Immigration

[stubby42]

So I was wondering if anyone else is in the position I'm in and attempting to immigrate to another country?

I thought we could share our expereiences and or woes.

I'm 21 years old and I live in the UK, last year I went on an exchange program to regina sasketchewan (I know, but my uni only had one connection with a canadian uni and there was too much demand for the american ones) and I loved it, I made really good friends and I want to spend a good portion (I dont want to say rest of my life because thats a long time) in canada.

I came back to the uk did another semester of university but applied for internships at film companies in regina and managed to come back on a working holiday visa and lifes treating me pretty well I'm just having money difficuluties but thats to be expected.

the next step is to come back paid on another work visa and hopefully after that I can move myself up to an imigration visa of some description.

Its just a very wierd time in my life right now, I spend half the year in canada and the other half in the UK, its very difficult to plan for things because my life has to be focused on getting back to canada (working part time jobs I barely make enough money for the plane tickets) and I always find myself looking at nice things, badly wanting to buy them but knowing I cant.

For example I'd like to buy a tv and a games console, if I wasnt buying plane tickets I could afford it the up shot is anything I buy in the UK I have to sell when I get to canada, big things are just out of the question.

I know its stupid and I should be trying to establish a career in the UK then trying to move out here (to get a professional visa you have to earn a certain amount of points and if you have a few years working in an industry it helps alot) but my heart isnt in the UK , that and it is easier to establish yourself in another country without morgatges and kids.

I'm not expecting to meet anyone thats my age and doing a similar thing to me because I know its quite rare but I would like to hear from other people that are imigrating or have done so.

[Hari Michiru]

You could try to apply for the Working Visa thingy. I heard you need to full time for a year before you can apply for citizenship. One of my mom's friends is doing that.

In Canada, of course. xD

[mg1942]

Try USA. Just skip California and New York for now. Go to a states like Nevada, Colorado, or Alaska where it's easier and faster to obtain Permanent Residence Card (also known as 'Green Card').

Spoiler for Permanent visas:

USA IMMIGRATION VISAS

Immigrants to the United States are divided into two categories:

(I) those who may obtain permanent residence status without numerical limitation, and

(II) those subject to an annual limitation. The latter category is further divided into

(A) family-sponsored,
(B) employment-based, and
(C) diversity immigrants.

I. UNLIMITED IMMIGRANTS

A. Immediate Relatives: The spouse, widow(er) and minor unmarried children of a United States citizen, and the parents of a United States citizen who is 21 or older.

B. Returning Residents: Previous U.S. lawful permanent residents who are returning to the U.S. after a stay of more than one year abroad.


II. LIMITED IMMIGRANTS

Subject to certain transitional laws, immigration into the United States beginning in 1995 will be limited to 675,000 persons per year. That figure is divided into three distinct sub-categories.


A. USA Family-Based Immigration Visas

Preference relatives may receive all of the visas not used by Immediate Relatives, but no less than 226,000 visas per year. Family-based preference categories (with minimum limits in parentheses) include:

1. First Preference: Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and children if any. (23,400)

2. Second Preference: Spouses, children, and unmarried sons and daughters of lawful permanent resident aliens. (114,200)

3. Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and children. (23,400)

4. Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and children, provided the U.S. citizens are over 20. (65,000)


B. USA Employment-Based Immigration Visas

A total minimum of 140,000 immigrant visas yearly are available for this category which is divided into five preference groups (percent of yearly limit):

1. Priority Workers: Persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; outstanding professors and researchers; and certain multinational executives and managers (28.6%).

2. Members of the Professions: Professionals holding advanced degrees, and persons of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, and business (28.6%).

3. Professionals, Skilled and Unskilled Workers: Professionals holding baccalaureate degrees, skilled workers with at least two years experience, and other workers whose skills are in short supply in the United States (28.6%).

4. Special Immigrants: Certain religious workers, ministers of religion, certain international organization employees and their immediate family members, and qualified, recommended current and former U.S. Government employees. (7.1%).

5. Investors: Persons who create employment for at least ten unrelated persons by investing capital in a new commercial enterprise in the United States. The minimum capital required is between $500,000 and $1,000,000, depending on the employment rate in the geographic area (7.1%).


C. USA Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery (USA Green Card Lottery)

The Diversity Lottery makes available a maximum of 55,000 immigrant visa numbers annually to persons selected at random from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. There is a separate registration for each year's visas. Information on registration for the lottery is announced each year by the State Department.


APPLYING FOR THE VISAS

Certain applicants such as priority workers, investors, certain special immigrants, and diversity immigrants can petition on their own behalf. All others must have a relative or potential employer petition for them.

