Hi there,

just found out about this sub and wanted to write down my short story, I'm 24 years old, born and raised in Germany. Because my Mom was born in the US, I also have US Citizenship (Passport and SSN in my possession).

I'm a Sys Admin and generally very into tech, that's why for a long time I wanted to move to the US, to be at the the front end of Innovation basically.

Since the beginning of 2024, I'm thinking more and more about moving out of my parents, but I don't want to stay in Germany, so the US it is. Not 100% sure where exactly I would want to move, NYC is my dream destination but I don't know if this maybe is too big of a dream for now, this early in my career etc. to afford a place in the big apple. Both of my uncles live in the US if that can benefit me out somehow?

The move would be in early 2026 which gives me enough time to save up some more money than what I already have in stocks and checking acc. to make the transition easier and less stressful money wise.

Also need to really dig into information on how to proceed with the whole moving thing, getting an apartment first and having a job lined up would be ideal of course, not sure how to tackle the latter part from Germany tho.

Would love to hear from you guys, maybe some ideas of which city to move to and how to go about finding an apartment and job while still being in Germany?

Hi everyone,

I'm Davey, 30M, from the Netherlands, and I've dreamed of living in the USA since I was 11. My ultimate goal is to move to San Francisco, a city that feels like the perfect place for me to grow both professionally and personally.

I've been a freelance TV cameraman for over 10 years, working in ENG, sports broadcasting, and live production. I plan to continue in this field when I move, but my long-term dream is to transition into music. I play drums, and would love to be in a band with awesome people, and tour around in the US!

Part of my inspiration for wanting to move to California comes from makers like Adam Savage and Simone Giertz. Adam once said in a YouTube video on TESTED, "This is a city where you find yourself. This is a great place to come figure out who you are and who you want to be." That resonates deeply with me because I see San Francisco as a place where I can fully explore my passions and discover new sides of myself.

Living in the Netherlands has been fine, but it often feels like it lacks the opportunities to dream big and find people who'd like to achieve goals with the same passion as me. I've always been drawn to San Francisco, mostly because of watching a lot of CNET back in the day as well. I loved watching for example Tom Merritt and Molly Wood.

The high cost of moving/living and obtaining a visa are the main difficulties but I'm determined to work hard and explore all possibilities to make this dream a reality. I've entered the Diversity Visa lottery this year, but I'm also exploring other potential pathways, such as employer sponsorship or sending a demo music reel to US-based musicians. I've yet to do that though...

I'd love advice on moving to San Francisco, finding work in TV production, and making connections in the music scene. Any insights or tips are greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much for reading, Davey

All American shows / films, like desperate housewives, Gilmore girls for example, show the suburbs as being real community hubs. Everyone seems to know each other and help out, and it seems to be a much more communal living style than the UK.

I obviously understand this is media, and fiction, but I was wondering if communities are like that in the US?

It will obviously depend on location - region / state / town, so my question is:

Where do you see real community spirit as displayed in media - or is this fiction?

Are some states friendlier than others?

Hello everyone,

I am an international student who just arrived in the U.S. I would like to join a basketball club or team near Waukesha, Wisconsin. Please let me know if there are any nearby courts where I can play. I am female.

Thank you!

Florida natives here, and while we love so much about this state—like the theme parks and politics—we’ve always dreamed of moving. The heat and hurricanes are just too much! We’ve been researching Oregon and Washington and really like what we’ve found, but we’re struggling to find the ‘perfect’ city anywhere in the U.S. We like the cooler weather, mountains but close to a city, we’ve considered PA and VA too-I like CT for the “Gilmore girls” vibe-but not sure if this would be where I’d want to raise a family. I lean more conservative, husband is more Independent. We’re pretty open minded though.

We’re a homeschooling family looking for a church community (our background is a large Baptist church, but we’re open to exploring other denominations).

Are we crazy for wanting such a big change? And does anyone have recommendations for areas or cities that we should look at? Home budget is about 500,000 and job is a non issue.

currently a student in a canadian college who is a dual citizen. lived in canada most of my life, but want to study law in the states. ive considered moving to the states to explore the cities a bit more before doing my law school so i know where i eventually want to practice.

I definitely could visit on my own and return to canada, but given i am a dual citizen moving entirely wouldnt be much of an issue. I could work there legally and cross the border literally whenever. However, would this be smart?

i think other incentives i have include the fact that there are more internship opportunities in the states then in canada and even things like legal assistant roles are more prevalent. would it make sense to move? any thoughts or others who have done this?

Hey, I made a post on another subreddit on this topic (oddly enough becoming the most controversial thread of the last 30 days and 3rd of the last year) and was suggested to come here and see if what this subreddit might say on the topic, all insights welcome and please be blunt with your feedback if i'm being silly. This is about myself and my partner, we are married. I have also, before moving to Sweden been offered a sponsored role with a US org, I decided at the time to take Sweden instead.

