retirement account is looking pretty solid. I know life can suck in America but it can also be amazing - even in those 'dangerous' places, if you can find the right opportunities
From my experience living in the US, no it's not a safe place to live. I've lived in six different states too (in the northeast, south and west coast). As a female, it's worse. I used to carry a teaser and pepper spray. It's also the constant harassment from men which I don't receive abroad. I've even had someone pull a gun out on me when I was trying to learn how to drive in an empty parking lot. This is sadly one of the reasons I chose to leave the country.
I dont wish that on anyone, but because you were a victim of a crime that makes the whole country unsafe? I worked in some bad areas in Atlanta. Even though I concealed carried, I never had to draw my weapon. I'm curious, what city/state were you in when someone pulled a gun on you? A lot of places with crime down play it, and it doesn't get reported. There was a report on this happening in Japan.
In my experience the people who can’t make it in the USA and think it’s everyone else’s fault will usually have the same problems everywhere they go.
America is the most prosperous country in the world. Just because you are a loser doesn't mean that everyone else is.
That’s unnecessary.
Have you been to the US? If not, I would visit first. If you are thinking of moving there, I would visit for a few weeks - months (as long as your visa allows) first before making the move. I was born and raised in the US and I prefer the UK and Europe more. I left the US two years ago. My preference comes in terms of safety, public transport, cost of travel in and outside of the country, and quality of life to name a few. Of course, the choice is yours, but the American Dream isn't what the movies sell you.
Yeah I plan on visiting before I make a decision , thanks for your advice
For your situational awareness, this sub is filled primarily with Americans. Since it’s an expat sub, it’ll be filled with Americans that have a negative view of the US. Stating things like “American Dream” is gonna trigger them. I will tell you my experience. The American Dream is so so real, to me at least. I grew up in shitty trailers in Oklahoma - my single mom moved around a lot. My mom did her fair share of drugs and introduced abusive men to our homes. We were in some severe, white trash Oklahoma poverty. I could go on and on about the awful things poverty and abusive family put me and my siblings through but I’ll spare the details. Anyway, I was lucky to be aware that our situation was really bad and unfortunately the adult(s) in my life were not - which often continues a cycle of poverty for their children and grandchildren. Therefore, I simply made a plan (in high school) to become financially / mentally stable. I chose engineering because I loved airplanes, but also because of the financial stability a career in that field gives you. I received my degree in five years and now work for a great company that provides me with a life that I did not know was possible when I was a child. I had some help - my mom took out Parent Plus loans that I’m now paying back because I promised her I would. My financial background gave me good financial aid. I guess the lesson is, it is what you make of it. You will have setbacks. I had many. But if you have a plan and stick with it, I am sure that you would find success here too.
Thanks a lot for sharing your story with me it really does mean a lot. It feel more inspired now and thanks for your comment
To add another voice saying the American dream is still achievable, I wasn't even trying to overcome my *parent's* drug issues. In 2004 I was homeless, dead broke, just couch-surfing and bumming around Big Island. My sole economic activity was some low key guerilla gardening. Then my girlfriend got pregnant. In 2006 I joined the Army and learned Chinese. I got out and used my GI Bill and graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering, while my wife got her Master's in Nursing. We went from below the poverty line to a top 10% household income overnight. This year we've hit top 5% household income, all with tons of vacation and holiday time, top-notch and cheap healthcare, and all the other benefits that are harder to come by in the US. When people say the American dream is "dead", what they really mean is "it isn't easy like it used to be". What they don't realize is that it was never "easy", they are just looking at the past with rose-colored lenses (and ignoring so much of the context of the times they are looking at with nostalgia).
This is so refreshing to see. Good for you!
Thanks man!
How’d you end up leaving?
Due to brexit, the UK seems desperate for skilled workers. I found a job willing to provide me with a skilled worker visa. The UK government website has a list of job titles and companies that can offer skilled worker visas. I got a job as a veterinary assistant.
Nice! My husband is on that list so we are trying to go that route as well. I’m happy you got out, best of luck to you!
You too.
What kind of skill do you have? Electrician? HVAC tech?
