Hi all,
Just wondering if it would be possible to move to NYC from Scotland for a few months to experience life in the city whilst working say a bar job? Is this possible? What Visa would you need? I know you can travel and stay there for 3 months but are not allowed to work - which is something I would want to do. Any help or advice is appreciated!
Thanks
> if it would be possible to move to NYC from Scotland for a few months to experience life in the city whilst working say a bar job?
I'm afraid the chances of you being able to live and work for a few months whilst doing a bar job are tiny to non-existent.
>What Visa would you need?
You'd need a non-immigrant work visa but the US doesn't grant visas for 'casual labour'. In almost all cases the applicant needs a firm job offer before an application is made.
The official US embassy in the UK page gives all the info you need:
https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/temporary-employment/
Don't be tempted to work illegally in the US. The potential consequences simply aren't worth it.
Frankly, if you're looking to work abroad the US really isn't a good idea. If you're 30 or under you could take advantage of the Australian and NZ working holidaymaker visas or...for what's left of 2020...you can still get a temporary bar job/ casual work in any EU country.
Thanks very much for the speedy reply with plenty of info. That sucks you cant go for a working holiday type visa like AUS/NZ. I was close to going for a year to AUS in October - Know many people who have took advantage of it however I just wanted to go somewhere different. NYC is like a dream! I feel like i know that many people who have been and done the whole Aus thing and looked into it that much that I've already been.
There's another thing to consider: New York City is one of the world's most expensive cities to live in, particularly for housing. It's even expensive for visitors. Go online to check.
I know it 'sucks' for you personally but think of it this way:
The US may appear to be a rich country...especially as it's depicted in UK media...but it still has many, many people who desperately need the type of job often taken by temporary workers in the EU (bar work and suchlike, temporary agricultural work etc). Like many other countries, it wants to ensure that such jobs remain available for its own citizens. Remember that the US doesn't have the equivalent of the NHS nor does it have the same benefits system as the UK.
I've been to NYC several times ...as well as to many other parts of the US...and I can assure you that living there is anything but a 'dream' for many, many people who have to live and work there.
[ Edit: Edited on 10-Feb-2020, 15:07 GMT by leics2 ]
Yeah totally understand and appreciate the responses. We are very lucky in the Uk to have such a fantastically run health service. I still think it’s unfortunate that you can’t live and work in NYC even for a short amount of time. Similarly in the UK jobs are hard to come by but if you are a hard enough worker and and willing to put in the effort then you will be hired. Part time short term included. I get it though.
This is probably the most general thing your about to hear all week and you might not even care but il share anyway: I’m 25 and basically looking to buy a home here in the UK. Just recently I thought to myself it would be really nice just to live somewhere else for a while even 3-6 months before I make the huge commitment of buying a house. Like I said earlier, I considered going to australia in October for a year but the idea just didn’t excite me much after a while. I’m still looking to get that feeling of being somewhere for a while out my system. Always wanted to go US but as you have explained it’s almost impossible. I don’t really know where else to go. Thailand ? Not English speaking ? Same with Europe. I don’t know. I have a degree which helps I guess. But not much point in getting a really serious job if I’m only there short term. A bit stuck as you can see ha.
Sadly the rent is outrageous, and if I were you I would consider any other city but NY !
I do understand but, having lived through periods when the UK unemployment rate was 10+% I disagree that in the UK jobs are hard to come by now (2019 umployment rate was less than 4 %). Plenty of jobs exist but often at rates of pay and/or with working conditions which many UK citizens aren't prepared to accept. That's why, for decades, we've needed gangs of EU workers to harvest our fruit & veg, hundreds of thousands of NHS staff from a myriad of countries, thousands of care workers from other countries etc etc. I'm not saying it's right...it's not...but it's wrong to suggest that jobs are hard to find. Jobs that people *want* may be more scarce but that's a different matter entirely.
Whatever you may have heard, it's illegal to work in Thailand without the appropriate visa....and, apart from the obvious risks, the people who do so are taking jobs away from locals.
>not much point in getting a really serious job if I’m only there short term.
It's true that you're very unlikely indeed to get a serious job if you're only a temporary worker in a foreign country. The chances of an employer making you a 'proper' job offer and being prepared to jump through all the visa hoops in order to legally employ you are tiny.
If you want to work abroad 'properly' you might think about getting a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), a qualification which will open numerous doors in numerous countries. Or you might start to look for a UK career which has possibilities for working abroad.
It seems you don't want to do the Australia/NZ working holidaymaker visa but what about the Canadian one? That might allow you (with an ESTA, obv) to explore a bit of the US too:
https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/eligibility.asp
Although you're wary of non-English speaking countries (though it might be useful to take yourself out of your comfort zone a bit?) it seems to me that taking advantage of the EU transition period makes a lot of sense. For the rest of this year you can still legally work in any EU country and your EHIC card will still be valid. And if you go somewhere which is popular with UK holidaymakers e.g. coastal Spain, Majorca, the Algarve, Malta, Cyprus, the larger Greek islands, Tenerife etc you'll find that having little or none of the local language won't be a major issue (you'll pick up a great deal very quickly anyway).
> Sadly the rent is outrageous, and if I were you I would consider any other city but NY !
Camille74, welcome to TP.
Rents in NYC aren't really relevant (though you might be surprised at how high London rents are!). As a UK citizen NSE123 cannot legally work anywhere in the US without a visa and a job offer is almost always required for that. Even with a job offer the potential employer must show that no US citizen could do the job, something which simply isn't going to happen with e.g. bar work. Many countries have a similar policy of employers having to prove that no citizen of that country can be found to do the job.
[ Edit: Edited on 10-Feb-2020, 16:58 GMT by leics2 ]
Again, thanks for the information although I’m absolutely willing to step out my comfort zone I wouldn’t consider leaving my position in Science (which are more difficult to obtain in Scotland) and moving to another country within a matter of weeks if I .. wasn’t. I mentioned the issue of a non English-speaking country as a consideration purely from a practicality perspective not because I would find it a bit uncomfortable.
As I said a ‘proper’ job or a more serious position within a company for example isn’t really something I am considering. Simply a short-term basic job to undertake whilst enjoying the country/city.
The Canadian working holiday visa is an interesting option thank you for this suggestion.
With excluding the Aus/NZ option, it looks like visiting a European country is most likely the best option.
Any other suggestions/tips/experiences/advice in travel, locations and the legalities are welcome!
I’m all ears.