Losing hope trying to follow my dream. can ANYONE help??

so...i have been working at the same place in the same place, same profession for almost 30 yrs, in Montreal Canada. i work with intellectually and physically challenged adults. I am at a dead end now, as i cannot get a full time permanent job now with my company unless i am bilingual, even though all our clients are english. My true passion is animals and i deperately want to move to kanab Utah and work at Best Friends Animal Society. (if any of you have ever seen "Dogtown", that's what i am talking about. I have even searched real estate in the area and if i sold my house here, i would have no problem finding a house there. I have contacted them and they welcomed me to apply for a job, BUT they do NOT sponsor work Visas. Now i don't know what to do. Everybody tells you to follow your dreams, but if your dreams involve living and working in the US, seems they are impossible...anybody have any ideas?

There are other places... In canada.

well that's not very helpful.

Before deciding if you can or can not move I would recommend looking into what you need to for a TN visa. There are a lot of employers in the US who don't understand what a TN visa is or what it entails and once you determine you can qualify for it then it really comes down to how you present it to the employer. A TN visa isn't so much about an employer sponsoring you as it is them supporting the fact that they are providing you with a job. I currently work for an employer who specifically does not sponsor visas however I am working with them on a TN visa.

A lot of times employers say they don't sponsor visas because they don't want to put up with the headaches and costs associated with obtaining a visa for an employee.

Thank-you Texasman. that gives me a good place to start.

Start what? You do not say you have a degree, so TN is not likley to be of any use. H1-B can use experience in place of degree, but the firm you *wish* to work for doesn't sponsor.

Like I said, adjust your sights, and move somewhere else in canada.

US immigration is not for everybody.

C'mon AGNelson, cut the guy a break. Who are you to decipher if immigrating isn't for everybody??

He is passionate about something and is seeking ways to follow his dreams. I am all for people migrating / immigrating anywhere where they feel they will benefit the country and its people. Even dogs!

So anyway...... First of all, a TN for this kind of job certainly won't do. It needs to be in a profession listed in NAFTA and I'm also certain what our poster wants to do won't qualify. The reason the company states they will not sponsor visas is because they know immigration will not approve something where a US worker can easily be found for this type of work.

Maybe you can apply for a Vocational Counselor position in the U.S. close to where the company you would like to work is located (Vocational Counselor is on the NAFTA list by the way ) and volunteer in the meantime until you obtain permanent residency for the Voc Rehab position (assuming they will file PR for you) This is the best suggestion I can give. You certainly have the experience so I don't see why you would not be approved for a TN.

Best of Luck:-)

"...assuming they will file PR for you..."

C'mon Dremani, false hope is no hope.

A better suggestion would be for him to marry a US citizen in Utah!

He's got the rest of canada to shoot for, which isn't all bad, or -- perish the thought -- he could learn french!

And, yes, US immigration is NOT for everyone, obviously. I didn't say it was not for him, but... reality bites.

Yeah getting married to a US citizen isn't such a bad thing but he may already be married to a non-US citizen so that may not be an option.

And Voc Rehab under a TN isn't a bad idea because most employers are non-profit and in the event the company is interested in sponsoring him, he would be PERM exempt. So it is a possibility...

marrying a US citizen is not for everyone
divorcing one's spouse is not for everyone
moving away from QC is not for everyone
learning french is not for everyone
sponsoring foreign workers is not for everyone
US immigration is not for everyone

See how the universes collide?

btw, Vocational counselor requires bach degree for TN.