<p>I am a current business undergrad in The Netherlands and I have been thinking a lot the last two years about living, studying and working in the U.S. It’s not like life isn’t good here and that I’m thinking about this because I’m poor, oppressed, lack of freedoms etc. It’s just that I sincerely believe that the American culture and mentality suits me better than the one I’m currently experiencing at my university and surroundings. Therefore, I’m thinking about studying and working in the U.S. after my undergrad graduation here and possibly even try to obtain citizenship later on. Of course this isn’t easy and so I am wondering if you maybe could give some sort of indication how hard it will be for me to get a job/green card etc. I’m a good student with a 3.5 GPA in my first 2 years and will probably do a masters in one of these 3 areas: marketing, investment banking or international relations/international security. Thank you in advance for your time and answers.</p>
<p>I’m a bit confused by your question. Are you planning to come to the US for your master’s degree? If so, I’d recommend you take a look at two sites. One is <a href=“http://www.edupassDOTcom%5B/url%5D”>www.edupassDOTcom</a>. It’s geared towards those wishing to get undergrad degrees here, but still has a lot of good info. The other site I’d recommend is <a href=“http://www.gradschoolsDOTcom%5B/url%5D”>www.gradschoolsDOTcom</a>. (Replace word DOT with .). </p>
<p>Also, you should be aware that tuition and fees are sky high in the US by EU standards. You won’t be eligible for in-state tuition at any public schools, at least if you come to the US directly to go to school. Most master’s degrees are NOT funded by universities, so you will have to pay a large sum of money. Many US citizens borrow funds, and a large chunk of these loans are quasi-governmental. As a foreign antional, you will not be eligbile for these loans. Most banks which make educational lonas aren’t willing to make them to foreign nationals UNLESS they have a US citizen or green card holder as a co-signer. </p>
<p>So, $ is the biggest obstacle most EU citizens face if they want to get US master’s degrees. You may be affluent–or have parents who are and who are willing to foot the bill for this. </p>
<p>If you want to work here directly after college, that’s a different story.</p>
<p>You don’t say whether or not you have ever been in the US, or how you got the notion that you’d rather be here than where you are. Think about that. How well informed is your understanding of the US? Do you get it mostly from the movies or TV? If you like what you think you know about the US, chances are you would like Canada and Australia just about as well. In recent years those two countries have been much more immigrant-friendly than the US. You should investigate them as well.</p>
<p>If you are determined to come to the US, you need to find out more about your options. Would you come as a student? If so, you should start by reading through everything at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) Then you should make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. If you can pay for your own studies, there will be a college or university here that will admit you, and you will get a student visa. If you can’t pay for your education, it will be much harder for you to find a college or university that will give you enough financial aid to make an education in the US possible. </p>
<p>If you want to come here to work, you would need an employer who can get you an H1 work visa. Read up on the rules for that at [USCIS</a> Home Page](<a href=“http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis]USCIS”>Home | USCIS) I teach English to adults. One of my students is a visiting scientist with a PhD in a biomedical field, multiple patents in his home country, extensive research experience both in the US and in his home country, and a potential employer that would like to hire him when his visiting scientist (J1 visa) status expires this spring. He is on a waiting list for an H1 visa. This is the kind of person that you would be competing against for one of the limited number of H1 visas issued each year. Don’t think for one minute that it will be easy. Your best bet for working in the US would be to get a job with a firm based in your own country that does business here and that sends employees here to work in the US offices.</p>
<p>I would suggest getting a job with a Dutch multi-national company that would send you to the US for a few years. </p>
<p>Another option, while you might feel it a step back would be to come to the US as an au pair. You get free room & board and live with a family and help them take care of kids for a year. I know several families that wanted male au pairs, as they had boys.</p>