Ireland V Usa for me

shadowcomplex

Ok, what are the pros and cons of living in the usa as oposed to ireland, I am a single man ,32, no mortage, no dependents and I am in permanent fulltime employment earning 45k a year, I have toyed with the idea of packing my job in and migrating to aus, canada or even the usa if I was lucky to get a green card, I work as a QC Analyst in a Major pharmaceutical company and I have an Ordinary Degree in Analytical Chemistry with Quality Management.

Compared to alot of people in this country I have it very good, some people are finding it tough to pay a mortage and feed their family on half my wage, however I am sick of the routine and would like to get out and see the world, I was wondering what are the actual odds of obtaining a green card and how does the quality of life compare in the usa to ireland, I have heard you get very few holidays, I know thats a very broad question because the usa is like a few different countries within one country and there are lots of diverse cultures, anyway I appreciate any and all feedback

cheesehead

I read your searching questions and said to myself: "There are far more knowledgeable posters on this board who should be able to assist him with answers regarding visas/green cards/employment opportunities."

However, as I read your line - "I am sick of the routine and would like to get out and see the world" - for some reason I thought of a friend's mother who passed just prior to Easter: Born in a Roscommon thatch cottage 92 years ago, her life began without electricity, running water, radio, or telephones, and with distant echoes of the famine years borne by elderly relatives and neighbors. Just prior to her death, as my friend was sitting by her bedside in the hospital, she suddenly rose up from her semi-conscious state, opened her eyes and said in a worried voice, “Is there a famine?” My friend never heard her utter the word ‘famine’ before, but he assured her there was no famine. “Not here, Mom. Not now."

She left to work as a domestic in England, and one of her proudest achievements was rising to the level of nanny or governess in the homes of the rich. However, she wanted more. Next came America and Brooklyn. Big. Bad. Brooklyn. She married a wonderful, working Irishman in Brooklyn and proceeded to raise the family. Curiously, the parents did not choose to live in an ethnic Irish ghetto in Brooklyn or the Bronx, but struck out for a house in a neighborhood with the best parochial school. Consequently, they lived in a primarily Italian neighborhood with a smattering of Irish, Jewish, Cuban refugees, Lebanese and Syrian Catholics, etc. They had a great experience, but it had its share of hardships as well. One thing remained constant. As the neighborhood changed to become increasingly Asian, my friend's mother remained the confidante of the block, as new generations of Americans sought out her advice on how to deal with an assortment of family and spousal difficulties. They knew they could always count on sound advice and, more important, the kindness of her counsel.

Needless to say, the family has thrived in America and they continue their mother and father's example. They all have "bloomed where your planted" and my hope is you will as well. Good luck with your decision.

little lady

Hi OP,

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, 34 year old female, single, no children, full time secure job, no debt.

I decided last year to head to the US, applied for the DV lottery and recently got picked for an interview. I really want to go and am quietly confident that I will get a visa.

All I can say is that at the moment Ireland is a depressing and boring place, everybody moans and nobody will do anything about it. There are very few opportunties if you want to move around Ireland and even moving around Europe will be a bit of a problem if you dont speak the language.

Alothough the US is going through it's own problems I think it is a more optimitic place to go. At 32 or in my case 34 we are young enough to make the move, give it a good shot and if we fail we can still come home in a few years when hopefully things will have changed. There are so many more places to go and so many more opportunites in the US or Oz or Canada that if you have the chance to go then why not??

I know this doesn't answer your question of give you the first hand information that you want but I hope it helps!

avalon68

shadowcomplex wrote: »

Ok, what are the pros and cons of living in the usa as oposed to ireland, I am a single man ,32, no mortage, no dependents and I am in permanent fulltime employment earning 45k a year, I have toyed with the idea of packing my job in and migrating to aus, canada or even the usa if I was lucky to get a green card, I work as a QC Analyst in a Major pharmaceutical company and I have an Ordinary Degree in Analytical Chemistry with Quality Management.

Compared to alot of people in this country I have it very good, some people are finding it tough to pay a mortage and feed their family on half my wage, however I am sick of the routine and would like to get out and see the world, I was wondering what are the actual odds of obtaining a green card and how does the quality of life compare in the usa to ireland, I have heard you get very few holidays, I know thats a very broad question because the usa is like a few different countries within one country and there are lots of diverse cultures, anyway I appreciate any and all feedback

I cant answer about your chances of a Greencard, but in general people have very little holidays here - I think I officially have 12 or 14 days a year. Most of the people I work with dont even take those days - Its just that competitive that they dont want to lose the time. I recently attended a seminar here about the pharma industry....basically an insiders view. His main take-home point was that over the next five years there will be a major contraction in the pharma industry due to expiring patents. When asked about employment prospects he told us his department was undergoing a re-organisation and he wasnt sure if he would have a job in three weeks time......however, he took the view that if youre good, you will bounce......but still an Ivy league PhD graduate, with a postdoc from Harvard......and still no job security. I do enjoy working here to a certain extent, but, I am also looking forward to returning home in the next few years. I dont find that I have a higher quality of life here than home - I work far longer hours here, Ive never been the most outgoing person in terms of meeting new people/activities and that has not changed.....what Im saying is that moving wont change your life - thats up to you and how you approach life. Best of luck with it anyway