Free education in the USA for foreigners - myth or reality? Work & Travel USA Student Program
America is a country in which representatives of various peoples and nations live. Almost the entire population of the United States is non-native. Over the years, the flow of people flocking there to work, study and simply live has not dried up. However, today it is not economically beneficial for the country’s leadership that the population is rapidly increasing due to immigrants. Appropriate measures and restrictions began to be taken. Therefore, now in order to stay in America, one has to resort to all sorts of tricks.
Today, the question of how to go to live in America legally worries many. It is especially relevant in the countries of the former Soviet Union. If you have finally and irrevocably decided to part with your homeland, saying to yourself “I want to go and live in America,” then you need to start acting without delay.
In fact, it’s quite easy to get to the USA; it’s much more difficult to stay there and become a member of American society. To do this, you will have to thoroughly think through the strategy of your actions in advance. Fortunately, we are not the first to come forward in this matter, and everything has been done, thought out and tested before us.
So, here are 7 effective ways to go and live in America.
This method is more popular among girls. After all, when you marry an American citizen, you immediately receive a Green Card. And, having lived with my spouse for 3 years, a US citizen passport. You can enter into a fictitious marriage. In America there are a lot of people who want to put on a ring for a couple of thousand dollars. However, not everything is simple here: they will carefully check the seriousness of your intentions regarding marriage. Otherwise, you will be deported and banned from entering the country for life.
2. Political asylum in the USA.
A very common option among immigrants from Belarus, Ukraine and Jews. Russians, they say, have long been infringing on their rights and classifying them as second-class people. In America they simply cannot help but accept the oppressed poor. How to go to live in America forever in this way? You can come to the States with a regular tourist visa and then ask for political asylum there. Of course, all this will result in a considerable amount. But when you are granted refugee status, you will receive a number of benefits, starting with $2,000 in support and ending with free education at US universities.
3. Get a Green Card in the lottery.
To do this, you just need to take part in the Diversity Visa Lottery program, which is held once a year to attract immigrants. Everyone can win. Having received the coveted Green Card, you will be able to legally go to live in America. You don't even need a visa. The only condition is to stay in the country for at least 6 months a year.
4. Travel on a work visa.
In order to get an H1B work visa, you will have to interest your American employer enough to agree to spend several thousand dollars on your visa. You must have a higher education. This visa will allow you not only to work and live in the USA, but also to study, get a license, credit cards, etc.
5. Travel on a J-1 student visa.
This is where all Work&Travel participants travel. But to get a visa, you need to convince the employee that you are not going to stay in the States forever. The same visa is issued to various exchange programs for specialists, scientists, etc. from various countries.
This option will be of interest to those who are currently in their final years of university in their country.
7. Tourist visa.
This is the easiest option to legally come to the USA, but at the same time the most difficult if you want to stay there in the future.
And finally, before you go to live in America forever, think about it: if you have a place to sleep and something to eat here, is it worth it? After all, plane tickets are quite expensive, and the mentality there is completely different and sometimes even incomprehensible to a Russian person. It’s one thing to visit or travel. But it’s completely different to understand that you are strangers in this country, and you have no one to count on but yourself. Yes, you can see successful examples, but, unfortunately, for the most part, immigrants join the service staff. Therefore, be sure to weigh all the pros and cons of this idea in advance.
I wrote this article for students who are planning to travel to the United States under the Work and Travel USA program or other similar programs, as well as for anyone who is thinking about traveling to the states.
Work and Travel USA is a popular international program for students, whose participants go to the United States for the summer, work there, and travel part of the time. I went on Work and Travel in 2010 and spent some amazing months in the states. I lived most of the time in the beautiful city of New Orleans, and also visited New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. In this article I will talk about several common mistakes that students make when preparing to travel under the program and already in America.