Background on ourselves

I'm 32 (a man), I hold a British passport, an Irish passport and Swedish passport. I speak fluent English and C1 level Swedish. I hold a 4 year honours degree from a university in Scotland in CompSci and currently have about 11 years experience working in 4 different companies currently holding a senior engineering role (specific to Azure in healthcare).

My partner (who is a woman) holds a Swedish passport, she speaks fluent English and Swedish. She holds a 5 year Master degree in a Civil Engineering subject. She currently has 2, soon to be 3 years experience working for 1 company in a project management role (Specific to building hardware and software).

We have approx $300k in savings once we sell our apartment. We would like to move to the US and are starting planning around this, ideally in Cali though open to other areas e.g Texas, Illinois, NY etc (I know each state have low barriers in terms of cost of living as well as different salary ranges that, somewhat, reflect that). The plan would be to find an employer and secure a job offer to sponsor a move, is this the best realistic plan?

Im trying to find some help with finding work in the US and gaining my green card/work permit.

I’m from the Uk, I am 24, I am currently looking to find a forever career into marketing or property and start somewhere all new on my own, I’ve thought about this for the longest time would be a dream but now looking into it it seems a lot harder and a lot of a longer process than I ever imagined. Until i came to New Jersey for a trip and noticed how many people are working there without legally being in the country. So how does it happen? Everybody has jobs but we can not have a job without a social security number so please if anyone can give me best info

What advice would you give to me on what to do if you’ve moved to the USA yourself without a work sponsorship position already ( ps. Sponsorships are hard unless you already have high qualifications and a lot of background experience with big companies previously or they won’t look at you, they have to pay fees to get me here etc.) but I’m majorly determined to start a life here and find my career path I love America 🇺🇸

bro i neeed somebody to marry in us immediately

Hi everyone, 24f here I am from India I have 3.5 years of experience as Grc analyst/developer in risk management domain My boyfriend had moved to us for masters and got a full time job Please suggest me how can I move to USA in 2025

Potential offer to move to Chicago ($130k) from UK and we are a family of 5 (3 children), anyone done something similar and is it worth the move?

Hi, I have a question I do not seem to find an easy answer to. I am planning to travel to central america and continue to the US after, where it's going to be cold. I don't necessarily want to pack our (family of 4) warm clothing and carry the extra weight. I'd prefer to pack a box and ship the stuff, addressed to myself, to our hotel in the US. Now, since everything has been in use for quite some time, what customs value do I put? Is zero ok? Do I need to put any fictional number that is below the customs limit? I'd appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

I'm in the process of obtaining a US Immigrant Visa right now, hopefully, everything goes well and in 2025 I will move to the US. A question for those who made a similar move from EU to US, which companies did you use to ship your stuff? We're not talking crazy amounts here, maybe 1 or 2 suitcases or large boxes. We will try to get the most out of the airline luggage, but I don't expect us (2 adults) to be able to fit everything into 4 suitcases and 2 backpacks that we can reasonably carry

SendMyBags seems to be the cheapest service, but maybe there are others. I've seen people recommending DHL, FedEx and UPS, but those are significantly more expensive. And ofc, some services move huge cargo boxes, but I won't have enough stuff to fill 5 cubic meters. Thanks

Thinking about moving to the US, primarily due to cost savings, but the more I read into it, the more I wonder if I'll actually come out ahead. Most of the justifications seem to assume that there will be a significant salary increase. In my case, I would make the same in USD as I make currently in CAD ($130k/yr)

Currently living in Vancouver.
The cities I'm considering are Seattle, Washington DC area, and Denver. I believe all 3 are similar in housing costs and overall cost of living doesn't seem much different than Vancouver
I want to able to purchase a house (townhome is OK)
Would I feel much difference in quality of life with this move?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been living in Singapore for three years, I moved here when I did my masters at NUS and now working in a research lab leading projects with a focus on DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, and molecular techniques. I’m now looking to move to the US to advance my career in NGS bioinformatics, particularly in cancer research or R&D roles.

My reasons for moving are personal: I see better long-term career growth in the US and feel it offers a more favorable environment for settling down compared to Singapore.

For those who’ve made a similar move, I’d love advice on:
- Internal transfers: Are companies open to this, and how can I target the right ones? What kind of skills should I develop ? - Direct applications: What’s the best strategy to land a US role?
- Visa process: Any tips on navigating sponsorship?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

My partner (f28) and I (m29) are thinking of moving to the states in the following couple of years. I’m one year away from writing my red seal for being a plumber and my partner is a behavioural consultant. I was wondering what the steps are in order to start this process. Ideally I want to finish my apprenticeship before we move. Also thinking of buying a property down there. We currently live in Vancouver, Canada.

I (19,m) am now living in 🇧🇪 Belgium, lived here all my life. Now in nursing school 💉 and thinking about moving to America at one point. Reasons: - feels like there’s more interaction between people there, easier to get in touch with each other - more open minded, more kinds of people to be friends with - higher chances of finding a partner (I like men) - more fun stuff to do, more fun places

I know there’s also downsides like leaving family and stuff, but let’s just not think about that for a sec🤓

People who live in America: are these true or false? Is it really better there?

