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Living Abroad

An expat guide for establishing a life in the US.

#1: Roads to Success

If you have no idea where to even begin, this is for you.   What I have found over the years is that it will make all the difference to have a good plan from the beginning to get to your end goal. The end goal for the purpose of this series is to live abroad in the US, long term. For most that is by securing a full-time job. But unless you have won the green card lottery or have exceptional skills in your field, your best bet is to use a ‘bridge’ to get there.   A ‘bridge’ in this case can be one of many things you do before are able to more easily transition into full-time employment. To be clear: A bridge mostly serves the purpose to get you a work permit in the end as it makes it much more attainable. If you don’t have to worry about a visa / green card, count yourself lucky! You can skip #1 and #2, you still might get some tips from #3 though:
  1. Attending a university in the US
  2. Doing an internship at a US company
  3. Networking with the business community in your US city of choice
While the first two scenarios are mostly relevant to younger folks, #3 is doable for people of any age. I’ll go through each option and give you my insights how to go about it.
  1. Attending a university in the US
  This was my own path and it is the one that will take you the longest. But of course you’ll have to enjoy the journey! While I lived through many stressful days, I fully enjoyed my years here before securing the green card. I built a life, made many incredible memories at college, and the only thing missing in the end was the permanent residency so I could call San Diego my permanent home.