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Finished high school, what to do?

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PowFun
Posts: 151 - Karma: 76
I'm currently in a state of uncertainty. I know two things. I wanna go to the US and I wanna ski. I currently live in Norway, so that makes things a little more complicated. If anyone have any ideas on how I can make this work, please suggest something. To fund everything I've been thinking about getting a job, anywhere near a ski resort and then living out of a motorhome. I've also been thinking about getting a condo. I'll also have some savings so I can stay some time and then go home if things doesn't work out. Maybe I'll try to attend College (a College that offers skiing) in some time if I find that the US is the place to be. How are your thoughts on this? Just trying to follow some dreams. Thanks. :-)
Jun 23 2012 6:40PM
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tcgoldman
Posts: 704 - Karma: 723
maybe try bozeman, montana or salt lake city,utah. there is plenty of skiing in both of those areas and you can live there fairly cheap, especially salt lake city. they both also have colleges.
Jun 23 2012 7:07PM
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ikindalikeskiing
Posts: 1381 - Karma: 142
im going to montana for college also
Jun 23 2012 7:09PM
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TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,295
I'll be studying at MSU in Bozeman next year. 15 minute ride to some gnarly mountains and lots of snow. It's going to be sick.
Pretty much the same thing you want to do.
Jun 23 2012 7:43PM
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ikindalikeskiing
Posts: 1381 - Karma: 142
im at carroll only mountain ill be able to hit up next year is great divide :(
Jun 23 2012 7:46PM
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Caleb.E
Posts: 3556 - Karma: 1,015
unless u have mad money. go to school in norway. its going to cost a bitch tone for collage in the U.S
Jun 23 2012 8:17PM
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
College, is unfortunately, very expensive especially for someone coming out of state. If I were you, I would do something along these lines.

You need to cut your school cost down and the best way to do this is GAIN RESIDENCY in the state you want to go to school for. That being said, get a job. Live in the state you want to live in until you gain residency requirements (not sure how hard it is for someone who does not originally live in the states), and save all the money you made in that year or so.

After you gain residency then you should start thinking about attending a university because unless you got lots of monies stashed away it's going to be painfully expensive.

Look into scholarships as well.
Jun 23 2012 8:22PM
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lofth
Posts: 159 - Karma: 27
gå på folkehøyskole
Jun 23 2012 9:32PM
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ikindalikeskiing
Posts: 1381 - Karma: 142
if you got the grades/test scores go to a private institution or something
Jun 23 2012 10:18PM
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*geezer*
Posts: 645 - Karma: 301
If you're from Norway, isn't college nearly free?!?! Go to Norway for college!!! It's expensive as fuck even for an instate public school. Also, unless you're 21 you can't legally drink, so night life will be better if you wait. Just my two cents..... good luck though
Jun 23 2012 10:24PM
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Gknow
Posts: 627 - Karma: 358
I know kids from the states and kids from scotland, NZ, and Australia who packed their bags and rented a condo in park city to work full time at the resorts. I'd recommend it if you're that uncertain because a. good pay b. meet awesome people c. ski pass means you ski every day (night skiing at PCMR) d. tons o' fun
Jun 23 2012 10:31PM
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Jahseph.
Posts: 1315 - Karma: 267
Fuck college go skiing! O.K. now thats a little bit extreme but seriously come to the states, get a job at a ski resort for a couple years, then go to school. Or just stay where you are, and do the same thing, but I recommend doing some traveling while you're young and have the opportunity.
Jun 23 2012 11:19PM
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Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,133
...I don't even know what to say to this...
Jun 24 2012 12:17AM
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PowFun
Posts: 151 - Karma: 76
Getting the US residency certificate sounds like an idea. I'm thinking maybe I'll work for a year or two before I think about studying, just seems easier that way. And I'll also be able to ski alot more, which is generally the point of doing all this. Getting a roomate seems like a necessity if renting a condo will ever be a possibilty. Anyone know any good websites that offer condos for rent near ski resorts? I really haven't decided on where I wanna go either, Park City sounds very tempting. If you consider pricing, what woud perhaps be some of the cheapest areas to stay in? I'm thinking of a place that offers good skiing and cheap living. Working as a lifty or any other choirs that needs doing around a ski resort is what I'm aiming for workwise. Any other job is fine aswell, as long as it isn't too far away. When thinking about job oppurtunity's and options, which ski resort would perhaps then be the better choice? I'm trying to narrow the search down as much as possible. Thanks.
Jun 24 2012 7:50AM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
Basically, you're shit out of luck. Sorry. After all of the economy bullshit that happened, they pretty much made it impossible to get a seasonal job without citizenship. Mammoth lost level 2 and level 3 ski instructors from New Zealand/Australia that have been working there for 10 + years. Last year at ski resorts was an entirely different world. There were pretty much no foreigners.

