Is the grass greener on the other side (America)??

[TW]Fox;17548161 said:
This really is SO ANNOYING. Everywhere you go except for gas stations where gas is priced inclusive of tax, everything is 'plus applicable taxes'. Everyone has to pay the tax so why they are not legally required to show tax INCLUSIVE prices as per the UK I've no idea.

the $1 stores make me laugh, surely it's false advertising?
 
Yes you do. It is an absolute nightmare, although you can do it via the US embassy you need not have ever visited the US.

I wonder how he qualifies specifically.

My mother is American.
And yes, I'm staying as a guest of a friend at a commune. I'm basically allowed to stay as long as I want to/need to. And like I said before, I'd be going to a well regarded luthiery school as soon as I had saved enough cash to pay for it. (I do plan on finding a job once I get there! I have at least a couple of months in which to do that. I can teach guitar on the side and work at McD's. Unrealistic?)
My parent's will pay some, I'll pay some, and I'm eligable for a federal grant.
The school actively helps you find employment throughout the duration of the course.
 
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My mother is American.
And yes, I'm staying as a guest of a friend at a commune. I'm basically allowed to stay as long as I want to/need to. And like I said before, I'd be going to a well regarded luthiery school as soon as I had saved enough cash to pay for it.
My parent's will pay some, I'll pay some, and I'm eligable for a federal grant.
The school actively helps you find employment throughout the duration of the course.

My mother is American also, British Father. I was born here, but my mother has the foresight to register my birth in both countries hence the ease with which I gained my dual citizenship.

Good luck to you, but take the advice of someone who has done what you are doing. Save a little more money, find employment prior to moving and never rely on the US state to bail you out or help you in any way. They simply will not.
 
My mother is American.
And yes, I'm staying as a guest of a friend at a commune. I'm basically allowed to stay as long as I want to/need to. And like I said before, I'd be going to a well regarded luthiery school as soon as I had saved enough cash to pay for it. (I do plan on finding a job once I get there! I have at least a couple of months in which to do that. I can teach guitar on the side and work at McD's. Unrealistic?)
My parent's will pay some, I'll pay some, and I'm eligable for a federal grant.
The school actively helps you find employment throughout the duration of the course.

It's a complete dream. How do you save to go to school with no income? You are basing this on soo much predicted good fortune! The school might 'help' you but they cant guarantee you a job..
 
the $1 stores make me laugh, surely it's false advertising?

Whats even more annoying is that everything is priced nicely excluding tax. 99c here. $9.99 there. But you can never just buy, say, a McDonalds 99c coke with a dollar bill. No, you need $1.08 :rolleyes:
 
[TW]Fox;17548260 said:
It's a complete dream. How do you save to go to school with no income? You are basing this on soo much predicted good fortune! The school might 'help' you but they cant guarantee you a job..

You have GOT to be the most pessimistic dude on these forums. :p
No point in taking a chance is there? Giving it my best shot? Not in hell!

Seriously though... I can try. People have done much more impressive stuff.
If everyday I thought to myself I could get hit by a truck or stabbed by a mugger, I'd never leave the house. And I live in a part of London that has seen my friends friends, and familys friends murdered.
And hey, I can always come home... if I don't get killed within the first few months.

And Castiel, Thanks for the advice.
As soon as I know when I'm going I was planning on trying to raise a few thousand pounds more. I'm not short of time or ways of making money at the moment. But there are certainly a few things I'm still looking into regarding my trip.
 
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My mother is American also, British Father. I was born here, but my mother has the foresight to register my birth in both countries hence the ease with which I gained my dual citizenship.

Good luck to you, but take the advice of someone who has done what you are doing. Save a little more money, find employment prior to moving and never rely on the US state to bail you out or help you in any way. They simply will not.

One of the bridesmaid i met at a wedding yesterday is kinda the same as you both. She is born here but both parents are American (the bride too is half American, half the wedding had guests from the states!) and grew up here but with american citizenship meaning after finishing university here and traveling she end up working and living in San Francisco for the last 7 years.