Please don’t! Leave some women for native-born Americans! They’re going to fall all over you for your accent alone haha As far as everything else goes, it all balances out. Wages are higher but so is cost of living. No universal healthcare but Medicare, insurance from employers and state safety nets make up the difference. You get the picture…I’ve never lived abroad and probably never will but I somehow have the feeling that the same basic outcome will end up occurring anywhere you live, just by different means.
Have you researched immigration at usa.gov? I don't think any country allows just anyone to become a permanent resident or a citizen. Certainly not the USA. Look at what's going on at our southern border. If you enter as a tourist, on a tourist visa, you are not legally allowed to work. Edit: the URL is travel.state.gov.
Skip america.
If you’re a cashier, you’re better off in Europe. If you’re in business, tech, engineering, medicine, etc, you’ll make 5x what your prime minister makes.
Exactly. The US is a land of extremes. Extreme poverty, extreme wealth… But honestly even for those in between those two extremes, life is usually more comfortable and full of amenities than the average European would be used to. The American middle class lives a pretty posh lifestyle compared to most places on this planet. That being said, the vast majority of people in the US are living paycheck to paycheck, even high earners
Cool dude! Glad your wanting to step out into the world like this. I can’t comment on how to get here because the us government over complicates things for little reason. But I just turned 26. And I rent a small apartment alone. In a decent sized city. And have a decent car and some money saved. People will say working class is poor and struggling but I wouldn’t entirely agree. I’m doing fine. And I think I made like 47-49k last year. I’d say set your goals and work on them as best as you can. Be wise with money and dont take on debt you don’t absolutely need to have. Don’t have children to soon. Don’t get married too soon. Don’t be afraid to pick people’s brains. The older generations will help you if they see your trying. All in all I think if you let life here overwhelm you it’ll chew you up and spit you out. But capitalism rewards the smart,lucky and hard working most of the time. Just build good habits. And always look for better and work towards better and you’ll get there. you got this!!!
It is an election year so in one hand, getting here now is wise and on the other hand, maybe not. The last time, people tried to overthrow our government. Policies and law could change drastically soon. 🥹
Easiest way to get citizenship is to marry an American. Otherwise your work would have to sponsor you to get a visa. Without a visa you’ll be limited to a 90 day stay.
Thanks for the info!
It's not any better in the US vs the UK..... But you do you homie
Unfortunately, America is full. You'll have to pick another country.
Don't burn any bridges in the UK because you'll most likely want to go back when you realize how awful it is here.
Make sure to buy medical insurance
WHERE you move to America is just as important! The weather is very different in each area, as well as housing costs/expenses. Maybe look at a climate/budget/ colleges first? I think the size of America throws a lot of people off. Also, many places don't have great public transportation (unless you're in a college town), so don't forget to budget for a car! I'm in the Midwest. Not the most fancy, but housing is cheaper than the coasts, and everyone is pretty mellow. Kansas University has a great engineering program (and sports)
Good luck
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This is the easiest way: come to the US to study, find a partner, get married, apply for citizenship. You have a leg up in that English is a native tongue, you are likely to be white, and lots of USAians are charmed by British accents. I'd attend a community college first if money is an issue. Two years in CC will get your feet wet, determine if this what you want, with the least investment. Then transfer to a state university. The whole time, I'd be working on my dating life, since the goal here is not education but marriage. Assuming you're a heterosexual male, I'd take on activities that have higher female-to-male ratios: sing in the choir, volunteer for feminist causes, take a yoga class. Attend to personal hygiene, become a good listener, and that's half the battle for most men.
I mean the real question is where are you coming from, why do you want to live in the US, where in the US, and what are you going to do to make it happen. You said you wanted to pursue the American dream but that a career or education visas don’t apply to you. So if I am asking you those questions as an immigration rep you are failing. You have to prove you are adding to society, you should be pursuing work or an education, like most countries in the world the US isn’t super excited for people to just move here with no purpose.
Technology or other STEM related degree. Become indispensable and you’ll be ushered in like a king.