So, if you can get a cash in hand job, you're ok. But MOST businesses will not do this because they can not claim taxes for your employment. It's also illegal.

You can really only move here with the intention of staying as a tourist. No job, no school. If you can get accepted into an exchange program near a resort, you will be way better off.

Look at programs in Norway and see what sort of exchange programs they have. I'm sure they exist. You'll be way better off too since your programs are only 3 years for a bachelors and 5 for a masters. Here it is 4/5 years for a bachelors and an extra 2 - 3 for a masters in which you have to get accepted into the program. So for a masters in engineering, you can spend 6 - 8 years in college.

I'm not sure for Norway, but some masters programs in other countries allow you to get a visa in the US with not much trouble which allows you to get pretty much any job you want. I know 2 people who have done this. Took a year off from their masters degree to work in the US. Still no green cards though.

No idea what the green card lottery is like for norway... since your standard of living is significantly higher than ours.
Jun 24 2012 8:05AM
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dbchili
Posts: 2555 - Karma: 1,657
for what you want to do, come to Canada. The states is nearly impossible to gain citizenship into, whereas canada gives them away in cereal boxes. Our school for people who aren't canadian citizens is about 15-25k per year, whereas the states it's more like 40 to 60, and if you gain citizenship that drops to like 6-8k per year

find a place to live, move to whis (their season is like 2 months longer than utah anyways) and then shred some of the best parks and terrain of anywhere in the world
Jun 24 2012 8:50AM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
Although this sounds like she know's what she is talking about (Rachy - not saying you don't), I have to say don't let this post ruin your dreams.

I would do some talking to ski resorts for yourself. And also I don't know if Rachy is referring to stricly foreign workers in the winter, or the west coast, or what, but over in Lake George here there are tons of foreign workers -- literally countless numbers, that are just here for the summer. And they are not all getting paid under the table. Frankly, most of them probably aren't.
Jun 24 2012 8:56AM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
Edit: Not too sure about the whole citizenship thing, don't know a lot about that, so maybe I slightly jumped the gun on my response. But still, I would say that you should do your own talking to ski resorts.
Jun 24 2012 8:58AM
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Jibberino
Posts: 2089 - Karma: 1,346
Have you considered the alps? There's tons of jobs to be had, and lots of nice university towns in the mountains. I've got loads of ideas if you're interested.
Jun 24 2012 9:22AM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
I pretty much do know what I'm talking about. It's pretty much entirely down to J1 visas and the occasional h2b where the person is an absolute asset to the company.

http://www.steamboat.com/steamboat-life/employment/details/international-applicants.aspx

http://coloradoindependent.com/38582/work-visa-change-further-stems-flow-of-foreign-workers-for-ski-resorts

http://www.epicski.com/t/104334/h2b-situation

http://summitcountyvoice.com/2011/08/09/colorado-visa-program-used-by-resorts-under-scrutiny/


Jun 24 2012 9:37AM
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thejackal1177
Posts: 3434 - Karma: 2,724
basically shes full of shit. Alot of ski resorts still do work and travel programs. Its how i met my current girlfriend. Her and 14 others came from argentina to work at my local resort.  I know alot of resorts do the same...
Jun 24 2012 10:10AM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
Not full of shit. Most of the major resorts did not accept H2B visa's this year at all. Some of them hired, but there had to be a damn good reason for it.

