Just wondering...

Andy!!

My sister has moved over to the states until October having just finished college (J1 I assume) and she's saying I should definitely go over. I've never really considered living for an extended period in the states, despite spending a summer as a teen in North Carolina and loving it. Due to move out of my current apartment on the 6th of July, and I'm wondering if I should just up and leave altogether :pac: I would have somewhere to sleep, that's about all I know. Getting a job over there doesn't seem to hard atm.

I have a B.A. degree, so no problem there, but I graduated maybe three years ago, so is my situation different from someone who's just graduated? Should I apply for a working visa before I leave, or enter on a tourist visa and seek a working visa if I find a job over there? Where do I need to go/who do I need to contact to make sure I follow the right protocol and get the right papers?

Where online/offline would I find the cheapest flights to Chicago?

Any help would be appreciated.

silja

I am afraid there is no easy way to do what you are thinking of doing, and it's not going to happen by the time your sister comes back to Ireland in October. Your best option would just be to go for an extended holiday, for the max 90 days the visa waiver allows, but you cannot work on that.

You won't be able to get the same visa as your sister has as you haven't graduated in the last year. Getting a job is actually quite hard, and you need one to get a work visa (you cannot just go on the visa waiver program, find some sort of office or bar job, and stay- no visas for that). What is your BA in?

Andy!!

Animation but there's no jobs around for that, I was just thinking bar work etc. There's seriously no way a 26 year old with a degree, no criminal record etc can't just go to the states and work for a bit? What about through Usit? I'm 26, I still qualify for them I think. Do they have some kind of scheme?

spideog7

You could plausibly get a trainee visa (J1) if you have enough years of experience, but you would have to work in your chosen field (whatever you're degree is in) and you'd be hard pushed to get out there by the middle of August at this stage. You might also need a job before you go on that one, not sure.

Andy!!

Hmmm, I was under the impression that if I had a degree I could just traipse around the world at will haha...naive. Pity I wouldn't mind going over in August, maybe I could apply for something now and see then.

silja

I believe Canada has a visa like that (for young people to work for a year), but the USA does not.