Visa for USA

Iverson101

My girlfriend and I are looking at moving stateside early next year. She's finished college and has a degree so will therefore be eligible for a J-1 visa. On the other hand, I didn't finish college, and work two full time jobs in a call centre and in a bar and nightclub as a bar man.

Is there anyway I'm capable of getting a year long visa? It's our dream to live there for a year whilst we are still young, and she wants to get an internship out there relevant to her course.

Thanks.

iusedtoknow

Iverson101 wrote: »

My girlfriend and I are looking at moving stateside early next year. She's finished college and has a degree so will therefore be eligible for a J-1 visa. On the other hand, I didn't finish college, and work two full time jobs in a call centre and in a bar and nightclub as a bar man.

Is there anyway I'm capable of getting a year long visa? It's our dream to live there for a year whilst we are still young, and she wants to get an internship out there relevant to her course.

Thanks.

Unfortunately not, there are no self sponsoring visas for the U.S. the U.S. is a difficult nut to crack if you don't have a degree or already have a job lined up and they are willing to pay the 10k needed to sponsor you.

Iverson101

So I'm not eligible for any visa at all then?

iusedtoknow

Iverson101 wrote: »

So I'm not eligible for any visa at all then?

nope. Sorry to be blunt about it, but there are limited visa options in general, there is no scheme (except for the J1) that allow you to work for a limited time. All other visas need to be sponsored by a company for a job that no one in the states can do.

It's a very broken system.

The only option you have tbh is visiting your GF in the US on the visa waiver program (i.e. being a tourist) and not working, and returning home and after a few weeks/month have passed - visiting again.

spideog7

iusedtoknow wrote: »

nope. Sorry to be blunt about it, but there are limited visa options in general, there is no scheme (except for the J1) that allow you to work for a limited time. All other visas need to be sponsored by a company for a job that no one in the states can do.

It's a very broken system.

The only option you have tbh is visiting your GF in the US on the visa waiver program (i.e. being a tourist) and not working, and returning home and after a few weeks/month have passed - visiting again.

There is a trainee J1 that doesn't require a degree, but you need to have been working in the same field for 5 years and have a job lined up that would provide training in that field. Sounds like it might tough to swing with your experience.

Also your girlfriend is only eligible for a J1 for a year after she graduates.

ProudDUB

OP, use the search function here to dig up some of the old threads on the RiRa and Fado pub chains. They hire Irish people to work in their Irish bars in the US. They are only in a limited number of US cities, so your gf would have to be willing to go to whatever city the pub sends you to, if you get hired on. That could be an option for you given your background in bar work. As others have said, there is no working visa that you can apply for yourself. It all has to be done by the employer.

Novella

You could get an F1 student visa if you wanted to go to college but if you just want to live and work in the US, it won't be suitable for you. Schools are expensive here and you cannot work.