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Immigration to the United States
Alt-42-1337
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I loved so much my last visit in the United States than I'm considering moving they're. I know this aint a easy process tough and I think it's best to gather information before doing any move. I want to know what I'd get into.
About me
- 26 years old white male
- First language is French but I do speak English fluently.
- Born in Canada, lived they're all my life
- Completed 13 years of education (so no college degree but I do have a bit more than just high school)
- Held the same job for 6 straight years
- No criminal record (closest I got is that unpaid ticket I made a topic about 2 weeks ago)
- Single, no children
So say I decide I want to become an american. Where do I start?
About me
- 26 years old white male
- First language is French but I do speak English fluently.
- Born in Canada, lived they're all my life
- Completed 13 years of education (so no college degree but I do have a bit more than just high school)
- Held the same job for 6 straight years
- No criminal record (closest I got is that unpaid ticket I made a topic about 2 weeks ago)
- Single, no children
So say I decide I want to become an american. Where do I start?
Alt-42-1337 on
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Posts
The main ways to immigrate to the US:
- Family-based, i.e. through a wife, fiancée or close relative (the close relative family-based visas tend to take a lot longer, i.e. 7 years)
- Work-based: As you have no finished college education, your chances of one of these is negligible
- Diversity Lottery visa: Canadians are not eligible, sorry!
- Student-based: Not permanent, but your best bet of staying for a couple of years in the US. However, it's expensive and you'd need to return to being a full-time student
Unfortunately, there aren't really any alternatives/easier ways
edit: huuuuge
It took her 4 years to get a green card, she had to leave at 22 so she could come back at 26.
Good luck.
Mm thanks for that!
My half sister (same father) have a green card but she's back in Canada now. Does that do anything to help my case?
Nope, sorry!
She's a legal permanent resident, not a citizen, and only minor children and spouses of LPRs can apply for a visa. Also, since she's moved back to Canada, if she remains in Canada for more than a year without having applied for a re-entry permit she'll likely lose her permanent resident status.
So basically I have 2 options if I want to have a chance in Hell to get in if I understnad this well: Study or marry an american women.
Eh I wouldn't be that defeatist, if you wait a while we might legalize gay marriage and your options would double.
The degree itself doesn't help you gain residency. The idea is that if you study at a US school you live here and have a better chance of landing a job here that will sponsor you or you're more likely to meet someone to marry.
Getting your degree in Canada will make it more likely to find a company here to sponsor you, but the odds of that (especially while the recession is going) is very low. If you do go that route make sure you're studying something in demand in the US and also with a very low domestic supply.
That's your best bet for accurate information.
Based on the information you provided, I bet that you are a Quebecker, right? If so, it would be in your overwhelming financial interest to do your degree in Québec. Tuition for Canadian citizens who are also ordinarily resident in Québec for at least one year amounts to approximately $1200.00 per year. In most other provinces, such as Ontario or B.C., it hovers around $4000.00 - $5000.00 just for tuition (not including books, fees, and living costs).
Compare that to tuition at a top tier American school, whether public or private. Tuition fees of $40,000.00 per year are not unheard of for top research universities.
Undergraduate education at Canadian universities is pretty much equivalent all across the board in most provinces. There honestly isn't a big difference in the 'quality' of education you get at the undergrad level. What will matter more to other people is the brand and perception of quality that the university provides, especially if you are interested in getting foreigners to recognize the value of your credential. McGill, Université de Montréal, and Université Laval are the top universities in Québec. University of Toronto has surpassed McGill in Macleans rankings over the past few years and is widely viewed as the generic, 'best' university in the country. So if you are considering university someplace close to home, any of those would be a good choice (of course so would UBC, UVic, Dalhousie, the U of A, or any other public Canadian institution).
On the question of whether your Canadian degree will be worth the same as an American one...Well, yes, it will be. The level of recognition varies greatly by field, and is definitely more of a problem once you start talking about graduate degrees. But when it comes to some professional degrees (medicine, architecture, engineering) and generic bachelor degrees (Arts, or Science) you shouldn't have a problem.
If you are looking to get a degree solely so that you can move to the United States, then I would recommend you look at an engineering degree. Unlike other career paths, you only need a single entry degree (Bachelor of Engineering in X), and there is very little problem in transferring your skills or credentials across the border, like there is for lawyers or physicians. Also it is likely that you will be able to get a job in your field much easier than a person with an Arts degree or a Science degree, as advanced graduate degrees are usually required to actually work in the field (i.e. to work as a physicist you need a doctorate in physics, not just a bachelor's degree).
There is a lottery that canadians are eligible for, but it costs money. Or at least there was the last time i looked into it.
Your best bet would be to speak with an immigration lawyer if you want to make a serious go of it. Ive looked into it in the past, and unless you have tons and tons and tons of money, or you can get sponsored by a company, or you can marry a US citizen, its really not worth it. Though some lawyers will have various "tricks" to getting applications approved, which vary in their level of legality.
Even getting a degree, unless your degree is something thats in crazy high demand or very very specialized, you most likely wont be able to get into the US with the degree alone. Companies need to prove that there are no candidates living in the united states that can fill your job before theyre allowed to sponsor a foreign applicant.
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I disagree with getting a lawyer, there's no 'tricks' and if they're of varying legality you'll risk losing legal entry into the country forever. Having gone through this process and talked to various immigration lawyers, the only time I'd consider using one is if you ran into legal trouble while already in the country, or there were some questions regarding the basis for your eligability, or if you just didn't want to spend the time filling out the forms, keeping track of the things you have to do.
The processes are all laid out pretty clearly by the US Government on the internet and there are plenty of guides out there to help you along. Getting a lawyer will cost you a lot of money and won't really get you anything.
Also, a degree does NOT give you automagical US residency. If you get hired by an American company and you have a College/University degree, THAT can result in legal US residency if you succeed in the US visa application.
I am from Quebec. Went to Edouard-Montpetit, Computer Science. 3 year degree that translated to a US Bachelors of Computer Science. Spent lots of years working in the states under a TN visa (free trade agreement, google that) and also working under a H1-B visa (look that up too). Point is, you don't get to live in the states unless you are desired and a source of profit for them (US companies). Note that it is the same if you are American and you want to work in Canada.
Now I am married to an American woman. I have a green card via that process, and even that is a pain and is NOT automatic.
I hope this helps!
I want to be clear before I get jumped on here, I'm not saying joining the military is all puppy dogs and rainbows and awesome for everyone, it's just one of several options.