Working/living abroad

[Catalyst]

Well im only 17 (in 2 days) and in my first year at college but i already know what job im going to do afterwards and i can't really do it till im 21. I want to join the police (oink oink, can anyone smell bacon. i know i know). I've wanted to since i was younger and still do i don't care what anyone says or thinks of me about it because i'm in the small percentage of teenagers that knows what i want to do with my life. It's hard to get into until your 21 so im going to wait until then.

Obviously i leave college at 18 so i have 3 years to play with before im 21, im not really a back packer type as i don't like foreign speaking countrys outside of the EU. Noe this isn't for any reason apart from i just feel threatened and don't like it.

I have been lucky as a child and been to america 6 times, albeit every time to florida. Now this may sound ridiculous but i want to go and live & work in america for 3 years from when im 18-21/22 if i enjoy it. How hard is it to do this? how would i go about getting a job, house/flat, transport etc before going or when i'm there? Also where is the best area to go where i won't be shot up and robbed?

Mcgee is probably my best bet here but im sure quite a few of you have known people or even been in the position yourself.

Cheers guys, help would be extremely appretiated.

Jack
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SlimRick - I can cook really well - but it's a useless skill, as I'm not a woman and it's their fucking job!

[Paivi]

[Walloper]

[Blink]

You won't be granted a VISA in the USA. The most you can get is a 6 month holiday VISA. So, working there is out of the question. Sorry.

BUT....bar a few glorious places, most of America's in social decay - don't be phased by the Florida dream. Sorry to piss on your dreams but that's based from my experiences.

I did a similar thing. Here's my story....

Finished 1st year of uni...it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Basically it was a joke. So I quit.

Worked for 4 months, saved up some cash with the intention of coming back.

Boarded a plane, alone, to Bangkok, none of this package-deal shite, traveled there for a month. Then I boarded a flight to Sydney and ended up working in Melbourne as a removal man. Pretty much drove round Melbourne in a truck for most of the year.

So here's my advice - Do it. You'll mature so much it's unreal. Stay away from pre-booked 'GAP' year experiences. The only way to learn is the hard way.

Anyway, whilst slaving my arse off, working 6am till finish every day I realised an education is a must. So I saved up some cash and came back to UK to finish my degree. Occasionally the thought of being sat back here, skint, in my uni bedroom almost brings a tear to my eye - but must persist!
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The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.

[ZRX61]

If you apply now, you should have your visa issued in about 3 years...

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Been doing that in NZ for the last 8/9 months.

Good fun and as mentioned it makes you realise what you want from life.

Having a "pom" accent also works well as a way to get to know women. NZ is alright but not great. Try Oz as it's sunnier. Easy enough to get a job. Farming stuff is plentiful in NZ and Oz. Living costs are cheap. I pay $90 a week for rent and expenses then my own food, so works out to about $160-ish a week (about 50 quid a week). The biggest past-time over here is getting drunk as theres not much "stuff" to do unless you go out of your way.

Bikes arent that cheap to buy, more than the UK second-hand, but cars are dirt cheap and they get loads of high performance Jap imports.

[McGee]

Its Oz or Nz next for me.

Or Japan.

I have done America.

Had some good times, done some stupid stuff. But its just not fun.
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[Catalyst]

cheers guys, i realise that outside florida (and even within) it's not what you see in the movies and such. I was thinking about OZ or NZ i just wasn't as sure to how they live as have never known anyone to go out there.

I would go to a foreign speaking country and learn the language but truth of it all is i'm crap at it. All through school i just couldn't do it and i get angry easily when someone doesn't understand me

OZ i'd imagine would be a good place as it's in the commonwealth so easier to get a visa and also it's a bit more friendly that america. What's it like there though? I know how you'd get there obviously but how do you sort out accomodation and a job? Is it just taking money and hoping you find both when you get there, or finding them before somehow?

6 months in the UK and 6 months in another country would be good though as i'd see my family. Whatever the outcome i'd still love to go somewhere different in the 3 years.

Cheers, Jack
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|--Previous--|:2007 Aprilia SX50...--Current--|: 2007 Kawasaki ER-6N
SlimRick - I can cook really well - but it's a useless skill, as I'm not a woman and it's their fucking job!

[oddkid]

Join the Army for 3 years and get into the 'Redcaps'

Then you can go to loads of countries for free...but without a choice...
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Always read the destructions.

[McGee]

[hellkat]

[Al]

This is the Visa you'll need for Oz- https://www.visabureau.com/australia/working-holiday-visa.aspx

I did the same sort of thing, Did just over a months in the US just traveling on a 3 months tourist Visa.
Hired a car in LA and just drove for the whole time setting up camp along the way. Covered about 13,000 miles and 13 -14 states

Then went straight to NZ with a one year working holiday Visa, arrived in Auckland and bought a 50cc moped, rode around most of the country on that, the report is in my sig ended up staying in Christchurch working for a few months at the end.
Work is easy to come by just sign up with some agencies and ask around in the backpackers.

Then went to OZ (sydney to start with) on the visa I've linked to above. Bought a cheap car and drove upto Brisbane, stopping along the Gold coast for a couple of weeks on my way up.
Found some work in Brisbane and stayed there for about 4 months, had a wicked time getting drunk every night and driving over to the coast to go surfing,drowning at the weekend.
Then set off again did about a month just driving to see a bit more of Australia.

Then flew out to Thailand for 2 months, arrived in Bangkok and traveled around on buses, trains and motorbikes/scooters, managed to see most of the main cities, towns and Islands in that time. We only had a one month tourist visa which means you need to leave Thailand and return to get your passport stamped to stay another month. This is easy to do and loads of companies offer border runs, where they take you to the border on a mini bus to get your passport stamped then bring you back.
We went into Malaysia for a few days anyway so this wasn't a problem.

I had a fantastic time and learned so much from it, the trouble is once you've experienced that sort of lifestyle its really hard to forget about it. It makes me sad now looking back through all my pictures and seeing my backpack just sitting on my wardrobe doing nothing.
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[Whosthedaddy]

[Blink]

Apply for the VISA on the Australian government site. Don't get ripped off by 'bureaus'! It only takes 5 mins!
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The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.

[hellkat]

Anyway, Jack ... hope you are having a nice birthday

Have a read of some of the "advice" we gave NSRDude in his quest to know what to do with his life. I ranted on quite a lot in there, but several other people also provided very interesting and useful advice about life in general. it might give you some inspiration about what you want to do with yours eventually, given that you are slightly younger than NSRDude.

I totally agree with Blink regarding not going for the pre-arranged Gap Year stuff. May as well book a package holiday thru Thomson. Life is more interesting when you arrange it yourself, and sometimes, it turns into Real Life.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Whosthedaddy]

[Blink]

It literally takes 5 minutes to get your working-holiday VISA.

>Simply go onto the aussie government immigration website.
>Fill in your details, passport number etc. Pay.
> Then you'll recieve an email the next day saying it's succesful.

Upon entering the country, your visa is enabled.

Good old Commonwealth. One reason why I am a fan of the Empire.

Ta da!
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The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.

[Whosthedaddy]

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

[oddkid]

No you're getting it mixed up, they got drunk and passed out, then you 'scored'
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Always read the destructions.

[apple tango]

[Whosthedaddy]

[Shay HTFC]

[Itchy]

Kind of funny though as in Germany my experience was that Germans speak English better than a lot of natives here.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Al]