Reference:
Full-time students can go on Work and Travel; the duration of their stay in the USA is about 4 months. BEFORE departure, the student must complete a number of documents, the most important of which are: a passport, a visa (student J-1 Visa) and an invitation from an American employer (Job Offer). To do this, the student contacts a local representative/agent/company that deals with Work and Travel. Students usually work in seasonal jobs in the service sector: waiters, beach lifeguards, guides, bartenders, but they can also get other jobs.
Work and Travel is a great opportunity to travel, gain a unique life experience, and improve your knowledge of the English language. Based on my experience, on the experience of my acquaintances, as well as other participants in the program, I will tell you about some mistakes that they make when preparing for a trip, and already in America.
1. Not booking tickets and rooms
Flights and hotel rooms booked in advance are much cheaper than if purchased on the last day. Once you've decided on your job and your departure and return dates, book flights to the US (usually New York), back, and domestic flights if needed (for example, New York to New Orleans and back, as was in my case). If you are spending the night somewhere, be sure to book a place in a hostel or a hotel room. Otherwise you will remain on the street. You can do all this yourself using special online services, for example:
My friends were going to work in New Orleans, but did not book tickets from New York to New Orleans in advance. Someone “kind” told them that if they buy it on the spot, there won’t be any problems. They arrived in New York, went to the ticket office, and tickets to New Orleans were only $300. There are no others. $300 for a ticket like this is VERY expensive. I had to fork out more, but at least I had enough money. But they arrived in New Orleans with almost no money.
If you want to travel at the end of summer, go somewhere (which I highly recommend), think through the route in advance and book tickets and rooms - this way you will save yourself from unpleasant surprises and save a lot of money. Often students go to the USA in a group or find friends on the spot, then they can cooperate and come up with an interesting trip.
2. Travel without money
When I was preparing for the train, I was advised to take at least $1,000 with me, even taking into account the fact that I had already agreed on everything about work and housing. Just to be on the safe side. Now, I think, this recommended amount can be increased by one and a half to two times. You need to keep the money on a card (make a dollar card in advance), having 200-300 dollars in cash, preferably not in hundreds.
When you arrive, anything can happen. For example, like my friends who had to spend a lot of money on tickets to New Orleans. They did not foresee such expenses, but, fortunately, there was enough money, otherwise they would have had to call home and ask for urgent help.
3. Not taking care of your English
The higher your level of English proficiency, the better your experience in America will be. This will especially affect work. Do you think that with poor English you can best work as a waiter? It’s good if you’re an assistant waiter, because a waiter is a position that you still need to grow into.
Without knowing English, you will constantly have to ask someone to cope with basic tasks: open a bank account, fill out documents, order a taxi, and you won’t even be able to go shopping properly.
Don’t expect that when you arrive in the states you will magically speak English. Immersion in the language environment really helps, but if you already have some basic knowledge, if you already know how to somehow communicate and constantly practice. Otherwise, you can live for years in America and not speak English normally, as happens among emigrants.
Prepare in advance, learn the language, improve your level. Focus on, look. Take the time to prepare as much as possible. It's hard to learn, but it's easy to fight.
4. Bring a bunch of extra things to America
Students are prepared for the trip by their mothers, fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, so sometimes children come to the resort town for the summer with suitcases of sweaters, knitted socks, woolen mittens, three jackets, a down jacket, boots, ten shirts and other rubbish. As a rule, everything ends up being thrown away, since in America you can update your wardrobe inexpensively and without problems, and at the end of the trip, many people go shopping, which makes their luggage significantly heavier.
For example, I arrived with virtually no belongings, taking only a light jacket, second shoes, a minimum of clothing and a laptop. I had no luggage, only hand luggage of about 15 kg. He returned back with a gigantic hand luggage and two tightly stuffed suitcases. And I’m far from a “clothes person.” Moreover, you should not buy clothes specifically for a trip to America. Better take more money and buy things there already.
5. Take unnecessary electrical appliances
In the USA, the voltage is 110V, not 220V, so if you take devices that are not adapted for 110 Volts, they will work poorly or not at all. Even if you have 110V equipment, you should not bring an iron, electric stove and other appliances that will only make your luggage heavier. If necessary, in the US you can buy essential household appliances cheaply by chipping in with friends, although this is usually not necessary.
