If I were going to make that large a leap, I might aim for something higher than an unlicensed position in the Houston area.
Here is an Craigslist ad that occasionally shows up in the Houston Craigslist. There are other metro areas with better compensation than Houston.
?ÿ
https://houston.craigslist.org/egr/d/surveyors-survey-party-chiefs/6528500465.html
Cost of living in the Seattle area is going to be considerably higher than Houston. Real estate especially.?ÿ
BTW- I've been to O'Bunco's office. It's rough, dirty, dusty. They do heavy construction staking mostly on public works projects (hence the prevailing wage).?ÿ So their office is furnished and kept like a job shack.?ÿ ?ÿ
I just watched my nephew go through the process. He came here from Brazil through Engineers without Borders and completed a stateside CE degree (to match the one he had from Brazil).?ÿ
A lot will depend on the attitude of the community. I couldn't find a willing sponsor for him. He had to look in a less conservative State and with agencies or entities more immune to politicization. In the end he landed a great job. You just have to keep at it. Once you build a reputation it gets easier.
Good luck, Tom?ÿ
My experience is that larger multi-disciplinary?ÿfirms that go after qualification based contracts jump all over foreign applicants - with the number of licensed surveyors in the US that don't have a degree in surveying, they think it gives them a competitive advantage to have lots of degreed employees in the resume lists.?ÿ ?ÿ?ÿ
That's said, while I've worked with a number of foreign born & educated surveyors, they all were either already in the US and able to work, or got their visa's through special programs that don't require detailed employee sponsorship (Australia E-3 visa, for example)
Nic, in looking at your profile I see you're in Durban, on the Indian Ocean. I'd guess that ocean is cleaner than the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico, but the difference might not be extreme.
On both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts one has to reckon with hurricanes, perhaps every 10 years or so in a given location, with impacts ranging from mild to severe. The Texas-Louisiana coast also has, statistically, the highest rainfall intensity in the U. S., up to 5 inches per hour, according to an engineering manual I looked at some years ago. The Houston area got 50 inches (1.3 meters) of rain last year in 4 or 5 days during Hurricane Harvey, although that was an all-time record, and naturally there was extensive flooding. There was a 20-inch storm in 2016.
The ocean beaches near Houston, Charleston, and Savannah are mostly on barrier islands. Near Charleston and Savannah the beaches have been effectively privatized, i.e. the shoreline properties are privately owned and road access for the general public is limited or non-existent. In Texas there is better beach access for the public.
I have family and friends in Houston, and agree with Blitzkrieg Bob about the amenities, the heat (which might not bother you), and the traffic. The metro area is about 6 million people, roughly twice that of Durban. It's true there's a lot of traffic, but the freeways are extensive and handle it OK except at rush hour, when there are slowdowns. Houston drivers are very skilful and seldom make stupid moves on the freeway, although they follow a little more closely than is smart.
If I were buying property in Houston I would look at the land elevation and the potential for flooding, which vary from one neighborhood to another.
My choice of a Texas coastal town would be Corpus Christi, about 200 miles south of Houston. Ocean access is a good deal better than in Houston. It's about a 20-mile drive from downtown Corpus Christi to two barrier islands, Mustang and Padre, with nice public beaches. Corpus Christi is a good deal smaller than Houston (its metro area is about 400,000), so job opportunities are likely not as numerous. It has a decent arts and cultural scene as far as I know, though not as extensive as that of Houston.
?ÿ
I hope it works out for you.?ÿ Please keep in mind that you won't find any good pizza in the south.?ÿ But we all have to sacrifice somethin' ??ÿ
"Houston drivers are very skilful and seldom make stupid moves on the freeway, although they follow a little more closely than is smart."
?ÿ
That's heartening. I'll have something to look forward to on Monday.?ÿ ??ÿ
I hope it works out for you.?ÿ Please keep in mind that you won't find any good pizza in the south.?ÿ But we all have to sacrifice somethin' ??ÿ
Ha! I thought for a minute you might be a guy I worked with many years ago, but his name was Andy?ÿ and he was from PA.?ÿ Pizza was practically all that he ate, and he always talked about how there was no good pizza in Houston. He resorted to making his own. I'm not that much of a pizza guy, and I honestly can't remember having a favorite pizza there.
like i said- i knew i'd hurt some feelings.?ÿ but from what i've interacted with r.j. and a couple others on here, they're good guys.?ÿ i liken it to the couple of friends i have who've married ugly, mean spirited women- doesn't make me like my friends any less, but "better you than me."?ÿ ??ÿ
You didn't hurt my feelings, but after reading your comment about your friends' wives, I do wonder if perhaps it would behoove you to try to have a more positive attitude toward the world around you.
The only problem that I can foresee is the willingness of companies to petition to sponsor an immigrant. Any business owners on the forum that could share their views?
If you do decide to at least explore the idea of moving to Houston, I could pass along the names of a couple of firms there that may be more open to doing that, being firms owned by immigrants themselves.
One thing I could recommend, no matter where you go, is to try to find expat groups in your desired location. I know there is a large SA expat population in Houston. Heck, they apparently even have a potjie festival at Lake Conroe (the bass fishing lake I mentioned) every year. I have no clue what potjie is, but I'm always up for a festival! Who knows, you may even find an expat in the surveying field who could offer suggestions.
Regardless of location, good luck with your search!
Thanks for all the replies.?ÿ
@rplumb314 Thanks for your insight. Yes, I heard about the severe flooding of hurricane Harvey. Scary stuff. Not something that SAFFAS are used to. Although we have had severe flooding in recent months, our topography is such that the effects aren't as bad as flat low lying areas like you mention. I will pay attention to this where ever we decide to settle.?ÿCorpus Christi sounds interesting and I will look further into this as an option.
@blitzkriegbob thanks for the offer. I will PM you for more information.
?ÿ
Regards,
?ÿ
Nic.
?ÿ
?ÿ
Nic,
I responded. Hope the information helps.
Bob
I worked out of an office in downtown Savannah for a year (2015-2016). I??d be suprised if you could find a better food and art scene. Lots of resturants from dives to upscale dining. SCAD - Savannah College of Art and Design has nearly single handedly revitalized and repurpoused downtown. World renown art school. ?ÿHowever - I wasn??t a big fan of living there. Lack of water access and high crime rate were two of the main reasons. Hilton Head and Blufton are not to far away and offer more modern coastal living within driving distance of Savannah.?ÿ
I??ve worked a bit in the Charleston area and have family there. Charleston proper is fairly upscale and expensive. Some of the surrounding communities are affordable and have water access.?ÿ
I have never been to Houston. But I have worked the Gulf Coast from Alabama to Centeal Florida. The water is beautiful and the fishing is good. But I only know that from vacation trips. All of my work along the Gulf has been related to hurricane recovery efforts.?ÿ
I hope it works out for you.?ÿ Please keep in mind that you won't find any good pizza in the south.?ÿ But we all have to sacrifice somethin' ??ÿ
Actually, in 2015 trip advisor named Pizza Time in St. Augustine, FL, the second best pizza in the USA.
