What is the best way for my Australian friend to get a visa and live in New York City?

She is college educated. Her first language is English, but she is fluent (and I mean FLUENT) in Japanese. She can tend bar with the best of them. She wants to live in NYC. How can this happen?

Public Comments

1. E-3 Visa is Suitable For: * Foreign professionals from Australia seeking temporary work in specialty occupations * U.S. companies to bring in qualified foreign professionals from Australia for jobs that require a bachelors degree and specialized skills How do I qualify for the E-3 visa? The new E-3 visa classification currently applies only to nationals of Australia as well as their spouses and children. To qualify for an E-3 visa you must demonstrate that: • You have a legitimate offer of employment in the U.S. • The position you are coming to fill qualifies as specialty occupation employment • Are an Australian citizen • You have the necessary academic or other qualifying credentials • Your stay will be temporary • If required before you may commence employment in the specialty occupation, that you have the necessary license or other official permission to practice in the specialty occupation • An approved Labor Condition Application is required and no more than 10,500 E-3 visas can be issued per year Note: E-3 principal applicants must be going to the U.S. solely to work in a specialty occupation. The spouse and children need not be Australian citizens.
2. Pick a visa There are basically NINE ways that you can get a visa to live and work in the US: (1) Marriage (or engagement in anticipation of marriage) to a US citizen. (2) You have skills that are in short supply in the US e.g. scientific or medical training. A degree is normally a must. Or you have superior specialist skills with at least 12 years experience. (H visas) (3) You have an Employer who is willing to transfer you - but even the employer has to make a good case for you - so you have to be a manager unless you fall under category (2) above.(L visas) (4) You may get a Green card in the diversity lottery (UK citizens, except N.Ireland, are not generally eligible unless you, your spouse or parents were born abroad or held a different citizenship. (5)You own or buy business (does not get you permanent resident status i.e. no green card)You must be a national of a qualifying Treaty countries. The business must have a minimum value of around $150k (more the better) bearing in mind you will need somewhere to live and with any startup business you will need at least 2 years living money as back up. So a figure of $350k would be a nearer minimum (E-2 visas) (6)You are an "investor" i.e. you have at least US $1m in assets to bring with you. half of that in a few areas. And your background will be investigated to the hilt. (EB-5 visas) (7)You have a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister and no further) who is an US citizen who would sponsor you, approx time this take 2-12 years? (8.The R1 visa is available to foreign members of religious denominations, having bona fide non-profit religious organizations in the U.S., for entering the U.S. to carry on the activities of a minister or religious worker as a profession, occupation or vocation (9)THE UNUSUAL You are in a position to claim refugee status/political asylum. or You get a member of Congress to sponsor a private bill with legislation that applies just to you. The S visa issued to persons who assist US law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes and terrorist activities such as money laundering and organized crime Recruitment agent will not take you seriously if you are not already in the US. Writing for jobs is really a waste of time; likewise US employers have no idea what foreign qualification are or mean (except Degrees) it may pay you to get your qualification translated into a US equivalent, there are Companies that do this (www.wes.org) .. But if you are getting a visa under (2) above then you need a job offer before you can get the visa. Your Employer will be your sponsor this will cost them upward of $5k. So you can see you have to be offering something really special to get considered They may also have to prove to the Dept of labor that there is no American who can do the job if the position is to be permanent ©