You must take your phone with you; you will need it immediately to call your parents or contact your employer. I also highly recommend buying a couple of adapters for the outlet before leaving. In America, of course, they exist, but firstly, you have to look for them, and secondly, they cost 5-10 dollars.
Selfie in New York. True, the word “selfie” did not yet exist.
6. Rely on a fake Job Offer
To go on Work and Travel, you must first find a job and receive a so-called Job Offer - a document confirming that a specific employer is waiting for you in America. They won’t let you go to the states without an offer. Offers can be real or fake. Usually, Work and Travel companies have the opportunity to help students find normal real offers, for an additional fee, of course.
Having received such an offer, you must call the employer to make sure that he exists and is waiting for you. If you can, you can get an offer yourself: find a job via the Internet or through friends who have already taken part in the program.
But there are times when a student deliberately makes or asks to make a fake offer. The idea is this: I just want to get into the country, and then I’ll figure it out somehow.
I really don't recommend doing this. Finding a job will take time. Maybe a day, maybe a week. Or maybe a month. All this time you will be spending money and not earning money. You risk finding yourself in an unpleasant situation and creating unnecessary difficulties for yourself. If you are coming to America to work, take care of your workplace in advance.
7. Joking with the law and neglecting safety precautions
In America absolutely You absolutely cannot joke with the law. Good-natured police officers who, smiling and politely explaining how to get to the library, will mercilessly handcuff you and take you to the police station for shoplifting. Tears and “uncle, I won’t do it again” won’t help. Even for a crime that, in your opinion, is trivial, it can cost you so much that it doesn’t seem like much. You can actually be imprisoned because of petty stupidity.
Also, you shouldn’t look for, as they say, just one place for adventure. When I arrived in New Orleans, I was immediately warned at work not to go anywhere, that is, to bad neighborhoods, and not to carry a passport or large sums of cash with me.
They told about a guy from Russia who was walking around the French Quarter, where there are a lot of tourists, with a wallet in his back pocket. The wallet was stolen, and there was money, cards, a passport with a visa. The parents had to spend a lot of nerves and money to help their son out.
Of course, if you're afraid of wolves, don't go into the forest, but you need to have a head on your shoulders and not ask for trouble.
8. Turn Work and Travel into Work and Work
Students often view the Work and Travel program as simply an opportunity to go and earn money. Aiming at the pursuit of a long dollar, they save on what they can, do not travel and spend all the time allotted by the visa on work.
I understand that everyone’s reasons for traveling are different, and for some it is more important to earn money than to see the sights. But before you decide to turn Work and Travel into Work and Work, consider this. You still have to work for a long time - your whole life. Once you've worked hard enough, don't worry. But the opportunity to travel around America may not present itself. As my American colleague advised me: “Enjoy the moment!”
This program is not valid for Russia in 2018.
FLEX is a non-profit exchange program relevant for children in high school. In the CIS countries, the competition has been held every year since 1992. Participants in this program have a unique opportunity to study as an exchange student in the United States for free. Valid during the academic year.
The participant has the opportunity to live with a host family. It is noteworthy that American schoolchildren do not come to the Russian family while he studies abroad.
Having come to the United States for a year as an exchange student, a Russian can also take an active part in the social life of American society. This allows young people to better understand the culture of the American people. FLEX involves studying the history, traditions and even cuisine of the people living in this country.
The selection process for training ends in March of each year. By April, all students who apply for the program will receive up-to-date information regarding their status.
Features of competitive selection
Anyone who wishes to become a FLEX participant must go through three stages of competitive selection. In the first stage, potential participants answer questions in a fifteen-minute test. This test allows you to clarify how well the children speak the official language of the country of entry. The state language knowledge test includes ten vocabulary and six text questions.
The second stage is somewhat more difficult than the first. The US official language test takes more than 120 minutes. After this, Russian schoolchildren write 3 essays in the state language.
