Your advice: Planning move to NYC, working on E-3 Visa with spouse (New York: real estate)

[deejaybutter]

Hi there!

I've been reading a lot on this forum for a while now but it's hard to figure out answers to my particular situation. If anyone has some advice I'd appreciate it. Please don't respond with 'don't bother', 'you can't afford it' and negative posts unless you have something worthwhile to say that hasn't been said already... I know it's probably a bit of a crazy thing to do, I'll probably waste a lot of money but I think it'll be a great experience.
We'll eat in mostly, pack lunch for work. No, we're not hoping for the SATC lifestyle...

Anyway, I'm an Aussie from Perth planning on moving to NY at the end of the year with my wife. I'm an art director/graphic designer and will be hoping to get a salary of around 60k or maybe more. (I know someone in a similar role earning 75k)

My wife is a student and will be studying an Australian course externally. She's a qualified child care teacher with 6 years experience. I've heard it's not easy to get childcare jobs for non residents. I was hoping she could get a nanny job. Either way I'm hoping she can get a part time job that brings in about 10-15K.

1. I'm hoping to find a 1 bedroom in Brooklyn or Queens for 1700/m. I realize our income isn't 40x but I have wealthy parents who earn more than 80x and have a lot of assets to act as guarantor. Will this be ok?

2. Is the NY Times real estate listings accurate? Is it possible to get a 1br in Boerum Hill/Cobble Hill/Carrol Gardens for 1700 or would it be a dump?
If not, what is a realistic figure to rent in a nice-ish part of brooklyn, 5-10 minutes from the train. Anyone with any real figures for a studio /1 bedroom? Is there any site at all with accurate price listings?

3. I'm planning on flying over for a period to interview for jobs and, if I get lucky and land one, fly to Canada to apply for the E-3 Visa. Has anyone had any luck with this or will I have to fly back to Australia to get the visa?

4. What's the chances of my wife getting a nanny job / child care job? If not, waitressing/retail? She has no experience in the latter tho.

5. Are there any other hidden costs of living in NYC i don't know about?

6. Anyone earning a similar salary that lives in a similar area in Brooklyn? Are you enjoying it or just managing to get by?

7. A friend of mine lived in the southside of Williamsburg and loved it. Is the hipster thing as bad as everyone says it is? Would a young designer/arty couple that aren't pretentious scenesters still like living there?

Anyway, not expecting all of these to get answered, but if you have the time to, I'd be very grateful. I'd love to hear specifics – things get pretty generalized on here. If you know someone in an area paying x amount on rent, that would valuable info.

Cheers!

p.s. forgive me if I sound like I know anything, I'm pretty clueless in all honesty

[tpk-nyc]

Isn't an E-3 visa exclusively for Australians? I don't think you can apply from Canada. You should check with the State Department.

Your problem in not going to be housing but a job. Art direction/graphic design got hit really hard with the recession because companies cut back advertizing. Even in the best of times, it's an extremely competitive field in New York. It sounds like you have contacts who can help you out. Many of the graphic designers that I don't have work and are leaving the city.

[deejaybutter]

Thanks for your reply.

Yeah it's for Australians (which I am) but some people have been able to get from a U.S. embassy in Canada or Mexico. Just wondering if anyone on here has done it. From what I hear they might be too busy to bother, or you might get lucky.

About the the design industry, I've heard the same. I guess I won't really know until I put myself out there. It's gonna take a lot of effort. So your friends lost their jobs and couldn't find anything else at all?

[tpk-nyc]

Partly it's an oversubscribed carrer choice. Also, technology has changed. There is so much online software with free templates available that small businesses (the bread an butter of graphic designers) aren't hiring. Designers used to generate a base income laying out business cards, letterhead, newletters and flyers, etc. There's very little of that work left.

Of course, there are the big firms doing work for Coke or IBM, but good luck getting in one of those places.

The print designers and typographers (who usually have a background in studio art) are having a very hard time. People who can do interactive multimedia are doing better, but you have to be good a programming, which is a different skill.

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by tpk-nyc

Partly it's an oversubscribed carrer choice. Also, technology has changed. There is so much online software with free templates available that small businesses (the bread an butter of graphic designers) aren't hiring. Designers used to generate a base income laying out business cards, letterhead, newletters and flyers, etc. There's very little of that work left.

Of course, there are the big firms doing work for Coke or IBM, but good luck getting in one of those places.

The print designers and typographers (who usually have a background in studio art) are having a very hard time. People who can do interactive multimedia are doing better, but you have to be good a programming, which is a different skill.

You should also look at the requirements for obtaining an E-3. Its not as simple as being an Australian. There are specific qualifications required to be eligible for an E-3.

Also you would be unlikely to meet certain requirements to get the E-3 if you were to go to Canada first up, such as showing ties to Australia.

[deejaybutter]

Yeah don't worry about that, I know all the requirements for an E-3 Visa, I meet them all and have no problems with that aspect of it.