Want to move to Orlando and i have a Degree

[coxy]

Hi hope someone can give me some advice.

I want to move to Orlando and work there, i have a degree in computing and have been working for 12 months as a web developer. I have been looking in to the visas and from what i can gather is you need to have been accepted for a position before you can get a visa.

Is there anyway of moving there and looking for work once there?

I was in Orlando a short while ago and I spoke to quite a few people who work at the disney and universal parks, and i was told that are many jobs available there, this is something i would like to do and heard that disney and universal take on people from uk and sort out visa etc for a year. Does anyone know anything about this of where i could look?

What i was thinking of doing is maybe working at one of the parks for a around a year and looking for work in my specialist area while i was there. Is this a viable option or would it not be possible to do?

Any help and comments are much appreciated.

Thanks
Lee

[flyrr100]

Read the archives on this site.

Short answer:
No. You need a sponser. You need someone who will hire you, and who can prove that there are no Americans who are qualified to do what you do. Please don't take offense, but we have millions of computer programers and web developers here.
If you want to work here for a year look into the Disney scheme. They hire young people from all over the world to work at World Showcase at Epcot. But it's not an open door for extended stay. After a year you visa expires and you have to leave.

Good luck.

[Snapper]

If you have a degree Lee one approach you might look into is to start work in the UK for a huge company that is headquartered in the US. The example I'm thinking of from my industry is American Express. I did a couple of projects with them and they routinely moved people between Brighton, Fort Lauderdale and Phoenix. You might have to be reasonably flexible in what you do and it might take a few years before you've developed the specialist skills the organisation is wanting to move around the world, but the opportunities are there if you work for them. The big benefit of this route is that if an organisation with the clout of Amex sponsors you for a move the visas tend to be more or less automatic. Lots of the huge multi-nationals have good graduate programmes. My other advice would be to look beyond the computing/technology and develop a more businessy/functional/processy type skillset. These are always more in demand around the globe than raw technical skills, and the way the world is going all the technical developments are being outsourced to India, China or the Far East. I don't think this is going to change significantly in the next 5 to 10 years.

Alternatively, I think the fastest way into the US at the moment would be to re-train as a nurse.

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by coxy
Hi hope someone can give me some advice.

I want to move to Orlando and work there, i have a degree in computing and have been working for 12 months as a web developer. I have been looking in to the visas and from what i can gather is you need to have been accepted for a position before you can get a visa.

Is there anyway of moving there and looking for work once there?

I was in Orlando a short while ago and I spoke to quite a few people who work at the disney and universal parks, and i was told that are many jobs available there, this is something i would like to do and heard that disney and universal take on people from uk and sort out visa etc for a year. Does anyone know anything about this of where i could look?

What i was thinking of doing is maybe working at one of the parks for a around a year and looking for work in my specialist area while i was there. Is this a viable option or would it not be possible to do?

Any help and comments are much appreciated.

Thanks
Lee
[/quote]

Jobs in Disney are very low paid......so they have a high turn over of workers.....mostly younger people in college...or older people looking to get out the home to top up their income.....
They take on so many people from the UK each year....the visa lasts about 9 months....
Disney has a web site with a job page.....which should give you a place to start.....

[coxy]

Thanks for the info and feedback, unfortunately it was pretty much what i was expecting. I have always wanted to move over there but hadnt realised how difficult it was untill i started looking recently.

I realise that there are many web developers etc about and personally i am not even sure if i want to stay in this area of work, i was just wondering if it made any difference to the visa application if you qualified to degree level.

Although the disney jobs are very low pay i think this is the was i will go, mainly for the experience of working for such a company. I have looked on the disney jobs site but havent been able to find anything on the scheme for employing people from the uk, can anyone point me in the right direction?

Also i have a friend who wants to study in USA will he have the same sort of problems, or are there visas available for people who want to study there?

Again thanks for all the help.

[steph_goodrum]

Lee
I'm just guessing from your post that you are reasonably young, you could try www.bunac.org who organise working trips to America/Worldwide for students and young people under 35. The visa applied for are different if you are coming back to study in UK to if you are taking a gap year/sabbatical etc.

My 19 year old daughter came back Sat after working for 3 1/2 months in Massachussetts, you can either find your own job or select and apply from their job directory handbook.

They are fully conversant with all the aspects of the different visas required and take you through each process.

[Snapper]

I think a degree level qualification does help Lee, especially with something like an H1B visa. Try putting H1B Visa into Google and have a read through some of the pages.

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Snapper
I think a degree level qualification does help Lee, especially with something like an H1B visa. Try putting H1B Visa into Google and have a read through some of the pages.
[/quote]

H1Bs go very quickly.......you'd have to have more than a degree and a year in work to get someone to pick you up for a job in the USA....too many US grads coming on the market at a cheap rate to go looking over seas........in a few years he could get lucky.....and its always worth looking.......

[Ray9]

There are basically NINE ways that you can get a visa to live and work in the US:
(1) Marriage (or engagement in anticipation of marriage) to a US citizen.

(2) You have skills that are in short supply in the US e.g. scientific or medical training. A degree is normally a must. Or you have superior specialist skills with at least 12 years experience.

(3) You have an Employer who is willing to transfer you - but even the employer has to make a good case for you - so you have to be a manager unless you fall under category (2) above.

(4) You may get a Green card in the diversity lottery (UK citizens, except N.Ireland, are not generally eligible unless you, your spouse or parents were born abroad or held a different citizenship.

(5)You own or buy business (does not get you permanent resident status i.e. no green card)You must be a national of a qualifying Treaty countries
The business must have a minimum value of around $150k (more the better) bearing in mind you will need somewhere to live and with any startup business you will need at least 2 years living money as back up. So a figure of $350k would be a nearer minimum

(6)You are an "investor" i.e. you have at least US $1m in assets to bring with you. half of that in a few areas. And your background will be investigated to the hilt.

(7)You have a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister and no further) who is an US citizen who would sponsor you, approx time this take 2-12 years…

(8.The R1 visa is available to foreign members of religious denominations, having bona fide non-profit religious organizations in the U.S., for entering the U.S. to carry on the activities of a minister or religious worker as a profession, occupation or vocation

(9)THE UNUSUAL You are in a position to claim refugee status/political asylum. or You get a member of Congress to sponsor a private bill with legislation that applies just to you.
The S visa issued to persons who assist US law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes and terrorist activities such as money laundering and organized crime


Recruitment agent will not take you seriously if you are not already in the US. Writing for jobs is really a waste of time; likewise US employers have no idea what foreign qualification are or mean (except Degrees) it may pay you to get your qualification translated into a US equivalent, there are Companies that do this ..
But if you are getting a visa under (2) above then you need a job offer before you can get the visa. Your Employer will be your sponsor this will cost them upward of $5k. So you can see you have to be offering something really special to get considered They may also have to prove to the Dept of labor that there is no American who can do the job if the position is to be permanent
© Originator.. Pulaski
Updater.. Ray 7/23/05

[esprit]

H1bs are capped and in short supply but they have 10,000 allocated for people with masters degrees from US universities. Someone with a bachelors from a UK university who can raise the funds, could do a masters from a US university on F1 student status. At the end of the degree you get one year OPT which is basically work experience which should be enough time to find a sponsorring employer. As the H1bs for masters graduates of US universities are not currently all being taken up, you shouldnt have a problem converting to H1b. The problem is raising the cash for fees and living expenses through the masters as people on a visa do not get financial aid and you have to prove you can support yourself to get the F1.