At the third stage of the competition, an interview with a potential participant is conducted. The interview is conducted in both English and Russian. Also, participants in the third round are required to submit 2 essays. The last stage of the third round is filling out the participant questionnaire.
Main advantages of the program
Many Russian high school students dream of becoming participants in an American exchange program. Returning home, the Russian demonstrates excellent knowledge of the English language. This allows him to enter even the most prestigious Russian university and successfully build a career in his chosen field.
Also, students who successfully complete their studies in the USA always have a chance to enter any American or European university. To be admitted, a Russian must submit an application for a grant. The second stage is passing international testing (or). After this, the Russian can submit documents to the chosen university.
Features of the Global UGRAD program
This student exchange program is relevant for Russians studying full-time at one of the universities of the Russian Federation. Participants in this program will be able to become students at accredited American colleges and universities. Also, those guys who are lucky enough to become students will be able to take part in social work and various cultural events.
Training includes attending lectures, as well as seminars and various debates. Russians who become participants in the Global UGRAD program have the opportunity to get acquainted with American academic culture and the characteristics of higher education in this country.
Global UGRAD program participants study American studies for an entire semester. Great attention is paid to the study of the country's government system. Students need to get used to . Students live in student dormitories. Often boys and girls from other countries of the world live with them.
Features of the program
Global UGRAD participants do not have the opportunity to choose their own university. The selection of the educational institution is carried out by the organizers of the exchange program. But the educational institution to which a Global UGRAD participant is assigned fully meets his interests.
Obtaining a Global UGRAD diploma does not imply.
Therefore, before applying for participation in the program, the Russian undertakes to inquire in advance about the quotation of the obtained grades by Russian universities.
Training begins in winter and continues until summer. Students are required to undergo special training. online orientation. After returning from the United States, Russians undergo online orientation again. The final stage is the seminar.
“Don’t like it in Russia? So go to your America!” - can often be found on the Internet. By the way, I could have left a long time ago for America, Europe, or indeed any country in the world (except Turkmenistan). Either to the ocean shore or to a convenient big city. But I don't want to. I feel good here too. So far I don’t see any reason to leave Russia. Moreover, go to the USA. No, are you serious? There is no decent coffee there, they demand money from you for every sneeze, and pay huge American taxes? Okay, even if you are happy with all this, how can a normal person live in a country where everything is measured in inches, miles, feet and degrees Fahrenheit? I pass! But if you suddenly decide to move to the USA, I have collected 10 ways for you. Don't thank me!
1. Win a green card
A green card is an ID that gives you the right to live and work in the United States. Every year the States hold a lottery in which 55 thousand green cards are drawn. All educated or working residents of countries with low levels of immigration to the United States are eligible to participate. To do this, you need to fill out a form on the American government website and wait for the computer to select the winners.
If suddenly you are lucky (the chance of winning a green card is approximately 1 in 200), then you will need to fill out forms, undergo a medical examination, collect a huge package of documents and then come for an interview at the US Embassy. If everything goes well, then it will be possible to sell off the property and leave for America.
2. Get a job offer
If you convince some American company that it needs an employee like you, then with its help you can get yourself a work visa. There are two types of work visas - H1B and L1. The H1B visa is issued to skilled workers for a period of 3 years. But there is a limit on them - only 65 thousand people can apply for them per year. The employer will submit the visa documents for you, and he must prove that he could not find a suitable American for the position promised to you.
The L1 visa is issued to senior managers who want to open a representative office of their company in the United States. If you have your own company with a good annual turnover and at least three employees, then you have every chance of getting it. To do this, you will need to collect a huge package of documents, move to the USA, make the branch profitable, and then you will be able to apply for a work visa extension or a green card.
3. Being gay
If you are gay and are being oppressed, you can ask the US for asylum. To do this, you will need to come to the United States on a regular tourist visa and submit an application to Citizenship and Immigration Services. You will need to prove that you have been persecuted in your home country or may be persecuted in the future. Documented descriptions of cases of violence, beatings and murders of gays and transgender people are suitable as evidence. After submitting your application, you will be called for an interview, and depending on the outcome, you will be allowed to remain in the United States or sent home.
