Is it hard for immigrants to get jobs and sustain themselves in the US?

10 comments

1. You will likely need to start at entry level jobs, but there is no reason you couldn’t build a very comfortable life here. Especially with two incomes and starting that young.

   Speaking 2+ languages will also help. If you wanted, there are probably jobs looking for those skills.

   >Because I hear scary things that make me miserable from close people.

   Bro…you’re in Russia. Honesty about the US, not the strong point of Russian propaganda.

2. No, you aren’t screwed (excellent use of idiom).

   Where are you looking to live? A married couple with one in college is not that strange.

   Your wife might want to look at job postings through the college. Does she also speak English? If she can groom dogs, she will always have work. 🙂

   This is doable. It might be hard at first, but lots of people do it.

   Also, CONGRATULATIONS and we are very happy to have you join us. Welcome aboard!

3. Congratulations on winning the green card lottery, that’s awesome.

   You’re definitely not screwed. It depends on where you go — some areas are harder to get by on a budget than others — but I think you’ll be able to build up even if it’s a little tight at first.

   Have you thought about where you want to go at all?

4. It will greatly depend on where you are looking to settle. In my area near Cincinnati Ohio there are many job openings that pay a decent starting salary with a low cost of living. The local glass plant just posted openings two days ago for workers starting at 23 to 28 dollars an hour with a high school degree. The new Amazon Prime American Hub at the Cincinnati Airport is hiring at 22 to 28 dollars an hour with a high school degree

5. My Russian coworker and his wife arrived here about 5 years ago with just one suitcase of belongings between them. They just built a new 2,000 sqft house. Totally doable.

6. Nah you’re not screwed

   You can get jobs, it will probably be a difficult initial adjustment.

   But you’ll be ok

7. You’ll be ok. It’s scary but 99.9% of the people here won’t look down on you for being Russian. It’s Putin we hate, not the people.

   I have family friends that moved from another Country that’s not well liked and they moved up working low paying jobs and actually just bought a house. They came here speaking very little English.

8. If you work hard, live frugally, and have a plan, you will be in great shape within five years. To be wealthy, you’ll need to get involved in real estate and/or start your own business.

   America has a lot of faults, but it is a broadly dispersed capitalism machine that is available to natives and immigrants alike.

   You may find getting tied into a Russian immigrant community in some fashion helps you launch successfully, but it probably isn’t 100% necessary.

9. So long as you speak English it shouldn’t be too hard to find a job. The better your skills and qualifications are the better the job will be.

   If you can speak and understand spoken English as well as you write it then your English is more than adequate.

   One job to consider is providing translation between Russian and English. There are businesses that employ translators to work from home and translate over the phone. Many calls are translating for medical appointments or emergency 911 (police, fire, or medical) calls.

   You said you won the lottery. I assume that is the Diversity Visa lottery. If so, that visa allows you to work.

10. Plenty of people like yourself do just fine here. You won’t be rich, but you’re not gonna die on the streets. If you can find some way to make use of your bilingual skills, that would probably be a great way to go.

    And don’t worry about people judging you for being Russian. The overwhelming majority of Americans don’t really care. They’ll probably ask you annoying questions, but that’s it.