We are moving early next year, and most companies I’ve contacted won’t give us a proper quote to move our stuff- boxes, no furniture- until we are less than 3 months away from travel date.

Wondering if anyone can suggest a good moving company, and/or how much I’d be looking at roughly.

Moving from South Australia to Texas if that matters!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Hi everyone,

I’m a 28-year-old male currently living in Germany on a Blue Card. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence, and over 7 years of experience in software development.

While Germany has offered some opportunities, it hasn’t completely aligned with my expectations. Issues like high taxes, increasing inflation, and relatively stagnant salaries have made it challenging to feel financially secure. Additionally, the long wait times for doctor appointments (1-2 months on average) and the weather have contributed to my desire for a change.

I’m now considering relocating, with the USA being one of the countries on my list. For experienced software developers who speak English, how does the job market in the USA compare to other countries? Are the opportunities, salaries, and quality of life there worth the move?

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.

Any Russians here who actually went back home and were happy?

I am a Russian who came to the United States for a better life. I enjoyed all the opportunities this country provided me with. I bought a house, graduated from college and making 200-300K, depending on the location. I travelled a lot and spent 15 years here. But...

I am lonely as hell. All the people I met throughout the years never became "my people". I will always be "a foreigner, a Russian, or Russian spy" to them. The only relationships I had are superficial at best. I miss having friendships I had back in Russia. I miss being accepted, respected, and loved for who I am and not be a stereotype or bias that the majority of American people have about me.

Anyway, I could sell everything here and buy a very nice house back in Russia. I could use my Russian education and work as an engineer. But I will never make the same money I make here. And I will have to divorce my American husband who does not understand why I am so deeply unhappy here. He thinks US is the greatest country in the world and will never understand why anybody would want to live anywhere else. Marriage is stale anyway.

I do not know if I am going to make the biggest mistake of my life by moving back to Russia. I am in my 40s. But I feel like my soul is slowly dying here. I do not even care if I am going to be financially worse off. I just want to talk to regular Russian people, have regular friendships, and just be around "my people".

Any Russians here who went back home and forgot US like a bad dream?

Edit to post: If you are American and you think this is propaganda, please do not participate in this post. You are making this post more popular by participating. So do not spread propaganda if you think this is the one. I am only asking Russians who went back home to share their experiences (good and bad). What a freaking mess that I have to defend myself for the way I feel. Please stop it! I cannot read every nasty post when it is not offering any useful information that I am looking for. Some immigrant wanting to go back home should not anger these many people, it’s wild.

I did read some nice comments. But if I am going to move to Chicago or San Francisco to find my Russian community, I would still have to divorce my husband because he does not want to move. Thus, after divorcing my husband I will not have one soul in the U.S. who is a close friend until I integrate myself into a new place. At 40 years old, starting new life is not all that easy as when I was 20. At this point, I just want to go back home, and find peace after 15 years in the U.S. I regret moving here. There is nothing wrong with desiring a better life as a young person but one day you wake up and realize that there is nothing more important than your family and friends. Do not marry outside your race or culture and do not move out of your country if you are not starving. Accept your modest life and try to improve what you have and you will find happiness among people who accept you, respect you and love you for who you are.

Moderator locked and keeps editing my post. I love how they decided for me if I got the answers I was looking for. Please direct message me. Again, all nasty messages will be deleted. Apparently, it’s really hard for some people to imagine that someone wants to go home because it does not align with their firm beliefs.

Hi guys. I fell in love with the US when I went there as a 17 year old and wish to move there once I requalify as a nurse in the UK. I'm looking to do the MSc training here. I would be qualifying at the age of 30-31.

I know the degrees here lack some of the training modules but if I requalify as a adult nurse, I can work with children and babies to some extend. I can also go into mental health with the right amount of CPD and experience.

My main reason to go to the US is for a fresh start. I would love to have a clean slate as I've not had the best life here due to personal circumstances. Also the life of a nurse here in the UK could be better but I love the look of nursing in the US as it's more technical and vigorous. I just fell in love with the teaching styles and how amazing the knowledge you all hold.

Any advice surrounding the Visa, where to start, how a compact license works? I would love to go to North Carolina or Maryland.

Thanks guys.

Hi Redditors,

I’m an experienced professional specializing in water distribution systems, hydraulic modeling, leakage and pressure management, non-revenue water (NRW) reduction, and digitization of water systems using GIS tools.

I’m planning to move to the US soon and would like your insights on which cities have the highest demand for someone with my expertise. Specifically, I’m looking for cities where:

• Utilities or organizations prioritize NRW reduction, hydraulic modeling, and pressure/leakage management.
• There’s a strong focus on digitizing water systems, integrating GIS tools, or using advanced data-driven technologies.
• The local market actively addresses challenges like aging infrastructure and water loss management.

If you’re aware of cities with active water utilities, forward-thinking infrastructure projects, or consulting firms that might align with my skill set, I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations or advice! 🙏