Anyone worked or moved to America from Australia? Did you like it ?

Question

am thinking of teaching over there for a few years - any advice or personal stories would be great!

Answer 1

Don't do it!!!!!

My daughter and I have been here for nearly six years...

The USA is far from what you think...The crime, drugs, low pay and the attitude of most is appauling. We have met some great people, but on a whole it is not a good place.

The education system is so far behind,it is ridiculous. Depending on where you are going, I would be very careful.

Many schemes and people ready to take you down. Aussies are fairly trusting people, and they will eat you up!

The Northern part of the States is better, DO NOT go near the Southern States.

We came over for Ministry with a church and found out that they and many others are not churches. They use the church as a front for many underhanded activites. We will be coming home, when we can afford it as the minimum wage here is $5.15 per hour. I'm educated, but can't use many of my skills, due to the fact that most of the States don't recognize our education system.

I'm not trying to scare you, but, please be very careful, for the USA is in a bad way, socially and economically....

It is not like Australia at all... I wish we had never left, but all has to be put down to experience.

The Government here in the USA, treats their own citizens badly, many still think it is the land of the free... wrong!...

I don't know as to where you are from, but I was raised in a middle class family, my father worked at a University teaching for over 30 years, I'm not from the backwoods, just trying to warn you.

Once again, be very careful!

Answer 2

USA, the culture that set high standards for customer service copied all over the world, has totally lost the plot in courtesy and general customer satisfaction. What happened???

Americans, more than other people, are very insular. They have TVs running all day in several rooms all over their house, but have no idea what's happening overseas. Which means, they still believe their country is the best thing going. They don't even know their currency is fast losing value (the much-ridiculed Canadian $$ is worth more) internationally.

Answer 3

Unless you are independently wealthy you need a job + a work visa. You need a sponsor for a work visa - you can't apply for one on your own.

Check with US companies in Australia and Australian companies with offices in the USA.  For example, Hilton and Marriott hire international staff.

Many government agencies in the USA have a citizenship requirement but not all.  An example is: www.nopd.com

Australians can visit the USA for up to 90 days as a tourist, so you could travel for interviews & tests if necessary.

Search "international exchange programs USA" and there should be many links to programs that offer temporary and seasonal work in the US.  Do carefully check any programs you might be interested in as not all of them are a good deal.

Another option is to go to school in the USA.  Australians can easily get a US student visa and you MAY be able to work on-campus.  Having a USA university diploma or certificate will make applying for jobs easier, and going to school in the US will help you decide if you really want to move here.

http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/visitin...

Good luck!

Thumbs Up for Kramer!

Answer 4

ok here's a funny story. i actually live in america right now and i have no idea why my computer put me on yahoo australia. but honestly america is great! depends on where ur going. i live in the east near new york and taxes are pretty high, but the beaches are great. you can get some really good skiing in utah and colorado and on the east side espically things are open 24/7

Answer 5

I think it would be a great experience for you to come to America and experience life here for a few years. It’s always a good to travel and experience life in different places. To immigrate or temporarily work in the U.S. you will need a work visa, so I’m assuming the company your with is in the process of getting you a visa / green card.

Information on visas: http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov

I’ve lived in several countries and I personally prefer the U.S. There is certainly a lot of problems here, but every country has problems and a lot of the current problems here are a result of you know who but he will be out of office in a few months so I couldn’t be bothered to complain about him anymore. I’m not sure if your company has a specific location for you to work yet, but if you’re deciding on where to go in the U.S. I would suggest California, Arizona, North Carolina, Virginia, Boston, Washington DC area or anywhere on the west coast. There isn’t a lot of job opportunities in the deep south (places like Alabama or Mississippi), that area struggles economically for various reasons, so anywhere on the east coast or west coast would be best for you. One of the best areas to live in the U.S. right now is the triangle area of North Carolina (cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill). It’s a great area with a lot of job opportunities. The area has been growing a lot and new homes are affordable. There are lot’s of colleges in the area, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC state and Duke University are all located in the triangle. It’s a diverse area and most people are friendly. Raleigh was ranked as one of the best cities for jobs in the USA by Forbes. The outer banks, the mountains in the west and Washington DC to the north are only a few hours away.

http://www.researchtriangle.org

http://www.rtp.org/main

Also, I would like to comment on some of the negative answers you recieved. A lot of people come to the U.S. expecting it to be perfect, expecting it to be some sort of utopia, but that's obviously far from the truth. If someone comes to the U.S. expecting the place to be utopia and then be disappointed as a result of the many problems here, it's their own fault for being so blindly ignorant. Some of the previous answers have generalized Americans (over 300 million people) and that's not fair.There are good and bad people in every country, every country has it's pros and cons. Many people these days (evern many Americans) will tell you the U.S. is a horrible place to live, that's because it's currently a trend to dislike the U.S. as a result of the current president who is obviously not popular. If you come here with an open mind willing to experience something new, I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Hopefully this helps. Good luck.

Answer 6

Please stay in Australia.  Things around here aren't as good as it seems in the movies.  America has changed it now rewards stupidity, generic and bible "thumpers".  If you have a chance to teach English go to Scotland, Ireland, Rural England.  

Here in America there's a huge shortage of teacher for a reason;  Parents drop off their kids at school and expect you to be everything to them, however the kids know how limited your position as an educator really is therefore they will call you names and test all your nerves until you become disenchanted with this profession.  

We have became the land of the fat and the greedy that still thinks we're on top of our game, when in reality we're not.  

Rethink your options, if I was on your shoes I would.

Answer 7

My sister and her family moved from the US to OZ and they want to return there to retire.  She loved living in OZ.  They have lived in France, Russia, Japan, and a few other places over the years, but the 12 years they spent in Oz were her happiest.

It's very different over here, she says.  Her daughter is going to uni over there, so she visits frequently and happily.

I know you are asking the opposite of this answer, but I thought you might appreciate the ex pat American thought on Oz.

Answer 8

Coming from Brisbane to Dallas I would have to say I wish I was still in Australia. It expensive in America and trust me it's not as great as it seems.

Answer 9

Fireman is right, i live in america and the schools are horrible, unless you teach at expensive private schools, all your gonna get is names on your desk. i dont do that , but ive seen people do that , it's really annoying. i wish i could got to australia