Applicants for family-sponsored immigrant visas should request the U.S. citizen relative to file a petition Form I-130 with the nearest USCIS. In some cases, if the U.S. citizen is residing abroad, he or she may file the petition with a consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Applicants for employment-based immigrant visas may require an approved petition Form I-140 from the USCIS. Priority workers may petition on their own behalf with the USCIS, while others must have their prospective employers file the petitions. Prior to filing a petition with the USCIS, members of the profession, professionals, skilled and unskilled workers, must obtain certifications from the Department of Labor that there are no qualified workers available for the proposed employment in the U.S.

Special immigrant returning residents and U.S. Government employees must apply to the Secretary of State through a U.S. consular office abroad. All other special immigrants must file the I-360 petition with USCIS.

An investor must file a Form-I-526 petition with the USCIS.

Diversity immigrants must file an application with the U.S. Department of State. Information on registration will be announced each year by the State Department.

The State Department will advise the beneficiary of the petition (the applicant for a visa) when it is received from the approving office. The visa applicant will receive further instructions at that time.


VISA INELIGIBILITY/WAIVER

The immigration laws of the United States, in order to protect the health, welfare, and security of the U.S., prohibit visa issuance to certain applicants. This includes persons who have a communicable disease such as tuberculosis, or have a dangerous physical or mental disorder, or are drug addicts; have committed serious criminal acts, including crimes involving moral turpitude, drug trafficking, and prostitution or procuring; are terrorists, subversives, members of a totalitarian party or former Nazi war criminals; are likely to become public charges in the U. S.; have used fraud or other illegal means to enter the U.S.; or are ineligible for citizenship. Some former exchange visitors must live abroad 2 years. Physicians who intend to practice medicine must pass a qualifying exam before receiving immigrant visas.

If any of the above restrictions might apply, then a statement regarding the facts should be submitted to the consular officer, who will advise the applicant if the law provides for some form of waiver.


http://www.how2immigrate.net/usa/permanent-visa.html

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by mg1942

Try USA. Just skip California and New York for now. Go to a states like Nevada, Colorado, or Alaska where it's easier and faster to obtain Permanent Residence Card (also known as 'Green Card').

Spoiler for Permanent visas:

USA IMMIGRATION VISAS

Immigrants to the United States are divided into two categories:

(I) those who may obtain permanent residence status without numerical limitation, and

(II) those subject to an annual limitation. The latter category is further divided into

(A) family-sponsored,
(B) employment-based, and
(C) diversity immigrants.

I. UNLIMITED IMMIGRANTS

A. Immediate Relatives: The spouse, widow(er) and minor unmarried children of a United States citizen, and the parents of a United States citizen who is 21 or older.

B. Returning Residents: Previous U.S. lawful permanent residents who are returning to the U.S. after a stay of more than one year abroad.


II. LIMITED IMMIGRANTS

Subject to certain transitional laws, immigration into the United States beginning in 1995 will be limited to 675,000 persons per year. That figure is divided into three distinct sub-categories.


A. USA Family-Based Immigration Visas

Preference relatives may receive all of the visas not used by Immediate Relatives, but no less than 226,000 visas per year. Family-based preference categories (with minimum limits in parentheses) include:

1. First Preference: Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and children if any. (23,400)

2. Second Preference: Spouses, children, and unmarried sons and daughters of lawful permanent resident aliens. (114,200)

3. Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and children. (23,400)

4. Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and children, provided the U.S. citizens are over 20. (65,000)


B. USA Employment-Based Immigration Visas

A total minimum of 140,000 immigrant visas yearly are available for this category which is divided into five preference groups (percent of yearly limit):

1. Priority Workers: Persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; outstanding professors and researchers; and certain multinational executives and managers (28.6%).

2. Members of the Professions: Professionals holding advanced degrees, and persons of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, and business (28.6%).

3. Professionals, Skilled and Unskilled Workers: Professionals holding baccalaureate degrees, skilled workers with at least two years experience, and other workers whose skills are in short supply in the United States (28.6%).

4. Special Immigrants: Certain religious workers, ministers of religion, certain international organization employees and their immediate family members, and qualified, recommended current and former U.S. Government employees. (7.1%).

5. Investors: Persons who create employment for at least ten unrelated persons by investing capital in a new commercial enterprise in the United States. The minimum capital required is between $500,000 and $1,000,000, depending on the employment rate in the geographic area (7.1%).


C. USA Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery (USA Green Card Lottery)

The Diversity Lottery makes available a maximum of 55,000 immigrant visa numbers annually to persons selected at random from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. There is a separate registration for each year's visas. Information on registration for the lottery is announced each year by the State Department.


