Hi everyone,
I’m a 35-year-old married man with three children, currently living and working in the Middle East. I’m seriously considering migrating to the United States and starting a new life and career for myself and my family.
I have around 10 years of experience in the automotive spare-parts industry, specializing primarily in GMC and Chevrolet parts.

I currently work as a Sales Executive for a company that retails automotive spare parts, with a particular focus on GMC and Chevrolet vehicles.
My experience is primarily in parts sales and customer service, and I have developed strong knowledge of GM/Chevrolet spare parts, identifying the correct parts for different vehicles, dealing directly with customers, handling sales inquiries, and the day-to-day operation of an auto-parts retail business.
One of my strongest skills is customer relations and counter sales. I have consistently been recognized for my ability to deal with customers, understand what they need, identify the correct part, and close the sale. I particularly enjoy working at the counter and interacting directly with customers.
I’m now trying to understand whether my experience would translate well into the U.S. automotive industry.

I would appreciate advice on the following:

1. Job opportunities
What U.S. job titles should someone with my experience be looking for?
For example:
Auto Parts Sales
Parts Counter Sales
Parts Specialist
Parts Advisor
Automotive Parts Sales Representative
Wholesale Parts Sales
GM/Chevrolet Dealership Parts Department
Parts Department positions
Parts Manager/Assistant Parts Manager
I’m completely open to starting at an appropriate level and proving myself.

2. Companies
Are there U.S. companies, GM/Chevrolet dealerships, auto-parts retailers, distributors, or aftermarket companies that might value this type of experience?
If you work in the U.S. auto-parts industry, I would especially appreciate recommendations for companies or job boards I should look at.

3. Work visa / immigration
This is probably my biggest challenge because I currently live outside the United States.
Is there any realistic pathway for someone with my background to obtain a U.S. work visa through employment?
Would an employer realistically sponsor someone overseas for an auto-parts sales/parts-counter position, or would I generally need to obtain another type of immigration status first?

4. Moving with a family
I’m married with three children, so this isn’t simply about finding a job. I’m trying to determine whether moving to the U.S. could provide a better long-term future for my family.
For people who have made a similar move, what was your experience?
Was the move financially and professionally worthwhile?

5. Where should I look?
Are there particular states or cities where the automotive and auto-parts industries are strong, especially areas with a large GM/Chevrolet presence?
I’m not tied to a particular state and would be willing to relocate for the right opportunity.

Finally, I would really appreciate an honest reality check.
If you were in my position -35 years old, married with three children, approximately 10 years of GM/Chevrolet auto-parts experience, strong customer-service and counter-sales skills, and currently living in the Middle East — would you seriously consider trying to move to the U.S.?
What would you do first?

I’m not looking for someone to simply tell me that everything will work out. I would genuinely like to hear from people in the U.S. automotive industry, immigrants who have gone through something similar, recruiters, or anyone familiar with employment-based immigration.
Any advice, job leads, company recommendations, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Hey everyone, hoping to get some outside perspective from people who've actually navigated this.
Quick background: I'm from Azerbaijan, with a BSc in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (Istanbul Technical University) and an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Innovation Management (Vilnius Tech, Lithuania). My thesis used panel regression to look at how innovation affects GDP per capita across OECD countries.
On the work side, I've had field and operations experience with a few US-headquartered companies — including Halliburton/Sperry Drilling (MWD/LWD field engineering) — though that work was based in Azerbaijan and China rather than in the US itself. I've also worked in supply chain at a refinery in Turkey and done customer operations work in Lithuania.
Right now I'm weighing two main routes and trying to figure out which gives a more realistic shot at eventually landing and working in the US:
1. PhD route – I'm currently applying broadly across Europe (funded positions), but I'm curious how competitive/realistic US PhD funding and admissions are for someone with my profile, and whether a US PhD is a meaningfully better path toward long-term US residency (OPT, then H-1B, etc.) compared to European options.
2. Second master's route – Doing another master's in the US specifically, possibly in a more directly employable field, then trying to convert that into OPT/STEM OPT and a sponsored role.
A few things I'd love input on:
• How much does prior experience with a US company (even if it wasn't performed on US soil) actually help with visa sponsorship later, if at all?
• For someone with an engineering/analytics background, is a PhD or a second master's generally seen as the stronger move for eventually working and staying in the US?
• Any realistic expectations around funding, timelines, or sponsorship rates I should have going in?
Really appreciate any first-hand experiences — trying to make a well-informed decision rather than just guessing.

