how do i relocate to new york?

Question

simply speaking, i am a british citizen.. born and raised in london and i work in engineering for a dot com. i would like to move to ny, mainly to pursue my passion for music and to learn.. also for the normal reasons of a change of scenary and to experience nyc life.

i know its difficult to pursue, but am i being unrealistic? can i just move to nyc and try and seek employment (dj'ing would be my short term approach).

this is something i really want to do, but obviously i dont want to return in 3 months none the wiser.

appreciate the help people.

Answer 1

You can definitely do the move. My suggestion though, since it sounds like you've got a pretty good job, is to find a company to sponsor your visa. That's going to be the only difficult part -- getting working papers. You could just move and find off-the-books work like bartening (which makes a lot of money in ny, btw, since we tip here. In a pub you could make a few hundred bucks a night. More if it's a trendy place), waitering, etc. If I were you I'd either come here with a job lined up, or come here with 10 grand saved (!) so that you have $ to rent a place and live for a few months w/o work. Just remember, everything in NY is more expensive than it should be -- just like London!!!

Answer 2

Timing is bad to totally relocate to NYC due to terrorist fears. That said, sure you should do it if you like but dealing with reality, the question begs, "why leave Britain when the brits and in London especially the music scene is so hot".
I must point out that New York City (and I will get flack for this) is not the center of the music world. Dance, yes, Professional theatre, maybe but Dance Music. No. Most of the really great dance music is created in cities like Kansas city and Rochester, NY. If you are persuing a concert or jazz career then you would be best to check out the Eastman school in Rochester, NY. From there you could branch out to NYC.
Many other areas of the US are hot for music. Nashville for country, New Orleans for blues. A lot will depend on your specialty.
Now as to arriving and surviving. New York City is just about the most expensive city in the world to live in. Unless you are quite well off, you will be living outside of NYC, probably New Jersey and comuting into the city. NYC is so multi ethnic and multi lingual, that it is difficult to find your niche among the 12 or so million residents (not counting New Jersey or upstate or Connecticut) A tiny apartment with just a sink and a toilet about the size of a walk in closet will cost you $1000US a month. Get the idea?
You mentioned dj'ing. I was a club DJ for about 20 years. The new dj's today have to work up thru the ranks and you chance of even getting behind a turntable and being paid is about 1 in a thousand in the USA and probably one in hundreds of thousands in NYC. Most dj's in New York hook up early (by sleeping with somebody) with established club owners, music personalities, big business...you get the idea. Not really a good option unless you are one of the top 100 dj's in the world and then of course, you will get those bookings in the hinterlands.
Sorry to sound so negative but you should realize that this would be a very difficult step for any young American boy or girl made doubly difficult if you are not well-known and respected in your home country.
In closing, I should also point out that America is VERY youth oriented. If you are 17 you might have a chance. If you are in your late 20's or older...you should have 2nd thoughts. Most music students tend to start very young...as early as 6 or 7 and reach the peak of their careers sometimes as early as 14...older folks have to compete with the geniuses.

Answer 3

That sounds great, but you can't just show up at the border and expect to be let in. I am married to a UK citizen and even he has trouble getting through immigration checks sometimes.

You need to look for an employer willing to sponsor an H1 visa for you to come to the U.S. Once you get the visa, you can move to the U.S. legally and work here legally. It's not that difficult to pursue. I know a Brit who lives in Hoboken, NJ - he was recruited from London to do IT for a really big bank. A lot of IT people are coming on H1 visas to work in Jersey City, NJ. After 9/11, a lot of big corporations moved their offices to Jersey City, and there has been a huge influx of IT professionals on visas in this area. I think the main ones are Chase and Citibank.

Also, after about 3 years working on an H1, it is possible to apply for a green card. So if things work out and you enjoy being in NY, you can eventually get a green card. With a green card, you could live and work here permanently - if things work out, you could quit your day job and pursue your dreams.

Answer 4

Follow your dream! NYC is a great artistic center, and very inspiring to many people moving there, who come from all over the world, and the USA, too. (NYC is just as exotic to Americans as it is to everyone else!)
New York gets bitterly cold in winter, so bring your warmest clothes--the USA generally has more extremes of temperature than Europe..
Remember in America, you can't afford to get sick or EVER be hospitalized. There is no socialized medicine, and many of the government services you might take for granted in the UK are unknown here.
Medical Care (in NYC and all the USA) costs a FORTUNE.

Another point of etiquette that is different in America---no one is ever rude to policemen, ever (they carry guns).
"Yes, Sir!" is the proper form if they ask you to do anything.

If you stay fit, and keep positive about your future, America is terrific....but, it is a frontier in many ways, and you're on your own.

Answer 5

All of this nonsense about being polite to police as they have guns, and it being bitterly cold, is rediculous. Yes, housing can be expense but a family membr did quite will finding a place to share on craigslist. Folks like to bash NY for some reason

GOOD LUCK