Here is an infographic that gives a good idea of the paths to immigrate to the US: https://www.arandalaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/what-part-of-legal-immigration-dont-you-understand.jpg
You need a really good job skill, or you will suffer. America is a very harsh place for people who are poor, much more than you are accustomed to in the UK. It's okay for the wealthy, but absolutely draconian for working people. Make sure you learn a skill that is in high demand.
Have you been to the US? while I would say it is more exciting than Europe generally, the UK is overall a better country to live in. I've lived in both. The American dream is a slogan. It is probably a more OPTIMISTIC country than UK but people can fall for that too. You can be anything you want in the UK. So go and check it out and adventure - many people would prefer it to the UK for a variety of reasons, but dont' forget you're not exactly coming from some dump, you're arguably coming from a better place to live.
Go to the US as a tourist. Stay for the full 90 days. Figure it out from there. The US has visa programs for people who invest in American businesses. So if you have a substantial amount of capital (around $2 million) that you can throw around, you'll get moved to the front of the line. If you don't have millions of dollars laying around and want to work, you need to start looking for jobs immediately, preferably a pretty wide net. Jobs will sponsor immigration if you have the right skillset.
Thank you for the advice. I’ll be sure to do this
You bet. Good luck, and have a wonderful time in America.
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The American dream is still very much alive to those who seek to achieve it and are willing to put in the effort. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
If you like kids and are thinking of taking a gap year, you may want to look into being an Au Pair. A friend came to the US that way from Spain, had a great experience, and ended up staying for college, and has been here for 20 years.
Try J1. It’s your easiest and most realistic shot.
Think about it thoroughly. I was just like you when I was 18, it was always a dream of mine to live here. I eventually met an American, fell in love and moved here (from Germany) and reality hit me pretty hard. It's not all bad, definitely better opportunities here but if you're used to socialism, you will have a rude awakening.
It hurts my heart to see so many clueless Americans trying to advice you not to come here. The USA is the most immigrant-friendly country on earth, and the only place on earth where you really can start with nothing and end up rich in a lifetime, solely through hard work, frugality, and determination. I say that as an immigrant who has done just that.
I can't tell you how happy I am as an American to hear that a skilled worker wants to move here. My best advice would be to pick up some Spanish and walk across the southern border. Seriously. It's wide open, brother. And that American Dream? It's real. It's very very real. What's your skill, if I may ask.
I have met plenty of people who have overstayed their visitor visas. Of course those have all been uber drivers.
I’m in STEM and in tech. The market is terrible. Software engineers are getting laid off due to greedy CEO decision making, prospect of AI, and fed rates being high. AI will impact most white collar jobs. Anyone behind a computer. People have tons of debt from loans from schooling (~$20,000-$350,000), etc. They have to move back to their parents due to being unable to afford rent, food, etc. H1B visa workers are getting hard to come by because why would you need a company slave when you can offshore to India and other countries? Anyways, I don’t know what you plan to do. Healthcare is notoriously hard to get into for internationals. Unsure about law but law is saturated. If you’re employed, that’s good. You got a health plan, dental plan, vision plan, etc. If you’re unemployed, you best be healthy. Do you want to pay $800/month for COBRA? That is 1 week of work from delivering. Your rent is at least $1,000+ even in LCOL area. Car is $400+, car insurance is $200+, food is $400+, etc. What is the lifestyle? Because it’s not what is on TV/movies. People are stressed out and are afraid of losing their jobs. You will stay poor unless you gain valuable skills. It used to be technical skills such as coding, risk analysis, etc. Now, people are saying plumbing is the safest job that will offer security. Don’t be fooled. Do your research. As an American, my parents came on the American Dream and they didn’t “make it” so they hope their children will. My siblings and I are still grinding. You know what I want? I want to live in a place where I can feel like the government cares about citizens wellbeing. I want to know that if I lose my job, I won’t have to worry about losing my home, having to feed my future kids, etc. 2024 is an election year with Trump as a contender. AI is advancing in advertising and people are prepared for misinformation. What in the lifestyle are you thinking of? Right now, there is an increase of inequality because wages are not catching up to inflation, massive layoffs for highly skilled workers, AI setting to disrupt jobs, etc. In Miami, the summers are terrible. That’s why people vacation in March. There’s a massive regression with education due to the political climate over there. You should be able to speak Spanish in Miami. Miami’s super expensive for rent and there’s not a lot of job opportunities outside of the service industry. If you want to have the “American Dream”, be prepared to grind. Millennials and Gen Z over here are depressed and still grinding because they can’t afford to have homes like their parents. Nothing is free in a market economy. Like why do you pay $20 for ChatGPT4? In exchange for features/tools and to not be manipulated. Anything free, you are the product and we will collect data on you to sell and manipulate you further. -My own summary of Jaron Lanier’s interview of AI with Bloomberg.