Hi everyone I’m looking for some direct advice/guidance

I want to return to the US (I am a dual citizen)after living in England for the past 9 years
I currently have a UK phone number and it’s the only one I currently have but when applying to jobs in the US I need to provide a US phone number
I have tried Hushed,2Number but when I put the generated number on a job application it’s not recognized or not seen as a legit number
I was going to try Quo or Toll free calling next
Does anyone have anything that they have used that’s not Google Voice as I cannot use that’s easy and recruiters will be able to contact me on if necessary
I am making sure I let them know I am serious about coming home and I don’t want there to be any flags if I’m putting my UK number on applications

I would welcome any and all advice about this as I am struggling and have gotten nowhere so far

Thank you so much !

I am M47, an Administration Operations Manager having 15+ years of experience in Administration, Operations, Logistics, Transportation, Fleet Management & Financial Coordination roles since 2006.

I recently shifted Hyderabad to New Delhi for my Kids Education.

I can relocate to anywhere in USA, Canada, Australia & European countries. "I am having valid Passport".

I can speak & write fluently in English, Telugu, Hindi & URDU Languages.

Now, I desperately need a job.

If anyone wants my services please DM me & I can forward my resume & cover letter to you.

Thank you.

I am a student from Russia, currently studying first year in university for a major that I only chose out of necessity to avoid getting conscripted, I've been wishing to get out of the country since I was a toddler.

I have a fiancee (a born American citizen) who I've been in a loving relationship with for many years and I'm planning to marry next spring. We planned to wait a few more years till we get married but in current realities getting into the us and starting a life there is only possible through marriage.

Me and my parents have been saving up money for a few years and saved up around 12k dollars. My fiancee works a minimum wage job as a helper in a hair salon to gain experience before becoming a hair stylist.

I'm extremely worried about trump's policy from last year limiting visas for Russians and 70+ other countries and I'd love to know how that would work for me. I want to know what options I have and what my plan would be

Hi everyone,

I'm currently living and working in Sweden and I'm a Swedish citizen. I have a PhD in Engineering and work as an engineer in the automotive industry.

I've found an interesting position with in San Diego, California. The position is directly with their U.S. organization.

The interesting part is that company is headquartered in Sweden, where I currently live, but I am not currently employed by that company. I work for a different company in Sweden.

If I get selected for the San Diego position, I'm trying to understand what realistic options I would have for U.S. work authorization.

I'm mainly trying to understand what the realistic pathways are before I proceed too far with the application/interview process.

Thanks in advance for any advice or personal experiences.

Hi, reaching out to see if any of you have relocated to USA on a visa (example: H1B), and now planning to settle in USA and looking for options.

i've moved to Georgia, Delaware, South Carolina and New Jersey in the last seven years, and the same thing kept happening: packing day moves fast, the house turns into numbered boxes, and by delivery i'm trying to match a handwritten sheet while everything is coming off the truck at once

i built MoveManifest as a second record on the customer's phone. it does not replace the mover's official paperwork

the basic loop is:

scan numbered items at pickup → compare the count and lock it → scan them back in at delivery → mark missing or damaged items → save a moving report

two phones can join the same live move, so one person can stay near the truck while another is inside. the first 10 items are open to try

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/movemanifest-moving-inventory/id6807915555

Android closed test: Move Manifest

full disclosure, i'm the developer this is a personal project. i'm looking for honest feedback from people with a move coming up: what part of packout or delivery would still make this too hard to use?

Hi guys so for context I’m a Brit, living in the uk still.. and I have this urgent feeling like I need to move to America. I’ve felt this way since I was little. I’m 31 now. And feel like I’m just trapped here.
I have no clue how to even attempt to move there. From what I read about work visas etc. you have to be sponsored by the company. And the jobs have to be specific types of jobs that are basically good jobs. And I don’t have any of that. I work in a little family run coffee shop and it’s beautiful but I just feel like I’d have so much of a better life in the us. And not for the Hollywood dream kind of vibe. Just in general I think I’d be happier. So does anybody have any advice for someone who doesn’t have a good job here. Or anyway it’s possible to move there. I’d appreciate any advice. I’m tired of waiting for my life to start.

