Canadian wants to be in the US

[cookiedunk]

Hi...

I am a Canadian and would like to live in the states with my boyfriend. What's the easiest method? I work in a professional field and could get a job using an NT visa, but it seems so hard to get a job while in Canada.

Could I go on a tourist Visa for awhile to check out the area and make contacts while I'm there? How long can a Canadian stay in the states without a visa? With a visa? Thanks a lot. This is such a difficult process, it really is.

[CanuckAbroad]

I can't really offer too much advice, as I've never lived in the states - But I know the job search sites in the Work Abroad section of this website (http://www.canuckabroad.com/overseasjobs/overseasjobs.shtml) have tonnes of jobs listed in the US. I think your best bet is to just apply to everyone that meets your criteriea (and even some that don't...yiou never know) and hopefully you'll get lucky.

As far as visa issues, perhaps one of the other members of the forum can offer you some advice.

Where in the US are you planning to move?

Good luck,
Matt

[SoCalCanuck]

This link takes you to a yahoo group that SPECIFICALLY deals with immigration issues for canadians moving to the US.

It is moderated by a couple Canadian Immigration Lawyers who will give free advice.

If you are in the medical field, its really easy to get a work visa.

My experience (my wife is American) is that if you are planning to get married, do the fiance visa thing, don't wait until you are married and do the married visa thing. Best bet is to go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CaliforniaCanadians/ and ask there

[sheds]

if you can afford to come to the U.S without working initially (maybe you know someone you can stay with), you can enter the U.S for a max of 180 days (6 months) as a visitor, you dont need a visa....you could look for work then. get travel insurance though...i went through Blue Cross and it cost me about 425.00 for 6 months worth...if you dont use it all, you can get refunded on the days you didnt need it.

[Beverley]

I opted not to go with the fiancee visa and rather come to the US knowing i can stay for 6 months. Does anyone have some advise as to how to look for work, knowing that i don't have the appropriate SSN or temp. working visa. How do employers view this? I have considerable experience in Restaurant Management and gave up an excellent career in Canada to be with my boyfriend in Texas. I know that employers can "sponser" employees to come to the US to work, but what happens when I am already living here?

[lisab]

[quote="Beverley"] Does anyone have some advise as to how to look for work, knowing that i don't have the appropriate SSN or temp. working visa. How do employers view this? I have considerable experience in Restaurant Management I know that employers can "sponser" employees to come to the US to work, but what happens when I am already living here?[/quote]

You look for a job the same way you would if you were in Canada keeping this in mind: your job HAS to require your professional (usually technical degree) to qualify for a TN visa. If this is the case then you apply for the job and when the company offers it to you, you go back to Canada and cross back into the US, going through immigration to get your TN visa (if all goes well). If you want a longer term visa (H1B) then the company has to do it for you. If they don't know how/don't want to, there isn't much you can do about it. For them to get an H1B visa they have to jump through a lot of hoops, including advertising the position and interviewing any possible candidates that are US citizens (to make sure non-citizens aren't taking away jobs from citizens).

I'd go the TN route if your degree qualifies. There's info on the net about TN (trade NAFTA) visas and the kinds of degrees that qualify.

Good luck and remember to take the advice of internet strangers with a grain of salt. =)
Lisa

[confused_canuck]

Ah dear, maybe they should start a separate group for People Who Were Silly Enough to Fall In Love With Someone Across the Border (myself included).

My bf's in the States - I'm visiting him - and I despair over ever finding work down here. I'm university educated with a few year's work experience, but don't know about meeting the TN visa requirements. It feels impossible.

thank god I found this site and the Yahoo group someone mentioned. I hope we can all help each other out.

[SuzyQPA2]

Hi,
I'm a canuck and i've been here for 6 years, came in to visit my folks for vacation 2 weeks, got a job and then went up to the border 13 hour drive to get my TN, now i'm on an H1-B (which is a better type of visa and easily handled by experienced immigration lawyers for a couple thou).
If you have any questions regarding either of those things i'd be happy to respond.

Finding a job when i came here originally was much easier, i got one job through a recruiter in 97 then switched to a job i found in the paper in 98 (different state). It definitely helps that you have someone supportive here while you are looking.....and unfortunately the americans have been busy destroying their awesome economy...so jobs just aren't what they were...but you know it's all about connections, making a personal impression, some people just don't care where you're from...and a lot of the bigger companies don't discriminate based on national origin (a new one eh?). You may want to try applying at big corporations that have chain stores on both sides of the border.

Good luck.