Interested in immigrating to the US?

Question

Many people tell me that the US has one of the strictest legal immigration policies in the world, and that unless you have a real skill that is in shortage in the US, you stand little chance of getting a visa. I'm 19 and British and currently have no qualification post that of leaving school. I have considered university, but currently am unsure as to what to do. I've been looking into Nursing, how do job opportunities look for male nurses in the US? A lot of countries fast-track applications from Nurses due to high demand, does the US have a similar policy?

Also, I understand that in short, the most usual way of being eligible to apply for US citizenship is being in the US for 5 years uninterrupted as a permanent resident?

Thanks for any advice.

Answer 1

Everybody & his cousin wants to immigrate to the US.  That's why Citizenship & Immigration Services is so badly backlogged.  

Nurses are in demand in the US.  Actually, we have plenty of qualified nurses, but only 1/3 of them actually work in the field.  But there is no fast-track for immigration for nurses.  You have to apply for immigration, have a sponsor who is a US citizen and who is an immediate blood relative (parent, adult child, sibling).  If you are accepted, you wait until your number comes up.  

After you immigrate, you can apply for a green card, and after five years of continuous residence with the green card (legal permanent residency), you can apply for citizenship, take your tests, and be scheduled for a naturalization ceremony to take the oath of naturalization.

Answer 2

Immigration to the US is not so strict and complex as it is time-consuming and monolithic. They're kind of overwhelmed.

Nursing's always a good business and I hear there is a shortage of nurses in the US currently. Your s*x should not be relevant.

Now how that translates into employment opportunities for foreigners who are not eligible to work in the US without employer sponsorship, I do not know, but I'm quite sure there is no fast-track way of getting a work visa for people whose skills are in high demand.

The trick is that you cannot just apply for a work visa and then find a job. You have to find a job in the US first -- not only that, the employer you find a job with must be willing to sponsor your employment visa. Once they get authorization from the Dept. of Labor, then you get the paperwork that enables you to apply for your work visa at a US embassy/consulate abroad. Such work visas are usually temporary, I think they're valid for 3 years extensible to 6. Those years do not count as permanent residence because the visa is considered a non-immigrant visa. If an employer is happy with you and would like to keep you beyond the length of stay allotted by your visa, then they may apply for you to get a green card, which is your permanent residence. Also note that while under a work visa, you can only work for the employer who sponsored you. If you wish to move to a new job then you need a new visa, although I do not believe you would have to go home and apply from there.

And you are correct, the most usual way of getting US citizenship is after you've been a permanent resident for 5 years. According to USCIS, 90% of citizenship applicants fall in that category. The 5-year requirement is reduced to 3 years if you are married to a US citizen.

Answer 3

US immigration is far from strictest, but there is a huge backlog due to so many applications and CIS processes are also delayed due to coping with an enormous illegal alien presence.

A degree in nursing would serve you well as there is a demand for nurses.  

Answer 4

sorry - our immigration policy favors third worlders.

Answer 5

a Nursing background would certainly improve your chances if getting an immigration visa to the US. From the reports I've read the United States will need an additional 50,000 nurses in the next 10 years. Good luck to you