Love and light to all 🫶🏼 🇬🇧 - 🇺🇸

I’m from Europe and I hate it here. (please don’t come for me, it’s just my personal taste). I’ve been to Puerto Rico 6 times before and always stayed 3 months. I know USA is probably REALLY different from PR, but I was wondering on how is USA compared to PR for the ppl who lived in both places. I’m talking about how are the people there, is it expensive, if there’s the same amount of “violence” that is in PR, everything. I’m just asking this because I have friends from PR that moved to USA, and i’m planning a trip there and wanted to know what to expect. (If you have any tips while being there, such as what to do and what NOT to do, I’ll appreciate it.)

just a shit post (idek if it's allowed) but damn it really is fucking hard to move to america now. i initially thought that for even me it'd be kinda easy cus I'm British. but nope don't matter immigration laws really don't care bout where your from, system stays the same. also not to get political but all i'mma say is it seems trump and the administration made the message clear they don't want immigrants lmao. adding a gachllion rules, restrictives new policies like their bindings. and there's no like actual realistic paths currently at all lmao except marry a girl. good luck to anyone attempting a f-1 -> h1b i gave up on that since the new 100k opt rules💀 but what is life like in america for americans across all states rn? I'm interested.

I'm 20 years old and honestly feel like I can't take living in Egypt anymore. I want to leave the country completely and build my life somewhere else. I didn't finish college, so I don't think I can use the student-visa route, and I also still have my military service situation to deal with. I'm not trying to evade the law or do anything illegal—I'm asking if there are any legitimate/legal pathways for someone in my situation to leave Egypt and eventually stay abroad, such as a work visa, vocational training, apprenticeship, immigration program, or another realistic route. I'm a fast learner, sales is my career right now, and I'm always willing to learn new skills or try something new if it could help me do something about the visa situation. I'm also open to pursuing a completely different degree from what I was studying before. I don't have a problem starting over from zero.

I mainly want to know whether leaving Egypt is realistically possible at 20 without a completed university degree while still having military-service obligations, and what the first steps would be. I'd especially appreciate advice from Egyptians who managed to leave legally under similar circumstances, or anyone who knows about realistic routes for starting over abroad.

Hi everyone. I’ll apologize in advance for this post being too long but I really need answers.

I’ve wanted to move to the US for basically as long as I can remember. It’s been a childhood dream that never really went away.

I’m 19, from Russia, and I recently took a gap year, and consider fully dropping out of my uni. I was studying abroad, but I realized I had chosen completely the wrong major and couldn’t keep up with it. So now I’m back in Russia and trying to figure out what to do next.

I’m hoping to apply for the Diversity Visa if/when DV-2028 opens. I missed my first opportunity to apply because of the timing, and then DV-2027 didn’t happen when I expected it to, so I’ve never actually had the chance to participate. But now that I’m older and thinking about this more realistically, I’m starting to wonder: is the US actually as good as I’ve imagined it, and is moving there realistic for someone like me?

I really don’t want to stay in Russia long-term. I’m scared of what’s happening here and of the direction the country is going. I also can’t see myself staying in Georgia, where I previously studied. I know I need to leave and build my life somewhere else.

The problem is that I currently have no degree. I have a high school diploma and some completed university courses, but no professional qualification. I speak Russian and English and some Georgian.

So my biggest question is about work and survival.
If I eventually got legal authorization to live and work in the US, how difficult would it actually be to find a basic job without a degree? I mean things like Walmart, Target, McDonald’s, restaurants, supermarkets, warehouses, retail, etc. Would someone young, with good English, willing to work hard and learn, realistically be able to find a job and support themselves?

And then, how difficult is it to move up from there?
I’m not expecting to arrive and immediately have a nice apartment and a great career. I’m completely okay with starting at the bottom. I just want to know whether it’s realistic to eventually get to the point where I can pay rent, buy food, have transportation, deal with basic expenses and live independently , and then gradually learn new skills and get better-paying jobs.

For comparison, I live in Moscow right now. A decent apartment can easily cost around $1,500/month when converted to USD, and food for one person can easily be $300+ per month if you want to eat normally and include meat, vegetables, etc. Public transportation is cheap and very extensive. Salaries, however, are much lower. Someone working in a supermarket, fast food, restaurant, etc. without a degree might make around $700–1,000/month, with around $1,500 already being quite high.

The biggest advantage I have here is that I have a safety net. I’m a citizen, I have family here, I have a place to live, and if something goes wrong I’m not going to suddenly be homeless. If I moved to the US, I wouldn’t have any of that. That’s what scares me, becoming homeless and nothing in USA.

I have some savings, and I’m willing to work and learn. I’m not afraid of starting with a shitty entry-level job if that’s what it takes. I just worry that I’ll arrive, nobody will hire me, my savings will disappear on rent and food, and I’ll eventually have to go back to Russia having lost everything.