J1 visa's are entirely different. Easiest way to do this is being a student and going through a travel program. He is not a student yet, so that's not an option. He can still qualify, BUT NEW regulation says you must have a job offer before you can apply for a J1 visa. So, this can still happen, but in order for this to happen, you typically have to attend a job fair. Many ski resorts have these in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, and so forth. I have never heard of one occurring in Norway though. There may be one there, but he will have to call a MASSIVE amount of resorts to locate one. Unless there is a website out there that has them listed, but as far as I know, this does not exist yet. Another problem with J1 visa's though, is that they are usually for a shorter period of time... 3 months or so. It's hard to get sponsored in a program that will allow you to stay the entire ski season so a lot of resorts have issues even getting J1 visas at this point.

This has all changed in the last year and a half. It has been getting more and more difficult since 2008. 11/12 was the worst season since they most resorts didn't know until late fall if they would be able to have h2b applicants or not.

h2b would have been what he had wanted. That would be for a seasonal non agriculture job that is strictly seasonal and non immigration related. Now he needs to try for a J1 which is NOT easy unless he is able to go to a recruiting event for a mountain.

His best bet is to start a university program in Norway and apply for a student work visa (J1). Or to apply for a university in europe and do an exchange program in the US near a ski resort.
Jun 24 2012 12:54PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
On that note:

This is the only job opportunity I can find that you'd potentially qualify for.

Jun 24 2012 1:04PM
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-KJ-
Posts: 118 - Karma: 24
i currently am living in Bozman Montana and i love the skiing here..there are three resorts around that area that are 30-60 mins away..but it all depends on ur type of skiing...pow skiing is good around here
Jun 24 2012 1:15PM
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-KJ-
Posts: 118 - Karma: 24
i currently am living in Bozman Montana and i love the skiing here..there are three resorts around that area that are 30-60 mins away..but it all depends on ur type of skiing...pow skiing is good around here
Jun 24 2012 1:15PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
Last post in a row.

Turns out Norway is waved in the job requirement. So you can get a J1 and move to the US.

But... I thought you could get it with out being a student. Doesn't seem that is the case. Seems you have to be a specialist in order to do it with out school.

http://j1visa.state.gov/programs


Reason for knowing so much, Worked for a head hunting company in the action sports industry that did a lot of ski resort jobs. And, my ex was an Aussie who first came to the US on an H2b visa, then on a J1 that was good for a year, then on an H2b again, and then wasn't let back in the US when the H2b law changed and sadly had already finished school.

Also, was super interested in it when I learned some of my friends wouldn't be able to return/ when I was working marketing in Copper and kept hearing stories about the Jamacians and all the h2b visa people in employee housing... then learning there were hardly any foreigners since they needed J1 visa's.

If there is someone who works HR in a ski resort, perhaps they have a bit better take on this, but I am pretty sure I know what I'm talking about more than the majority of anyone else on here. (less knowing about the waived countries thing)
Jun 24 2012 1:22PM
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thejackal1177
Posts: 3434 - Karma: 2,724
It varys alot from resort to resort i believe, my girlfriend had no problem getting hired from a j1 visa for 5 months (our full season) and thats also with very little knowledge of english. So dont let what this hoe's saying discourage you from looking into it.
Jun 24 2012 8:43PM
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SickStickz
Posts: 396 - Karma: 137
Have your government pay for you to go to college in the U.S. Pretty easy. Find a school that you want to attend and get your H1 visa and Norway will give you xxxxxx amount of money for college. Look at U of U, Westminster College, University of Denver, and the University of Colorado.
Jun 24 2012 9:30PM
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Skibumsmith
Posts: 5432 - Karma: 11,820
1. You're from Norway! Don't go to school in the US
2. Don't go to school so that you can ski. Go to school because you want to get an education.

In the meantime move to Salt Lake City (or Park City if you're just interested in skiing park) and get a job that allows you to ski a lot. I suggest getting a job at Alta if you're interested in skiing a shit ton during a work day. That's what I did.
Jun 24 2012 9:31PM
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m-ruta
Posts: 160 - Karma: 168
The system in Canada will treat you much better than the states. I have a number of friends who spent the past season(s) here on the cheap and plan to come back next year. None had trouble finding work that allowed them to ski and College or Uni here will be much less expensive than the states for you.
Jun 25 2012 12:49AM
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