If you just go over there and hoping you will make it big then you are not much different than those illegal mexicans who cross the boarder.
 
I know you read a lot and I'd really like to know your assessent of the the future of the US.

That would require a thread of it's own tbh, and time I don't have right now.

Needless to say, since 2001 the freedoms enjoyed in the US have been curtailed somewhat and the hope that the election of Obama brought seems to have been overstated.

Still there is time.
 
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I am just finishing my F1 year and was hoping to start a F2 position in August. My wife is a ST1 (GP)

Due to a change in circumstance I am no longer obligated to staying in the UK, with that in mind I am considering getting my wife to quite her training position and study for the USMLE’s so we can move to America in the middle of next year.

Is the quality of life so much better our there? Has anyone moved out to the US or back to the uk and care to share their experience?

We would both be on around 35k USD for the first 5 years, I assume you can live quite well on this as long as we buy our house with savings so do not have a mortgage to pay.

Unfortunately I have started building a house/flat which I am going to have to get rid of if we move which will not be easy.

You've already lost the easiest way to get into the US...You've gotten married to somebody who isnt an american ! Get her divorced and go marry somebody over there. Your only other choice is to give your careers up and do one of the following

A) get yourself trained in a job thats so specialist that nobody else in the US can do it, and find a company in the US wanting to employ you to do that job

or

B) set yourself up as an entrepeneur and set up a company over there that will create at least 10 other american jobs ( i think its 10 ? might be 5 ?)

In short, your not getting into the US in your current situation. Look at Australia or Canada where they have a skills programme that accepts immigrants with skills they are looking for. Either that or get a holiday home somewhere and take extended holidays over there as often as you can. Nearest your going to get.

Everybody wants to live the american dream, including most of south america. Thats why they have such a strong immigration policy. Its not called "The American Dream" for nothing ..
 
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You've already lost the easiest way to get into the US...

You've gotten married to somebody who isnt an american !

Get her divorced and go marry somebody over there.

Your only other choice is to give your careers up and do one of the following

A) get yourself trained in a job thats so specialist that nobody else in the US can do it, and find a company in the US wanting to employ you to do that job

or

B) set yourself up as an entrepeneur and set up a company over there that will create at least 10 other american jobs ( i think its 10 ? might be 5 ?)


In short, your not getting into the US in your current situation.

Look at Australia or Canada where they have a skills programme that accepts immigrants with skills they are looking for.

It is 10.

Another way is to buy your way in for $500,000.

Also UK citizens are exempt from the Green Card Lottery, so the chance of obtaining one without employer sponsorship is nil.
 
One thing i heard from 2 Americans yesterday, we were in Boots.

"I love the fact that what you see is what you pay here"

Referring to the sales tax in the states, they don't label it on the shelf but added on at the till so you either do the sums in your head or move to Oregon where there is no sales tax.

Edit, i posted that without reading the thread.

Natima - you are a brave man, or stupid one, but typical teenager mentality really, think they are invincible.

well, I would rather have 5% tax and do the maths than 20%
 
[TW]Fox;17548161 said:
This really is SO ANNOYING. Everywhere you go except for gas stations where gas is priced inclusive of tax, everything is 'plus applicable taxes'. Everyone has to pay the tax so why they are not legally required to show tax INCLUSIVE prices as per the UK I've no idea.

I asked about this while over there

American consumers prefer it because taxes vary from state to state. If they saw the same products being advertised whilst visiting elsewhere they'd have to work back the tax to work out if it was any cheaper or not.

If the price is without tax, it makes for a very easy comparison to the price back home
 
i've never understood why this is?

because they see the green card lottery as giving a chance for people from less developed nations to live the american dream.

We're developed enough already so not needing of the "american dream" apparently.
 
Funnily enough, i can enter the Green Card lottery due to my place of birth, anyone know how i can do this? Might as well give it a shot!
 
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