APPLYING FOR THE VISAS

Certain applicants such as priority workers, investors, certain special immigrants, and diversity immigrants can petition on their own behalf. All others must have a relative or potential employer petition for them.

Applicants for family-sponsored immigrant visas should request the U.S. citizen relative to file a petition Form I-130 with the nearest USCIS. In some cases, if the U.S. citizen is residing abroad, he or she may file the petition with a consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Applicants for employment-based immigrant visas may require an approved petition Form I-140 from the USCIS. Priority workers may petition on their own behalf with the USCIS, while others must have their prospective employers file the petitions. Prior to filing a petition with the USCIS, members of the profession, professionals, skilled and unskilled workers, must obtain certifications from the Department of Labor that there are no qualified workers available for the proposed employment in the U.S.

Special immigrant returning residents and U.S. Government employees must apply to the Secretary of State through a U.S. consular office abroad. All other special immigrants must file the I-360 petition with USCIS.

An investor must file a Form-I-526 petition with the USCIS.

Diversity immigrants must file an application with the U.S. Department of State. Information on registration will be announced each year by the State Department.

The State Department will advise the beneficiary of the petition (the applicant for a visa) when it is received from the approving office. The visa applicant will receive further instructions at that time.


VISA INELIGIBILITY/WAIVER

The immigration laws of the United States, in order to protect the health, welfare, and security of the U.S., prohibit visa issuance to certain applicants. This includes persons who have a communicable disease such as tuberculosis, or have a dangerous physical or mental disorder, or are drug addicts; have committed serious criminal acts, including crimes involving moral turpitude, drug trafficking, and prostitution or procuring; are terrorists, subversives, members of a totalitarian party or former Nazi war criminals; are likely to become public charges in the U. S.; have used fraud or other illegal means to enter the U.S.; or are ineligible for citizenship. Some former exchange visitors must live abroad 2 years. Physicians who intend to practice medicine must pass a qualifying exam before receiving immigrant visas.

If any of the above restrictions might apply, then a statement regarding the facts should be submitted to the consular officer, who will advise the applicant if the law provides for some form of waiver.


http://www.how2immigrate.net/usa/permanent-visa.html

...
is like the worst place to apply for any form of visas, your application rules are insane ><;;;
I had to help out a guy fill in a form online at work, and he needed to upload his picuture.
They got this "picture validation" link, where u check if it meets the requirements.
Sounds nice right, until you find out that it never meets the requirements.
In his case, he took a normal passport sized picture, right format, plain bg, no smiling, correct head and shoulders dimensions.
What was the issue?
It was "too small" - it needed to be 600x600.
And im standing there thinking 'an average picture is 640x480 (too small), dimensions after that aren't that of a bloody square. Even if i cropped it on photoshop, we'd have to try to get the head and shoulders position correct.
*shakes her head*
Just a headache...
Hell, even for a "visa waiver program" just to visit is already a headache when you book the tickets and have to fill in all sorts before you even board a plane (and then the usual cards to fill in at the plane)
And of course the fingerprinting/picture taking and lovely interview from immgration that makes you think "why am i even bothering to come here for a holiday? Seriously..."
- And of course the lovely US are "amending" their rules for visa waiver program come 2009 for "safety";
i more or less told my family/friends, um sorry, you're really gonna have to give me a good reason to come over post '09 cause your immigration peeps are making this too easy to just visit other countries who are more open for tourism and less paranoid in addition.
And don't even get me started on how airport security measures don't stay in the bloody airport, especially in NY, it kinda ruined the tourist trap areas for me (places locals rarely visit), even DC was less strict, surprisngly so O.o
And the bastard puffer machines? Don't even get me started. -.-
(and do you know how bizzare it is to have to bring my passport along to buy 1 drink at a bar, when i've been buying drinks for 4 years without any form of ID?) xD

Angry, bitter tourist?
Not at all, really, I love America, honestly.
I'm just glad to have done my globetrotting of the continent when I have, cause it's only getting worse to enter there. My cousin works for think you guys call it 'social welfare' in the Bronx, so i spent a day in the office with her and her colleagues and one invited me to her home to discuss the prospects of immigrating for work and so on.
In short, post 9/11 - it's become virtually imposs (perhaps for NY more so than other states)
But it is extremely difficult and we'd probably need a good dose of capital or a very kind company to really go out to sponsor you and cut the red tape on your behalf.

