Hi - I am due to be made redundant soon and have always thought about wanting to live in NYC - but at 43 have I left it too late? What are my options? I’ve tried the internet but not finding it easy to get information. I assume I would need to try and find a job out there first and have enough savings to be able to rent somewhere. Has anyone done this in their 40’s from the Uk on their own and what tips do you have? Thank you
America Josh is Australian-focused so not everything is relevant for you, but lots of good practical information about making the move.
If you’ve got savings or will get a redundancy payout, you can travel to New York on an ESTA and go to industry events, network, meet recruiters, etc, you just can’t do any actual work and you would need to leave the country again before applying for a work visa. As with other big competitive cities finding jobs takes persistence (you should have an American format CV and know your elevator pitch inside out).
Age is no big deal at all.
Do you have a relevant bachelors degree (at minimum)? Most visas require specialist skills and a bachelors at a minimum.
Two biggest things are finding jobs willing to sponsor visa holders (there are lists of companies who have sponsored H1B out there to give you an idea of who they are), then getting lucky getting a visa as many are over-subscribed.
Work for a US company in the UK, work hard and angle for a transfer to the US office (also could be a UK company with offices in the US etc.) - look for L1 visa.
Find an American SO, get married and apply for a spousal greencard - look for CR-1. They’ll need to prove they have the resources to look after you.
Those are your two realistic options. If you were American looking to live in London you’d have a similar - perhaps slightly larger - range of options. Now you may understand why losing free movement of people to the EU 27 was such a big deal for those who want to try living abroad.
Have you ever actually been to NYC?
Please don’t, it will suck your soul, and destroy your zeal for life. Stay away from NYC and the U.S. my dude. Most everything you think you know and like about it is a facade. This place is a sham.
I moved from US to Netherlands at 58. I’m now 69 and still here. Never looked back. Do it.
I moved to the US at 43 yo. Got married, got divorced, got married again to someone more suitable, have two young kids now. People here are very helpful and open to new opportunities. The big city might be a big challenge at present. I’d try North East, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, or further west, Wisconsin, etc. Get dating and find an American partner to start a new chapter with.