4. Be talented
If you are an outstanding athlete, musician, scientist, writer, dancer or businessman, then you may be eligible for an O1 visa. This is another type of work visa, so it must be applied for by an American who wants to hire you or promote your talent. You will need to provide all evidence of your talent - certificates, diplomas, recorded albums, paintings, recordings from concerts and anything else that can confirm your talent. Review of the application takes several months.
5. Get political asylum
As with gay immigration, to obtain asylum you will need to prove that your well-being in your home country is at risk. You will need to indicate who exactly is oppressing you - the state itself or simply evil people from whom the police refuse to protect you. Cases of persecution due to political opinions, religious beliefs, national origin or membership of a social group are eligible to apply. Once you submit your application, Citizenship and Immigration Services will review everything thoroughly and then notify you of its decision.
6. Get married or get married
You can enter into a fictitious marriage with an American citizen and apply for a green card. There are even special intermediaries who will easily find you a match for a certain amount. But at the interview before applying for a green card, you will need to prove that your marriage is real. You should live together, tell the same stories about joint vacations, go to visit each other's parents, have common bills, common friends and a bunch of photos together.
If the fictitious marriage is revealed, you will face five years in prison or a huge fine. Also, when looking for a fictitious lover, there is a high chance of running into scammers who will cheat you out of money or start blackmailing you. Therefore, the best option is to marry an American or marry an American for love.
7. Survive “physical and psychological shocks”
To settle in America, you can try to apply for a U visa - it is also called a “victim visa”. You will be given it if you have become a victim or witness of a serious crime committed in the United States. This could include violence, the slave trade, kidnapping and murder. The essence of the “victim visa” is that America provides you with a residence permit in exchange for help in solving a crime.
The visa is valid for 4 years, and by the end of its validity you can apply for a green card. It often happens that illegal immigrants pay someone to specifically stab them on camera. If you decide to follow the same path, then you will have to get a good lawyer who can prove in court that you are not a fraudster.
8. Extend your tourist visa
If your visa expires, you can apply to have it reissued. In some cases, it can be obtained without an interview. All you need to do is pay the consular fee, fill out an electronic application, collect all the necessary documents and take them to the Pony Express office. If your application is approved, Pony Express will soon return your passport to you with a brand new visa.
9. Become a student
The student visa is called F1. It can be obtained for studying at US universities or language courses. To complete it, in addition to standard documents, you will need to collect all your diplomas, certificates of passing exams, an invitation from the university, correspondence with your supervisor and various scientific publications. At the interview at the embassy, you will have to convince the interviewer that you are really eager to learn, and after studying, you will be happy to return to your homeland to put the acquired knowledge into practice.
10. Invest in American businesses
The EB-5 visa gives you the right to live and work in the United States. It is given to entrepreneurs who decide to invest money in US businesses. The required investment amount is calculated depending on the location and type of company. On average, it should be $1 million, but it can be cut in half if you invest in underdeveloped and sparsely populated regions. Your investment must create 10 new jobs for at least 2 years.
Question and answer
The cost of living as a student in the USA depends on the accommodation option you choose. The most economical option is to live with a host family with 2 meals a day. This option will cost 160-220 USD for 1 week (depending on the city). The most expensive option is to choose to live in a student dormitory in a private room. This option will cost from $300 to $500 per week, depending on the city and the quality of the hostel itself.
The ideal option is to submit documents a year before the start of your studies. But, being realists, we understand that this is not always possible. Therefore, we recommend doing this at least six months before the start date of your academic program in the USA.
No. In a master's program in the USA, you will study together with American students and you will not be given any concessions for the fact that you are a foreigner... Once you are accepted, you are welcome to study... Therefore, with a weak language (even if you imagine the situation that you were accepted for the course), you simply won’t do anything You will understand at lectures and seminars! If you have weak/average English, we strongly advise you to take special preparatory courses in which you will improve both the “general” and “academic” aspects of English.
