Finland or US?

[Mattias]

I lived in Sweden and moved to the USA last year, I like it here
I've been to Finland twice with the boat before

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by minibrings

I
As for moving here, its not that easy. There is a reason why the US does not have an open immigration policy (unlike Canada, Australia, New Zealand). Too many people would come here. Once you are an adult and if you still want to move here (after visiting of course) your options would be to get a company to sponsor you via a work permit, to marry an American or to try to get in through the diversity visa program. I believe Finland is one of the countries which is underrepresented for migration into the United States.
travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1318.html

One option younger people need to look into(less than 30 years) is the 1 year working holiday agreement that the USA has with many countries around the world. That will allow you to come to the USA and take a job for a year. There are heaps of seasonal jobs in the USA available in different resort areas.

Another option for young people is the J-1 visa which will allow university students to come to the USA for several months to work a seasonal job then have a month to travel after. The company I worked for in Colorado filled much of it's staff needs with J-1 visa uni students during ski season, mostly from Australia and NZ. I believe they made some changes to this visa so one needs to check the current rules. Many friends used this visa year after year to work for 4 months in the USA then go back to Uni till they finished school.

For anyone less than 30, if interested in the USA, I'd recommend both programs as they are simple to obtain by comparison with other visas and it will allow you to experience the USA before you make a massive commitment by trying to migrate here.

[orangeapple]

Originally Posted by jufrbo

Anybody can adapt to the US. Don't think its all neat and exciting though, the entire country is not New York. (thank God) It is just as boring here as any other country. The only difference is as an American you get the privilege of everyone hating you.

lmao!

[skrazzle]

Originally Posted by Finland Boy

I think that this is a stupid question but still going to ask it. I'm sure that most of u guys doesn't even know what the darn is Finland or something and I'm sure that anyone of u have ever been to Finland. But I'm from Finland and I'm 15 yrs old living in southern Finland. I've always dreamed about living in US though I've never been to the States. I have a lil cousin there he lives in Cleveland vicinity I assume Frankly speaking I'm sick of Finland and I want some action to my life. I'm so bored here in the backwoods, I feel like I don't belong here So is US so cool to place live like some say and I think? Would it be impossible for a Finnish boy to adapt in the States? Please give some tips!

Where in Finland do you live? I am from the US.... and i've been to Helsinki, spent quite a bit of time there when I graduated high school. I LOVED IT. I wish I could speak finnish and move there. It was very fun, the people were great (when drunk LOL) and I just loved the city.

There are differences from what i've seen. You come to the US, and most likely when you want to get away, you will get away to other states. Everything is the same but there are some small cultural differences between the states, also very different looking areas (US has the types of climates in the world). You go to Miami while you are here and you will feel like you just went to another country. You spend sometime in in LA and then go to NYC and you see huge differences, not just in the city and the land but the people as well.

However, in Finland if you want to get away you have options that I would LOVE to have here.... so many countries that are easy to go too around, and see so much History. The closest here is Canada (which is different but not MUCH different unless your in Quebec) and Mexico. That is one of the major upsides to Europe.

The people here I would say are a bit more.... social? And anti-social too. It really depends where you are. For example I live in the midwest, and through the midwest and Chicago you will find a lot of friendly people, easy to just go up and talk too. On the east coast in the US you don't see that as much, on the west coast you do. When I was in Helsinki, people did not talk as much if you didn't already know them, except at bars.. this may have been because I was a foreigner however.

People also here are very involved with consumerism, we are a consumer economy (however we are in a recession now that is getting worse so this is changing). We have big houses, big yards, drive cars everywhere.... i'd much rather have the transit system that Europe has. If you are lucky you can find a city with light rail.

No matter where you are, you won't find excitement if you don't make it for yourself. You can't wait for it to come to you.... (tho it is easier to find if your in a bigger city)

The US is not everyones cup of tea. The dream that was the US has changed since back in the 20s... which when people talk about the American dream and prosperity, I personally think of back then. To get ahead now its all about the money, unless you have an extremely good idea you can't just get a manufacturing job making 70k, invest and live well here anymore. College is not as accessible as it used to be.

I came to finland through an exchange student I met in high school. She still lives there... one of her friends I met while there came to the US and she married a man from here, and they moved back to Helsinki it is where they preferred to be.