Thank you so much for your kind suggestion, Cateyes and Lucy Mo.
I read a lot of your posting, Cateyes and Lucy Mo. and all your posting is very valuable and I am really grateful for those.
I won DV 2008 and before I walk further, I would like to get input, thought, suggestion and anything else from all of you who have more experiences than me.
We know that if we look something we should consider in two sides, positive-negative. Most of us only would like to know sweet thing and forget the bitter thing. I know that life is hard but if my life in my country is hard (I have to think what I should do for tomorrow to be life) than why I should go to US for same thing?.
FYI, I got Master Degree in Microwave Engineering from a Swedish University and have professional certifications in IT and have been working for 7 years in IT field. I know that nowadays IT field is not in booming. That’s why I am reviewing my decision.
Hey AntonLou,
I my self am a fellow software engineer, and I have been monitoring IT positions mostly on the US East cost for a number of years now. I was waiting till I had enough experience to maybe try and get a company sponsored H visa. Then low and behold the KCC letter arrived.
My first point, Adjusting to life in the US.
I have to say the US is not for everyone. But its definitely for me, as Catseyes so eloquently stated it is up to you to make up your own mind, but here is my 2c’s worth.
My very first trip to the US was 10 years ago now, I got a job with IBM here in ireland and was very lucky to have been sent on a business visa to go and work in san jose, CA for about three months. Let me tell you it was the life, great apartment, fantastic expenses + wages, I was raking it in, living in the US which I had always wanted to do, and had my company picking up the tab. Live was sweet. I of course became obsessed with the US and began entering the DV program.
After the realisation of winning the DV being nothing more then short of a minor miracle set in, I decided to take a career direction change, and go to university in Ireland. I studied a BSc hons in Software eng. My reason for doing so was threefold, firstly access to better and higher paid jobs here in Ireland, secondly to improve my chances of getting a H visa, and thirdly and most importantly the J1 visa!
At last I had the chance to go and legally work in the US. I have to say I was never interested in working undocumented, it would not be for me.
So summer 2003 I arrived off the plane in Boston to live in America for four months. I have to say this is where the dream turned sour. There was no expensed flights, no nice apartment with a pool, and no hire car to drive around in. I was messed about for SIX weeks trying to get a SS no, (I was on a business travel visa the first time so not entitled to a SSN). I could not get a job anywhere as had no SSN, my money was running out and It was looking like I would have to come home.
Thankfully an Irish guy in Boston sorted me out for a job. When I eventually got my SSN, I moved to a new job, cleaning cars for avis at Logan international. Working 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week to make as much money as I could. I have to say it was one of the hardest jobs I ever did, I actually lost a stone in weight while working there! Now instead of driving about in a hire car I was cleaning them for those that were, talk about the other side of the coin.
Anyway it was hard work, but what the hell I sucked it up got on with it and had a fantastic summer in Boston. Then used my savings to drive coast to coast in the US, an amazing experience let me tell you. I went to DC the following summer and the story is much the same, tough job, long hours little money.
So I have seen both sides of life in the US, Americans are workaholics, I know that now, they get sod all holidays. All that being said I love the US, growing up in Ireland I have been subjected to much of the American culture, Ireland has turned into a sort of mini America, plenty of (unevenly distributed) wealth, people working long hours, outrageous property prices, long commutes in the car to work and so on.
But when it comes down to it, I love the US, it’s a great place and I would love to go and live there given a chance. NY city is my most favourite place in the world, and I want to be able to say I have lived there for at least one year of my life.
My second Point, US IT job market.
If I may quote you – “FYI, I got Master Degree in Microwave Engineering from a Swedish University and have professional certifications in IT and have been working for 7 years in IT field.”
“A+ certification, MCP and Oracle 10g certification in IT.”
You are very highly qualified, I am not sure what country you are from, some where in Aisa? But If your GC does not work out and you want to make some serious cash, come to Ireland, with experience like that you could be earning 60/70k (euro). As for working in the us, if you get the right job and can convince employers of your worth, you could be looking at 100k plus in any of the east coast cities. This is no word of a lie. Don’t forget that America is a highly capitalist place, US employers will pay you well if they need you and you are a good engineer. It does not matter where your from and what your background is, with qualifications like that you could do very well in the US.
As lucyMo said, “You are coming to the US with the right to live and work here.” Just because you will be an immigrant, it 'should' not mean you are a second class US citizen. Maybe the reality is different, I dont know. I think you underestimate your worth.
Right enough of my usual ranting!
Oh, LucyMo while I am here, you seem to have a great command of US immigration I have a question for you! Now that I have filed an app. For a GC via the DV what would happen if I tried to enter the US on a visa waiver? I regularly visit friends in the US east cost is only 5 hour flight from Dublin, as I said I am in no way intending to enter the US to work legally it would literly be a week or two holiday. Now I am thinking that I may not be able to go back to the US till post October 08 whether or not I end up getting a GC. So I will not have the chance to vist some of my close friends for nearly 16/17 months? Any thoughts on this scenario? Thanks in advance lucy.
AntonLou, good luck making your mind up, I have colectivey spent about a year in the us over the last ten, if there is anything I can help you with post away…