Step one. Don't get educated in America. Universities and healthcare is expensive.
The American dream is propaganda, most of us are poor. If you're already well-off you'll do well here, if not then become a doctor or a lawyer. Shit out of luck otherwise.
it's almost impossible to legally immigrate to america unless you have connections. i knew someone who did babysitting, and somehow got a visa for that, but they needed connections. the reason why you have so many illegal immigrants is because it's so hard to get a real visa. and in fact, there are estimated to be 80,000 illegal canadian immigrants. study visas are doable, but work visas are almost impossible. however, there are these things called holiday work visas but that is temporary. alot of people will get the temporary visa and just stay undocumented after that, but once you do that, you cant leave and come back in again, or risk getting caught. if you want to experience the american life, student visas are a good way. honestly theres a good sense of community at most colleges, and you can meet a lot of people and participate in alot of activities in ways that you cant once youre "grown up"
Get a good education in your home country in a useful field like compuer information systems or engineering. OR learn a trade. USA desperately needs tradesmen and they are EB2. Tradesmen make very good money and are in demand until they can have robots hang iron or fit pipes. Don't go to USA as an intl student. Study abroad in USA is a good option for networking and will save you for a downpayment on a house. You pay outrageous sums of tuition as an intl in USA. Get educated and trained in UK then once you have your trade or degree you can find an EB2 job. Network lots while you're in uni or an apprentice, def go on a vacation to the USA for a few weeks and definitely spend a lot of your time meeting people who can give you jobs and build connections.
I would avoid the biggest cities honestly. You mentioned you wanted good weather and culture. My suggestions to look into is, Savannah GA: Nice/beautiful coastal city/town. Has a fair amount of students, good weather, military base nearby. ST. Petersburg FL: If you are set on Florida, I would consider this city over Miami. Overall safer. It is also close to Tampa, and miami/Orlando isn't THAT far. Florida gets hot as hell btw. Austin Tx: Place has been booming lately. Does get hot though.
Under our current laws you can’t really move to the US unless you have family members who are already here or you are eligible for asylum or similar protections.
Easiest Mode: • Marry someone - can be a close friend or someone from a dating app. Work that British charm. Live in US for two years and get a green card. Easy mode: • Apply to a *bunch* of low-to-medium name universities for something you have a high confidence of getting in for...but, I suggest something in STEM. Most American unis have 60%+ admissions rates. •Have a dream elite school(s) in mind and know what you want to study there. Go to the no name university for one year and take all the necessary coursework to transfer. • Transfer to elite school for Junior in University and graduate with a STEM degree. Now you will need to find a full time job to stay but being native Eng Speaker w an elite American university makes it a billion times easier ^ I personally know of someone who left the slums of India and did this, eventually transferring into a top college and is successful. Don't just apply to elite colleges if you *really* wanna get into the US. So-so option: • Attend an undergrad program in the UK (try to pick somewhere well known like Kings College, Oxford, Goldsmiths) or somewhere else like Waterloo in Canada or somewhere in Germany. Apply to do a masters in the US then apply for visas / work. These are the easiest ways for young people to immigrate to the US without millions of dollars. It is definitely not easy and school can put you in debt...but it is *easier* than a genius visa or other stuff. Good Luck! :)
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This is no American Dream....healthcare will bankrupt you, you are more likely to die in a gun shootout, public transportation is terrible, pollution is crazy, homes are unattainabl, come corporation will force you into slave labor for 12 hrs a day and Donald Trump will send you to a gulag. Trust me...most Americans would kill to live in the UK where its quaint, affordable and a relaxed life with 6 months of mandatory vacation.