There are many opportunities to receive scholarships in the USA, both from international private foundations and from universities. To receive a scholarship at a university, you need to have very high academic performance or, if it is a prestigious university in which all students have been strictly selected based on grades, a demonstration of the need for financial support. Each foundation has its own rules and criteria for selecting scholarship recipients, and you must strictly comply with them in order to have a chance to have your candidacy considered.
Those students who study science, engineering and exact sciences have a better chance of finding funding, since there is a lot of scientific research being conducted in the United States for which funds are allocated. Those specialties that are focused on economics and business will usually require considerable investments, since such programs are rarely funded.
1. You can stay to work in the USA for 1 year under the “vocational internship” program. In fact, such work can be equated to advanced training—the acquisition of professional practical skills.
?2. You can stay to work in the United States for 3 years (with the right to extend up to six years) if, after completing your training, your American employer initiates the procedure for obtaining an H-1B visa (“professional visa”) for you. In this case, the person hired to work is required to have at least a Bachelor's degree and have an unexpired I-94 card (it is issued in addition to the F1 visa upon entry into the country). Is employment guaranteed after receiving education in the United States? Of course not! HOWEVER, experience shows that everyone who is really interested in work and all those who make an effort to find an employer get a job! Each university has a special department that helps with job placement - something like an “employment service.” They have their own database of employers, they hold “job fairs”, and companies turn to them in search of young specialists. As a rule, it all depends on the job applicant himself: how well he studied, how well he wrote his resume and How did the personal interview go?
It is possible if you pass standardized tests for school graduates SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or ACT (American College Testing) in advance, and also provide a certificate of the international TOEFL exam confirming knowledge of English at a high level (95-100 points on the iBT scale). Tests can be taken in Kyiv at the American Council, as well as at several test centers throughout Ukraine. It is also worth noting that prestigious American universities take excellent academic performance and excellent English proficiency for granted, and they do not provide any special advantages when selecting students. The best universities most often look at the student's motivation, his social activity, achievements in extracurricular activities and manifestations of talent.
How to leave for the USA
For many, America is the country of Eldorado, where you can easily make money, where the sun always shines and everyone is happy. Thanks to Hollywood films, many people think that in the USA everything is very easy and everyone is waiting for us. However, the reality turns out to be much more prosaic. And you need to be prepared for this.
The first disappointment may give us... our diploma. Most Ukrainian and Russian diplomas are not recognized by US employers, or qualify only for a limited number of vacancies.
Everything is much easier if you plan to get a local American education.
However, you should not brush aside the life baggage that you have managed to accumulate at home. Sometimes you have to fight to get your qualifications recognized, but it's worth it.
If you have a diploma from a domestic university and want to work in your specialty, you need to do the evaluation (equation) of your diploma, the success of which is not always clear-cut. It is best to do this in your native land before going abroad. There are a number of serious reasons for this.
At home, you can get comprehensive advice on issues that interest you, in particular regarding the procedure for re-registration of a diploma, what your diploma is equivalent to in a certain set of specialties, and even where to go to study abroad, and whether you need it at all. In addition, foreign companies most often work with original documents. And if the original diploma is lost during shipment, you will also have to spend time restoring the documents.
How to recognize a Ukrainian/Russian diploma in the USA
Renewal of a diploma is necessary for those who plan to continue their studies in the USA, Canada or Western European countries, as well as for those who want to get a job in their specialty in these countries. Re-registration of a diploma is also necessary in the case of incomplete higher education. This prudent step will save time and significant money, since the American university will give you credit for the subjects that you passed at the Ukrainian university.
Alas, educational documents obtained in the CIS countries are completely unfamiliar to Western employers. In particular, the entry in the diploma “specialist” or the academic degree “candidate of technical sciences” are terms that do not cause confusion only in post-Soviet states.
