Hi all,
Ok, so I’ve certainly spent a lot of time researching this, and know that there are many similar questions/responses out there, but none that give me the advice I’m looking for. In short, I have been travelling back and forth to Pennsylvania over the last 11 years after making some great friends there on a random youth trip many years ago and have now come to a point where I would like to make a permanent move over there.
I am 25, have a Bachelors degree in international politics and have spent the last 3 years working for the UK government, particularly on a large IT project and now on the 2012 Olympics. If I stay here then I see myself heading towards a career in project management, and my next step would be the PRINCE2 qualification. However, I’m not limiting myself to this career and have particular interests in real estate and architecture. So, I guess my main question is how possible is it for me to make a permanent move to Pennsylvania? Would I be an ‘ideal’ candidate? I understand that the only way to get a visa is to have a job offer/sponsor from a company beforehand. I would be happy to continue studying but would prefer to do it of an evening so that I can still work full-time as finances wouldn’t cover the huge international student fees that would be incurred.
Thanks in advance for any advice and/or information…I want to research every possibility there is, however long it takes me – and not doing so through marriage or by illegally overstaying the standard 3 month visa waiver trip 
.
J.
Unless you are independently wealthy you will need a job + a work visa. You need a sponsor (employer) for a work visa – you can’t apply for one on your own.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html
Check with US companies in the UK and UK companies with offices in the USA. For example, Hilton and Marriott hire international staff as interns.
UK citizens can visit the USA for up to 90 days as a tourist, so you could travel for interviews & tests if necessary.
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/business_pleasure/vwp/i94_samples.xml
Search "international exchange programs USA" and there should be many links to programs that offer temporary and seasonal work in the US. Examples are:
http://www.ccusa.com/country.aspx
http://yummyjobs.com/
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. UK citizens 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.collegesintheusa.com/
If you decide to go to university in the USA the first step is to identify several schools you might want to attend and make contact with their offices of international students
For example (though not in PA):
http://global.tulane.edu/oiss/
http://oiss.uno.edu/
Note that it is equally difficult for an American to move to the UK.
Good luck!