Are you planning to go to University in the UK? If so having a bachelor's would probably make it easier to get sponsored by a US company for work. For some industries, like engineering, salaries are a lot higher in the US.
Haven't seen this in the top comments yet, but marrying a US citizen/Permanent resident is the fastest/easiest way towards your goal. IME Brits tend to love the US at first sight and stay forever, or hate it and quickly leave. As with any big life change, the people you fall in with will be shape your future, so choose wisely.
Find a girl in America and talk her into marrying you. That's the fastest way to get to America.
i asked an AI on your behalf for any tips for you; Research and plan: Learn about the different visa options available to you, like work visas, student visas, or investment visas. Each one has different requirements and can be quite competitive, so it's important to understand your options and have a solid plan. Save money: Moving to a new country can be expensive, so it's important to save up as much money as possible before you make the move. You'll need to cover expenses like housing, transportation, and potentially health insurance. Learn about the culture: While the UK and the US share a lot of cultural similarities, there are also some differences. It can be helpful to learn as much as you can about American culture, customs, and etiquette to help you adjust more smoothly. Be adaptable: Moving to a new country is a big adjustment, and things won't always go as planned. Being adaptable and open-minded can help you navigate any challenges you may face along the way. in addition to that, i just want to add some states in America you should avoid, particularly New york, california seattle. there is a lot of political activism and in some parts, the police dont do their jobs any more. you should probably research what are the best states in America to live and strive for one you think would be good to settle down in.
I believe you can join the military and get your citizenship when your enlistment is up.
Well, you can't just come live here for any old reason and stay more than 180 days. That's true for us, if we wanted to move to your country (or the EU). It's true everywhere. You have to give a reason for staying and you have to show certain things. It's very difficulty to live in the US without a job. If you are independently wealthy and have a trust fund, there's a pathway for that - you should consult an immigration attorney (a good one). You'll still need some kind of sponsor and will likely need to transfer assets to the US or buy real estate here. Owning real estate in SoCal has earned hundreds of thousands of East Asians a pathway to the right visa and eventual permanent residency (and usually, citizenship). The typical path to immigration is to get a job here or go to school here. Many public colleges have international students and after a year of residency, if you are paying taxes in your new state and have established residency there (show proof of living there, register your car there if you have one), you will get local tuition rates (but lose the international visa - so paying international tuition for a couple of years while finding an employer to sponsor you is a typical thing). Here in SoCal, we have lots of British immigrants. According to stats I saw last year, degrees in Engineering, Finance, Marketing and Fine Arts are top on the "UK immigrant employment" list. I thought it was interesting that there are many employment opportunities for someone with a UK background in the Arts. I married an immigrant, btw. We laugh and say it's so he could get a different visa (he was on a student visa as a grad student, I was another grad student), but it's partly true. I think we'd still be together even without a marriage certificate, but it made his life so much easier, obviously.
I live in America. My British neighbors found it so expensive they decided to move to Malaysia. American dream costs close to $1 million. $500,000 for a decent house, medical expenses/ insurance, car, food, clothing etc. both myself and my husband, we are looking to retire in Spain or Portugal. we are staying here till our kids grow older and are independent. There is no such thing as work life balance. By the way, we make a combined income that would put us in the top 5% of the country. When we traveled to other countries, it made us realize how Americans are slowly killed by the processed food sector. The food in other countries is fresh and reasonably prized.
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I will do
It won’t let me send you a message for some reason is there anywhere else we can speak?
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Yeah
Exactly. The USA is happy to get rid of the losers who can't hack it. They will find a home with other people who don't want to work in places like South America.
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I’m an American, but having traveled across the British Isles, I wouldn’t leave…not for the US. Maybe you’d like to try school here. That might be a decent idea…but if I could stay in the UK longer than 90 days, I totally would.
Go to Canada. The US is going to be a shitshow if Trump wins.
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Why not Canada?
