San Francisco Travel Answers

First of all San Francisco and the surrounding areas are very expensive. What are your job skills? The job market in the U.S. is still very tight. You may be able to get minimum wage or a bit higher rate jobs, but that is probably going to just enough for you to get by. Good weather - What exactly do you mean by that. San Francisco will usually not get very cold or very hot, but you will get cool damp days and rain. The warmest weather months in San Francisco are usually in September and October. I will let some San Francisco members continue the discussion.

The first thing you probably need to do is contact the U.S. Embassy in Ireland to sort out the working visa process. dublin.usembassy.gov/general... Knowing beforehand if you'll be allowed entry and be allowed to work will be critical to your plan. Yes, San Francisco is a very expensive city, and jobs in the U.S. in general are not easy to find right now. Having some marketable skills may be important, and you'll going to need to sort out your medical coverage as well as that's also very expensive here. Choosing where to live is secondary to working out these larger details. Locations may depend on the availability of public transit if you will not have a car: public transit is good in the immediate metro area but can (but not always) involve driving to a train station if living on the outskirts/suburbs.

Good weather all the time is probably not doable in the San Fran area----:>

LOL, I was thinking that same thing. That area can see its share of fog, chill and heavy rains but heck, I don't know of ANY place in the world where the weather is "good all the time." :)

San Diego

Are you legally able to work in the US? That is the absolute first thing to sort out. This is not a country you can easily move to and get a job, or at least, a legal one. If you want to be close to San Francisco but with cheaper housing and (slightly) better weather then I would suggest Oakland.

agree totally---Oakland might be the answer after you get the living options done---

I wouldn't worry about the weather - these people are coming from Northern Ireland...San Francisco ("the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco") will seem quite balmy ;-) The points about jobs are well taken...it's obviously possible to get jobs illegally in the States, but the point is that they are illegal, and can get you not only deported but banned from coming back, even as a tourist. As for legal jobs, that may be doable, but generally, legal jobs are ones that we can't fill from US citizens, which tends to be high tech jobs. I would worry about what kind of visa you are going to get and whether it allows you to work...you need to have all this straightened out ahead of time or you're likely to get turned away at the port of entry... Bill

Sanfranjobs.com has many jobs listed for that area. When looking online for average monthly cost for an apartment in San Francisco, a 2 bedroom is about2000-$2600 according to the websites I was looking at.

I'd just like to underline that the very first thing you need to sort out is how..and *if* you can legally work in the US. As you are in Northern Ireland I am assuming you are UK citizens. For visa information you need to look at the US Embassy website for the UK: london.usembassy.gov/nonimmi... Obtaining permission to work in the US is not a straightforward process by any means, and you may find that you are unsuccessful at the present time. But do not be tempted to work illegally: it is simply not worth the very real risk of being deported and possibly never being able to re-enter the US.

Working here as an illegal immigrant not only can get you deported and banned, it also means that your pay will not ever be much more than minimum wage. Being poor in a foreign country is never better than being poor in your own. Most people from other countries who work here legally usually have a recommendation from the company they will be working for. This normally is initiated in their own country based on some special need the company has of your specific qualifications. There is only one way I know that a person from another county can work here legally without much problem and that is to join one of the branches of the U.S. Military. If you did join, it is possible, but not probable that you could be stationed in San Francisco.

Intel is based in California, but has a plant in Ireland. Seems to me the best route would be to work for them for a few years in Ireland and then put in for a transfer to California. The process would take longer but at the same time it means having a job already lined up upon your arrival.

Just to clarify: the poster lives in Northern Ireland and is thus very likely to be a UK citizen. Northern Ireland is not the Republic of Ireland. Whilst UK citizens can work in other EU countries, under EU law, Ireland has its own economic difficulties and jobs are not easy to find. Working for an international firm and then looking for a transfer is certainly an option. There will be many such options within the UK: the problem lies in getting a job with them. It seems from the post that the poster wants to move as soon as possible and just find a job on arrival. This is something which is feasible for EU citizens moving within the EU (although finding a job is not easy in any EU country at the moment) but I fear it will not be so for the US.

The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most expensive areas in the country to live. While the area is composed of about nine counties, the farther east you go to Oakland, Contra Costa, and eventually to Solano County the cheaper it gets to live. As one reviewer indicated the rent for a one to bedroom apartment in San Francisco south to San Jose can run from 1800 to nearly3,000 a month.I lived until recently in San Carlos, 20 miles south of San Francisco and my small 1300 square foot home would rent for3,200 a month! If you are willing to go out as far as Pittsburg in Contra Costa County or Fairfield in Solano County the rent can drop to as low as 1,300 a month for a nice one bedroom. I lived until recently in San Carlos, 20 miles south of San Francisco and my small 1300 square foot home would rent for3,200 a month! The latter city is served by the rapid transit district called BART and goes in daily to San Francisco. Food in the Bay Area is reasonably priced. Two people can get by for 300 a month on food. Lots of fresh produce and fruits abound. Having a car unless you live close to San Francisco or in downtown Oakland (which I do not personally advise) is pretty necessary. Auto insurance is pretty expensive even for an older car.