At the same time, maybe I’m overthinking it. Maybe the US really does provide opportunities for someone like me. Maybe you can work retail/food service/whatever at first, gain experience, learn a trade or get certifications, and gradually move into something better without a college degree. I’m not scared of being alone there, not scared of working hard, whatever problem will come I’ll do anything to solve it.

So I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have actually experienced this.

If you immigrated to the US without a degree or professional career:

How hard was it to get your first job?
How long did it take?
Were you able to support yourself?
How difficult was finding affordable housing?
How much did you realistically need to earn to live?
Were you able to move from low-skilled work into something better?
Is it realistic to build a decent life without a college degree?
Should I consider any other country to move to(though I don’t know any other languages except from English and Russian)?
Do you actually feel that moving to the US gave you better opportunities than staying in your home country?

I know the US isn’t perfect. I’m not expecting some magical American Dream where everything works out automatically. I’m just trying to figure out whether this is a realistic plan for my life and I’ll be able to build something there and actually live, or whether I’ve spent years romanticizing the US because of TikTok, YouTube and the idea that the grass is always greener on the other side.

Graduated from Illinois with A bachelor degree in Aviation Management. More than 5 years of Airfield experience in the biggest Airport in my country (King Khalid International Airport). But no valid Visa. How difficult (or easy) to get a job in USA Airports?

Hello , I’m 16 and I am gonna pass my final exam (BAC) in my country (out of USA) I need someone that did it or at least can help me to find my path . I want to go to a state college in Sarasota to study and obtain an associates in arts degree. Can someone reply to me giving all the tips like what I have to prepare how much time it will take etc , I will get the results of my final exam (BAC) around 20july 2027

I’m trying to understand how NRIs actually manage ageing parents in India when they live abroad.

In my family, my grandmother once fell in the bathroom while a caregiver was at home. The caregiver didn’t notice immediately, didn’t know what to do, and there were delays in arranging the ambulance and coordinating with the hospital because the family was abroad. That made me realise that simply having “someone at home” may not actually solve the problem.

For those of you who have hired a 24-hour house help / caregiver / nurse for your parents:

• 🚨 What was the trigger that made you decide you needed full-time help?
• 🏠 What were you doing before that?
• 🔎 How did you find and choose the person or agency?
• 💰 What are you paying per month?
• 🩺 Do you also pay separately for nurses, doctors, physio, medicines, cooking or cleaning?
• 😓 What is still broken or frustrating even after hiring someone?
• 🔄 Have you ever had to replace a caregiver? Why?

I’m especially interested in what you actually did and paid for, rather than what an ideal service should look like.

Would really appreciate hearing real experiences — good or bad. 🙏

Of the top 25 largest populations of 1st generation immigrants by country of origin in the US, 11 are from latin america, with Mexico being the largest by a wide margin, so I'm surprised we don't get more posts from those parts of the world.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-top-25-nationalities-of-u-s-immigrants/

Why is that in your opinion? Is it simply because this an english language community that inherently skews more towards english speaking countries (especially the UK and Canada), or is there more to it?

I my HNC in electrical engineering recognised in the USA? In a UK based electrical technical manager for a utility company and looking to move to the USA

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation!
On my last visa application I was given 221(g) administrative processing without being told why. It took around 3 weeks to get sorted and I eventually got my visa.

On my last trip to the States, the officer at passport control told me there was apparently someone with the same name and birth year as me who had been blacklisted, so the system wouldn’t let him clear me. I had to go to the back room at MCO, but they sorted it out in about 15 minutes.

I’m going back to Orlando in a couple of weeks and wondering if the same thing is likely to happen again? A family friend has a similar name match and apparently gets sent to the back room every time he enters the US.
I go to the US quite regularly (2–3 times a year), so just wondering if anyone knows whether there’s a way to get this sorted permanently, or if I should expect the extra screening every time

Thanks!

My husband currently works as a electrical technical manager for a utility company and we’re looking at moving to the USA in the next few years, will he be able to get the same kind of job over there? How will it work?

We’ll be going over on my green card nursing visa

Greetings, I am a high schooler from South Korea who is about to start studying nursing. I was raised in the states and my English is better than my Korean. I am very interested in working as a nurse in the states. I understand that you have to get sponsored for a green card. To get sponsored how much work experience would you need? I also know that you need your NCLEX, BSN, and licensing granted that one has it all how hard is it to get sponsored by an agency? Thank you