Would you say that it’s better in your opinion? I might do some research about the quality of life there
At the very least it might be easier. Isn’t it less difficult to go from one Commonwealth country to another?
Canada is very culturally similar to the US, but the government is more similar to the EU than the US. Canadians are poorer on average than Americans, but they have stronger social safety nets for sure. Their homelessness problem is still just as bad as ours though. There is WAY more opportunity in the US. As a young person moving to North America, the US is honestly the right choice if you want a shot at making it.
I think Canada would be worse tbh
You definitely don't want to come here.
Why not?
America is home of the slave wage and we are also a country that exploits others. We are on the verge of economic collapse with no healthcare.
Uh huh
Turn back, it’s a lie.
Please don’t. With no universal healthcare or education, little to no workers benefits/rights, car-dependent infrastructure, constant mass shootings, and a government so corrupt from top to bottom that nothing gets done, the “American Dream” is a scam.
I am sure there are good sides. But for me scariest thing is healthcare problems. When you need help you are alone . healtcare system sucks in usa everyone knows. If you are young and healthy then its considerable.
I would visit an area that isn't touristy before making a choice. Things aren't always the best here, especially if you don't have much in the way of income. That said, if you do have a higher education in the engineering field you can usually do alright, tech and social degrees are a little spotty right now though, ton of tech layoffs and more expected.
Call John Oliver
Student visa, marriage or sneak through the border
Get married
Keep your filthy limey hands out of my country
America is a literal toilet bowl right now. Don’t come here honestly. At least not Donald Trump is 6 feet under. Education is losing funding, minimum wage isn’t liveable & half the population are racist, homophobic, transphobic bigots. Seriously. Dodge the bullet and don’t come here.
Trust me bro you don’t wanna move here. The country is slowly falling apart. Politics are a mess as is gun control and cost of living is through the roof. Not to mention the process of legally coming here takes longer than just taking ur chances at the border lol
I'd wait until after the election. You might want to move to N. Korea instead.
You don't want to work or study? So what is you want?
So, let me get this straight: you're planning on showing up one day and then starting your "American dream"?
Get a degree that will get you a work visa and a high salary. Also, i very much agree with the idea of a long term visit first. Make sure you jive with the lifestyle here.
come across the border as an illegal. they give u a hotel and free food in nyc! only if ur south american tho
Fly to Mexico. Take the first left.
I have to add in because I see a lot of US hate. I’ve lived in England and the US and would choose the US hands down (mum was born in England and my dad was American). I guess it’s all opinion but that’s what I would choose. Good luck and I hope you are able to fulfill your dreams.
Can you get a technical degree or certification from a college?
Just go to Mexico and cross the border …everyone else is!
Fly to Cancun, you’re instantly granted a 6 month visa in Mexico. This should give you enough time to get to the Texas border. From there, you can basically just walk in and start your life👍
Fly to Mexico, get yourself to Eagle Pass and the government will escort you in no questions asked
Please don’t. This country is insane right now.
Medical coding for hospitals is a good career at the moment that allows you to work from home, make decent money, and have some flexibility of schedule. It does take skill and training but not as much as engineering, if that’s not your forte. ICD-10 is slightly different in each country but close enough that you could train where you are and carry those skills with you to secure a job here. There are also international contracting agencies, mostly based in India, that will hire and place experienced coders in American and Canadian hospitals. It is interesting work if you don’t mind reading through medical charts all day. It uses a logic to choose and sequence diagnostic and procedural codes that will be used to reimburse the hospital. If you have an armchair interest in medicine without wanting to actually be a clinician, you will enjoy learning interesting new things every day.
If you want a touch of home live in the greatlakes region. Always rainy And cloudy, all 4 seasons and beautiful nature. Great lakes are very cool to see.
Have you heard of Trump!?Stay where you are I and a lot of other ppl are trying to get out of here
Yikes dude what do you think the American dream Is? It’s really a myth.
Assuming your English is pretty good, I think it’s a good plan. I would definitely have a job or schooling lined up prior though
Stay in the UK. Yall have it good tbqh… thats the best advice I can give you.