Wanting to relocate to LA from UK (advice needed)

Member since 17 October 2023

lukemanganworkMember17 October 2023 13:19:12

Hello there fellow LA expats and/or LA locals

My name is Luke and I am wanting to relocate to LA from UK and this is my one and only goal. I will be considering any and all avenues to achieve the goal as a result- It's Plan A or Plan A!

My itinerary:

No degree

Little savings (working on that for the time being)

13 years work experience in various fields including Cust service, Collections, IT tech support, Underwriting, Hospitality and even a little Poker dealing. As you can see an array of differing talents and skills but still all under the umbrella of a white collar worker.

Talented and quick learner, ability to think on feet and adaptable.

Want to live/work there

Timeframe can be within 1 year.

Here's the thing, I am willing to consider any opportunities over there and even would work 2-3 jobs if needed.

I know some people might try telling me to reconsider but that's not an option as this is what I want to do more than anything. I'm all in on this plan and there is nothing else to consider. Please keep this in mind if replying.

I am open to any and all pieces of advice obviously and always willing to listen.

Thank you for reading guys!

Luke

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3Josh Netherlands Advisor

Member since 11 March 2022

3JoshNetherlands Advisor17 October 2023 19:44:58

Hi Luke, welcome to the forum.

I lived in California (but not LA) for quite some time and have been to LA several times and did some research on living there as well. I don' t mean to dissuade you but the two main problems for you living and working in LA are:

a) you need a visa to stay in the US for longer than 90 days if you want to work full time. I'm pretty sure that working holiday visas aren't applicable in the US either. You aren't likely to find a visa sponsor or get a visa approved for general white collar work.

b) LA is expensive. You'll need to have a reliable car to get anywhere and there's a very good chance you'll need to drive a good distance to get from home to work. If you haven't done research on this already I'd recommend checking out Spokeo and/or rental websites to see what rent prices are in the area. Rents in the US are kind of insane right now.

One option might be to find a college in LA and go to school there for a bit, which would allow you to live there and work part time and then get a degree in something you could turn around and get visa sponsorship for.

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GuestPoster491 Guest

GuestPoster491Guest18 October 2023 13:13:31

Luke, I would agree mostly with 3Josh's post.

You have several things that are NOT in your favor.

No degree
Bounced around jobs - not specialized in one field with extensive experience for someone your age
Little/no savings

You say the timeframe is 1 year, but the visa process will almost definitely take longer....once you even find an employer willing to sponsor, which for reasons 1 and 2, makes that unlikely to happen. Also, you've chosen one of the most expensive places in the country to move to. In my view, it's just not a realistic plan or one that will likely yield success. You may need to reevaluate your insistence on your desires'. There is ALWAYS another option to consider if you are reasonable.

Even if you took the college option as 3Josh mentioned, you would be ~36 years old by the time it's done. Meanwhile, you're competing against 22-24 year old graduates. Employers generally prefer youth for a variety of reasons.

I'm afraid you're facing a very steep mountain.

Romaniac