In order for a US employer to determine your level of education, he needs to compare it with a Western one, for which it is necessary to go through the procedure of equating our diploma with the American equivalent.
What is this Evaluation procedure? Evaluation is the determination of the compliance of education received in other countries with American norms and standards in terms of the essence of the specialty, the nature and number of disciplines studied, training hours attended, practical classes conducted and exams passed.
Documents on higher and incomplete higher, secondary specialized and secondary education, on the award of academic degrees of candidate and doctor of science with appropriate confirmation in the USA are subject to re-registration according to the American standard. This also applies to those diplomas in which “bachelor” or “master” are already written. The re-issuance of new diplomas is carried out so that we can compare and contrast the level of training of our bachelor and an American graduate who also has a Bachelors Degree.
To verify your diploma and receive an equivalent US diploma, send a copy to the specialist firm of your choice. The Qualification Commission will evaluate the diploma based on a comparative analysis of the relevant American educational programs and an extract from the Ukrainian diploma. Our academic hours are converted into credits, and grades into grades, after which the GPA (Grade Point Average) value is established.
The result of the entire procedure will be the so-called Evaluation Report and a certificate of a degree equivalent to an American one. This document is already generally accepted in the world and provides American employers with comprehensive information regarding the level of education you have received. With a diploma reissued according to the American standard, your level of education is recognized by all educational institutions and employers in the USA, Canada and most Western European countries.
It may also happen that the degree obtained after evaluation will be lower than that indicated in the domestic diploma. Don't be upset. To improve your qualifications, you will just need to complete your studies a little, which will be much easier to do if you have an initial American diploma.
And if you have a medical or legal education, you will have to go through a more complex evaluation procedure, since in the USA such professions are treated especially carefully.
How to travel to the USA?
The flow of people flocking to America continues today. However, now increasing the population due to immigrants has become economically unprofitable for the States. Therefore, recently the government has begun to more carefully screen out those wishing to join the number of American citizens, and now, in order to stay to live and work in the United States, one has to resort to various tricks.
Fictitious marriage or marriage of convenience?
The method is more popular among girls, but there are also men who also want to go this route. By marrying an American citizen, you automatically receive a green card (green card, the official name is United States Permanent Resident Card - an identity card or so-called identification card confirming the presence of a residence permit for a person who is not a US citizen and granting the right to work in the territory this country).
Finding a fictitious spouse is not difficult. There are plenty of people willing to get married for a couple of thousand dollars. However, this path can become thorny. According to the law, your intentions must be carefully checked by the migration service.
They will test you in every possible way, forcing you to answer tricky questions such as: “What does your husband prefer to read at night?”, “Under what circumstances did your first kiss take place?”, “How many pairs of shoes does your wife have?” etc. There are more than a lot of questions asked (there are more than 150 on the list of acceptable ones). To complete the check, they can also talk to neighbors and drop in for a visit.
In this case, you will receive a temporary Green Card. And if you cannot convince the migration service of the sincerity of your feelings, at best you will face deportation and a lifelong ban on entry into the United States, and at worst, preliminary imprisonment.
It’s better to create a real family, since Slavic girls are in great demand among American grooms.
Another way to get a green card is to give birth to a child in the United States, and the child immediately becomes a full American citizen.
Ask for political asylum
Having arrived in the States on a tourist visa, you can stay there forever by asking for political asylum. In this case, you just need to prove that for many years in your state your rights were infringed and you were treated as second-class people. In this case, you cannot do without a lawyer, who costs a lot of money.
You can tell your own story about how your freedoms and rights are cruelly infringed in your country - based on political views, national, ethical, religious grounds, etc.
In any case, this method is intended exclusively for those who are truly persecuted in their homeland. If this is not the case, you will not only have to make a deal with your conscience, which we do not advise you to do, but you will also have to collect a database of evidence. To obtain asylum you must provide:
Evidence of harassment (for example, certificates of battery, etc.);
Evidence that the state is unable to protect you from persecution (for example, copies of refusals to initiate criminal proceedings for beating, etc.);
Evidence that such persecution is possible in principle in your country of residence (for example, that anti-Semitism is rampant in your country - for Jews).