A mate keeps on telling me 'marry me' (tho i think he's semi serious sometimes) - guess that would technically be an easy way to get a US visa.
(he's in the Bay area in Cali ironically enough, lol. But what are we gonna do in nevada, or alaska to prove to them that we wanna work and live there of all places?) x.x

UK is probably getting just as bad too, i know immigration are getting real arsey about chasing illegal peeps out, so not sure how kind they are about letting genuine peeps in either lately...

Anyways any point to the rant of a foriegner, lol.
Basically thoroughly check out the proceedure and costs (esp costs) needed to apply to each new country you wanna emigrate to. Hop on embassy websites and get researching. Not just the rules states on the site, but call around and visit forums of people who have entered (within last 3 months, things change all the damn time) and seek advice from them about how to make your process as smooth as poss.

[Hari Michiru]

Originally Posted by Mystique

A mate keeps on telling me 'marry me' (tho i think he's semi serious sometimes) - guess that would technically be an easy way to get a US visa.

Yup, you can marry him, immigrate, then divorce him after a year. Everyone does that. XD

[stubby42]

One of the reasons I gave up on the USA was because its extremely difficult to get into the country because with most types of work visa's you need a sponsor (even if your just there for a year) and its tough to find a company to do it.

Honnestly though I've spent quite a bit of time in the USA and its nice but the majority of the places I've been I wouldnt want to live, chicago was the only city I liked enough to want to live there.

Canada's far better for me because of the friends I've made, were all film and photography kids, we do long boarding skiing and snowboarding photography/films alot and eventually were going to have our own company.

I dont really want to live in regina sk, but its easier for me to get a start their because I'm with a company who might give me more work and all my friends are here and there in school for another two years (some longer) after that I'll move out to alberta.

[Kaze]

Originally Posted by stubby42

One of the reasons I gave up on the USA was because its extremely difficult to get into the country because with most types of work visa's you need a sponsor (even if your just there for a year) and its tough to find a company to do it.

Honnestly though I've spent quite a bit of time in the USA and its nice but the majority of the places I've been I wouldnt want to live, chicago was the only city I liked enough to want to live there.

Canada's far better for me because of the friends I've made, were all film and photography kids, we do long boarding skiing and snowboarding photography/films alot and eventually were going to have our own company.

I dont really want to live in regina sk, but its easier for me to get a start their because I'm with a company who might give me more work and all my friends are here and there in school for another two years (some longer) after that I'll move out to alberta.

I guess I'd be a lucky guy in your eyes, <-- Born Canadian, got "auto-canadianized"
I have to agree, getting in the US as a foreigner is very hard.
Last time I went over the border, they didn't give me any extra trouble though, just the regular annoyances.

I'm glad you like it in Canada!

To be really honest,
I don't understand most people over there, everybody who walks outside only wears a short, T-shirt and slippers, and if they are risk takers, a cap.
Guess living in Europe shook my sense of clothing off balance
It only looks like that in summers though, I don't get to spend my winters there (I miss my snow )

But I must say, the Canadians are the friendliest people I have ever met, waaay more friendly than most Europeans, I wouldn't mind moving back and live with my relatives back in Ontario.

I also wanted to wish you luck on your quest, It always gives a good feeling when somebody is trying really hard to work for something, and as a fellow Canadian, I wanted to give you my support in your plans.
It's a great country, one day I'll go back, I definitely will.

[stubby42]

Anyone with dual citizenship are extremely lucky, I have a friend who has the opposite of you, he's british born but spent most of his life in canada.

Peoples sense of clothing here is extremely off, its getting cold now and their still walking around in shorts and tee shirts and I'm wrapped up in a winter jacket, I mean hell it snowed yesterday and people are still dressed in normal clothes today.



Thanks for your support it means alot, canada' an amazing country and in the few months I've been here its given me way more opertunities than the uk ever has, dont get me wrong my uk friends are nice and I miss them but if I were in the UK I'd just end up working for a company, I'd never see the world and I'd never try to make it on my own but most of all I wouldnt be happy and I probably wouldnt know what I was missing.

[Ending]

So I was wondering if anyone else is in the position I'm in and attempting to immigrate to another country?

Yes. I graduated about two years ago and got a good job from the career I like: IT and communications. It's also a career several countries have in their "shortage" list of skilled immigrants, which means that I get easy points towards my permanent residence. The country in question is New Zealand.

In my case, all I gotta do is get there, find a job, and apply. There's a nice bonus that comes with NZ citizenship: it also grants you full rights in Australia, so a finnish-NZ dual-citizenship grants you a full access to three areas (EU, NZ, Aus). Hopefully I can make my move in two or three years.

[stubby42]

Oh wow thats amazing mate, the best of luck to you and props for not going for the USA.