where the streets have no name..

[johnny]

Hello everyone. my "relationship" with Greek army has ended; so I have to look forward my life.
Since I was a kid I was dreaming myself being to NewYork. So I think that its time to make my dream come true!
I need your help. As I'm not an american citizen I need an immigration Visa. I took part to Diversity Visa Lottery but by changes to win and get a visa are 3%. Is there any other way to immigrate to NewYork? and If this cant be; can I come to NewYork with Tourist Visa and stay for 1-2 years?
Thanks for your time

 

[panthera]

Hi Johnny,

Welcome back to civilian life! The work you did benefited all the NATO countries, thank you for risking your life for our freedom.
The Americans have different types of visas and different rules about how long you may stay, what you may and may not do for each country.
The easiest thing to do is to just look up the website for the American Consulate to Greece. Usually, you can visit for 90 days as a tourist without a visa, visas require all sorts of documentation and following rules.
Very many Europeans are not happy with the way the US border agents handle visitors right now, so please don't be upset or alarmed if they are very rude, nasty and unfriendly. That is not the way Americans are.
New York is a great place to visit, I suggest you go there in the spring or late summer.

 

[johnny]

oh....

panthera thanks for the information. I know that the agents to aeroport are veery rude. My sister's boyfriend have been there a lot times!
If you want to stay more (for 2-3 years) is there any way to do it?

 

[panthera]

Johnny,

Where there is a will, there is a way - but right at the moment is not a good time to walk into an American Consulate and say you want to stay for longer than a 90-day period.
Ask your grandparents what it was like at the end of the dictatorship and that "atmosphere" is just what American officials are dealing with right now; any mistake a small, low-ranking civil servant makes is punished strongly - so they are very negative and very afraid.
Best to go to the USA only to visit first, not say you want to stay and then start looking for possibilities.
With your excellent English and the very good education you got in Greek schools, you should have no problem finding a course of study in the US.
Or, if you have a recognized skill, many US companies and local governments will want to hire you.
I don't know if you are gay or straight, but you do need to know that the current US administration makes notes of gay marriages to Americans in Europe and discriminates against them at the border. This will stop under the new administration, whether it is McCain or Obama, just, for now, is not a good time to be in a gay marriage or HIV positive when dealing with the immigration service.
If you are straight and end up marrying an American woman, expect serious problems getting your visa. This, too, will change under the new administration, but right now there are big problems for all marriages across borders.
Don't misunderstand me, I think you should go to the US, it is a wonderful country and the citizens are great people. Just, maybe you should wait until the new administration to make any more long-term plans.
The Greek American communities and the Greek Orthodox Church in the US are both very strong and support tourism. Why don't you talk to them?
By the way, I love Greece (except in February, how do you survive that month???!!!) and hope to visit Euboea and Kos again soon.

 

[johnny]

xexe

Only Eyboea and Kos?
There are so many places to see! (Athens-Thessaloniki)
Thanks for your advice. I 'll collect more and more and more information about the US . I dont want to take a quick decision.
Until then, a 5days trip to munich is very good idea

 

[panthera]

Definitely!

Johnny, I could spend 10 years in Greece and not see everything important. I do start and end my trips in Athens. Athens itself, to be honest, is not a nice place to be.
But the museums, the Parthenon...
Well, they make up for it. But, gosh - when I think of Hades, it is Athens during the rush hour.
Those islands are places with great boat connections and cheap hotels, that is why I like them. The people are used to gay tourists (I don't mean the kind who come to just pick up the beautiful young me, but couples) and are very good 'home bases' for spending six weeks or so in the island.
Gosh, the light, the coffee, the light, the fish, the light, the olive groves, the light, those funny, bitter citrus fruits, the light, the crazy taxi drivers, the light...
But not in February. Never again.
If I knew when you were going to be in Munich, my apartment might be free for a week or so - I am often in the US because of my parents' bad health.

 

[johnny]

HEYY

My best friend live at Munich . I visit it 4-5 times per year I love Munich