What is the best way to see the most of the USA with a limited VISA?

Question

After University I want to go and travel the USA with 2 of my mates. The original plan was to fly to New York, buy a car and travel down the east coast. If needed we would get a Part-time job to obtain spending money, and then continue travelling across the southern/central part of the USA to the West Coast.

We would then travel up the West Coast, and finally along the Northarn/Central part of the USA heading East through Chicago and Boston back to New York for a flight back home. In general terms it would be a circular route.

After discussing the length of the trip we were planning on travelling for between 8-12 months, but VISA's restrict us from doing this. The options we have now are to try and do it in 3 months with a visitors VISA.

The question I want to ask is can anyone see anyway around this, or any other options available? I thought about travelling the USA for 3 months, then heading to Australia, then coming back and doing another 3 months. Is this allowed?

Answer 1

The best way to see the USA is by automobile. Your idea about traveling along the route suggested is good. You might want to try to go from NY to FLA then pick up I 10 and go across the country to LA. You would see many of the great Eastern and Southern US cities that way. Then go to Australia and apply for another tourist visa, Return to LA and go up the west coast and across the north and midwest ending back in NY. While you would still miss many sites inside this "great circle" it would provide a nice subsection of the US. Seeing the whole 50 states would take you about 3 years. By the way try to stop off in Hawaii on the way to Australia.

Another excellent method would be to travel by Amtrack - no driving and you can also see a lot by train.

Answer 2

My niece did this and its not easy. Work is hard to find and very poorly paid and just plain impossible in some places. Greyhound bus is a great cheap way to get from point to point but takes time. You could try hooking up with others in a hostel and buying a car or share lifts, be careful who with though and use common sense.
You can in theory leave the country and then go back but you would have to look into it thoroughly with the embassy who are very helpful in general.
Do as much research as possible via the web, lonely planet, youth Hostel Association, loads of gap year sites on line etc and pick the best option for you.
Many responses are far too optimistic so weigh up things on the cautious side.
Good luck and have fun

Answer 3

The student visa is a non-immigrant visa. You can stay as long as you study, but then you go home. There's no path from a non-immigrant visa to permanent resident.

Answer 4

Call the Embassy