British Expatriate Network

I am in the early stages of investigating into relocating to the USA. I am under no illusions that this is going to be the first steps in a long journey (metaphorically and physically!) and that I'm not guaranteed success, however I am going to give it my best shot. I have a wife and child of 2, and have only distant relatives in the USA (in Seattle), so I'll be applying based on employment. I'm a degree educated engineer with plenty of industry experience in transport sectors in Europe (trains, planes and automobiles - literally), so my first questions are

-Do I need to get a job offer from a US company to allow my visa for permenant residence or is it the other way round, ie, do I need a visa before any US company will offer me a job? Chicken and egg question - which way is best?

-I would prefer the East Coast, but where would I find jobs to suit me? Any large cities? Are some better than others for my particular career?

-Is the best route to use a UK lawyer for immigration, a US lawyer, or one of these immigration companies that I've seen on the internet?

Sorry for so many questions, but I'm sure many of you understand. I want to base my decision (if indeed I get a say in the matter), on the best facts possible and this seemed like a good place to ask.

Thanks.

You need a job to get an employment-based visa. Unless you're in a position to buy a business over here.

The easiest route is to get transferred over here by your current employer, imo.

But I'm no expert. Many here are, so I'll let them give you more info.

You'll maybe find some useful websites here

If a US company wants you bad enough they'll sort the visa out. But I doubt it will be easy for an 'alien' to find a job here. You might want to register with some international agencies such as Korn Ferry.