America is most often tolerant of oppressed refugees and does not deny them asylum, the states of Florida and California are especially loyal.
Another dubious option within this method is to classify oneself as an oppressed sexual minority. At the same time, evidence may be required during the interview with the migration service. Most often, “non-traditional” couples simply ask to kiss on the lips, and this is not easy for fake couples.
Work immigration
This type of immigration is only available to highly qualified specialists with experience in their profession. The highest chances are for programmers, specialists in the field of high technology, physicists, mathematicians, and specialists in the field of natural and technical sciences. To immigrate to America via this route, you need to find an employer who is interested in your qualifications and wants to hire you.
The position you are applying for must require a college degree and be relevant to your educational background. If there is no higher education in the required specialty, its absence can be compensated by work experience in this specialty at an approximate rate of 3 years of work experience for each required year of education.
It is worth considering that obtaining such a work visa is quite expensive for the employer and can last from 6 to 18 months. Therefore, companies apply for a work visa in this manner only if they cannot find an appropriate specialist in the States. After receiving a work visa, the employer has the right to apply for a green card (residence permit) for you as a valuable employee.
Illegals
The worst of all methods, full of risks. You can go on a tourist visa and simply stay in the country illegally. Or choose a more extreme method - for a fee of several thousand dollars, you can illegally cross the desert or ocean to your destination country. At the same time, you doom yourself to a disadvantaged existence. Few employers risk hiring illegal immigrants. They are paid less, they have no rights and freedoms. If you get caught, you'll be deported. Moreover, the family of the illegal immigrant also falls under the righteous wrath of the deceived American authorities - they will not be allowed into the country either.
Everything is fine with this point. And American employers treat specialists with an American diploma much more favorably. Although this method is the longest.
Those wishing to study in America need a student visa. Two types of this document are issued: F-1 categories for students in academic programs and English language programs. Holders of this entry permit must be engaged only in study and are not allowed to work without special permission. There are also M-1 visas for students in non-academic programs and vocational training, or J-1 visas (all participants in the Work & Travel program travel on this visa).
To obtain a long-term student visa, you must provide the embassy with a letter from a US educational institution confirming that you are enrolled in a specific form of study (Form I-20 or Certificate of Eligibility) or Form I-20 M/N if you are applying for M-1 visa.
However, having a certificate of enrollment does not guarantee that you will receive a student visa. The decision on whether to allow you to study in America is made only after a personal interview with representatives of the consular service. In particular, you need to convince the consular officer that you have no immigration intentions. At the same time, there is still a prospect of staying. F-1 visa holders, that is, students of an academic program, are entitled to one year of Optional Practical Training or OPT (that is, paid internship) in their specialty.
During ORT, which students get a job after graduation, there is a possibility that the employer will agree to take on the trainee for a permanent job. Then the university graduate can be issued an H-1B work visa, which is issued by the future employer for a maximum period of 3 years with the possibility of extension. The 6-year term is the marginal maximum allowed with all extensions. If the student was unable to secure a job during the ORT, he is obliged to leave the country, and if he was able to do so, American citizenship awaits him.
Family reunion
This method only works if you have relatives in America who have been living there for a long time and are ready to invite you to their place. There is another fair way to travel to the USA.
Green Card Lottery
You can win a Green Card by participating in the Diversity Visa Lottery for free. Green cards are issued by America to each country according to quotas every year in a certain quantity. To take part in the lottery, you must leave an application on the official lottery website: dvlottery.state.gov. Out of 7 billion people, only 50 thousand receive it every year, so the probability of winning the lottery is extremely low (according to various estimates, from 0.67% to 2%).
It is true that winning the DV Lottery does not guarantee obtaining a residence permit: if a person wins the lottery but does not meet the immigration requirements, he will not be able to move to America.
You can also get a card by marrying one of the lottery winners.
