How I won a green card, left a business in Russia and became a pastry chef in New York
'23.10.2019'
Source: Newslab.ru
Moving to distant lands is always a matter of chance, but sometimes a lottery in the literal sense. Two years ago, Aleksandra Mozgovaya became the winner of the green card drawing and, having received a residence permit, moved to the United States, leaving successful business and relatives in Krasnoyarsk.
Alexandra told Newslab about the reasons for his decision, life in America and career prospects in a new place.
Tell us about yourself - where were you born, where did you study, who did you work before moving?
I was born in Mezhdurechensk (Kemerovo region), and went to school in Krasnoyarsk. I am a specialist in public relations by education, I graduated from Krasnoyarsk State University. Before moving to America, I had my own business, which I managed with a partner, the Cook Book School of Cooking. For the most part, I was engaged in marketing, management and working with clients - these were my areas of responsibility.
Do I need to prepare for the move? Or is an impulsive decision the only way to leave with a probability of 100%?
This is an individual issue. You have time to prepare after you have won a green card and received a visa. The process is this: you will find out about the win in May, then you have a year to submit a questionnaire and confirm that you will use the win. You submit a questionnaire, you are assigned an interview where the visa will be approved or not approved.
After obtaining an immigrant visa, you have six months to enter the country. Actually, it’s a year, but a medical examination, which is necessary to enter the country, is valid for six months, if you pass it again, this is an additional expense. It cost me a little more than 20 thousand rubles.
It all depends on what the initial conditions are when moving. When I won the green card, I knew at 100% that I would get a visa, that is, I planned my time right after the application was submitted. Everything was fast enough - I won, a week later I sent a questionnaire, I was put the very first in the queue for an interview in early October. At the end of October, I received an immigrant visa and could even move the next day, but took a break for six months, until April. In April, I came to New York to get a green card - I waited a month for it, so I spent a month and a half in New York, then I returned to Krasnoyarsk to finish things, and after three months I moved completely. Thus, from the moment of winning to moving, in my case, a year and four months passed, this period could be extended for longer, or halved.
First of all, my long preparation process was related to business, but I know stories when people literally packed their bags, came for interviews with things, and then immediately moved. There are people who prepare thoroughly - they also come to get a green card, then they leave for six months, they sell real estate, they look for work in advance. I know other stories when people have not moved for years. They came to the United States, received a green card, spent there only one month a year, which is a serious condition in order to deprive you of a green card, since the minimum conditions for citizenship are six months or more you live in this country. A green card is issued for 10 years - every time you enter the country, the officer has the right to deprive you of a residence permit.
Impulsivity depends on how important a person is stability and certainty. Those who can work remotely leave easily and quickly: programmers, designers, copywriters. It is easier for them to make such a decision than for lawyers, accountants, and doctors. Ignorance of the language complicates decision making. One thing is certain for sure - there will be time to make this decision.
Moving abroad in your case is going there? Or leave here?
For me it’s clear - to go there. I had a good life in Russia, everything suited me, I had no idea to run, but there were needs that were difficult to cover in Russia. I'm not talking about Russia, but about Krasnoyarsk, not about the whole of America, but about New York, because both countries are very large. In an American city with a population of just over a million, there are still different opportunities than in New York. I had no long-standing goal of leaving Russia, but I knew that if there was such an opportunity, I would consider it.
Why exactly this country?
Because I won the green card, and the doors to the United States opened for me.
The five biggest differences between Krasnoyarsk and New York?
The first thing that catches your eye is a positive attitude and openness of people at the first contact. Everyone very simply greets on the street, even if they don’t know each other, they very often smile - in the metro and shops. In the elevator, strangers can talk about the weather, ask about my dogs. It seems to me that this has already been seen a hundred times in the cinema - and so it is. Positive attitude - smiles, compliments, good wishes. And this is everywhere, not only at work or between neighbors.
The second is a feeling of freedom. This also applies to equality, the absence of discrimination on any basis - gender, sexual orientation or race. This is freedom of expression, especially in New York, where a unique mix of cultures and the ability to be oneself is very valuable. This is what I did not feel in Russia. Here, even if you are not afraid to express yourself, you must be prepared for condemning views and words.
Third is the standard of living. Even those Americans who live below the poverty line (for example, on benefits) - the way they look, their living conditions - all this is better than in Russia. With us, not everyone can afford to dress well, not to go in tattered boots. There is no such thing here - even homeless people can earn money on sneakers and a down jacket, there are large shops where all this costs a penny.
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Fourth is food. The variety of choices that are available in supermarkets cannot be compared with that in Krasnoyarsk. For the most bizarre request, there are products in supermarkets within walking distance. In the so-called “corner shops” it is not always possible to find something special, but if you go a few blocks you will find a large supermarket with a huge selection and affordable prices.
The fifth is shopping. All I need - cosmetics, clothes, etc. I order with home delivery. Bring directly to the entrance. The information system is arranged very quickly: a notification arrives that the parcel has been delivered - I go down and pick it up. Many products can be returned if you do not like it. Or, for example, I ordered a chair made of velvet fabric, it came to me and there was a dent, an uneven pile - I wrote that an ugly chair came, asked what options were there, they offered me either money back, or send another chair. The second came the same - in the end they returned the money to me and left the chairs! Working with clients is most important here - the processes of returning goods and interaction are so streamlined that spending money in the USA is a pleasure.
Do you feel like a stranger in America? How does Russian live there?
I do not feel like a stranger in America, but neither do mine. I will say this: I do not feel that one day I will feel my own. I think this will not happen at all, because I'm still Russian, not American. I will always be an immigrant and for me it’s OK, because New York is a city where there are a lot of people like me.
The country is quite young, and people calmly relate to different cultures. For a year and a half in New York, I learned as much about different people from different countries as I did not know even when I traveled. In my life, there has never been such multinationality - you see people whom you will never meet anywhere else. This is great, it gives the feeling that you are not a stranger, because everyone helps and supports each other - this is another difference between Russia and America.
People do not criticize, do not say "why are you doing this." On the contrary, they always say “yes, well done, come on!”. The Americans have this attitude from school - you are unique, you can, the idea of the American dream is that you have to work hard, then everything will be wonderful in life. And this is another big difference with Russia.
The economy of your life in the USA: more / less salary, more / less waste. If not difficult - tell us more about the average monthly expenses?
I now receive the minimum wage in the country, 15 dollars per hour. Considering that I pay 30% of taxes, a few thousand dollars are obtained per month. It is clear that if you translate this into rubles, it will be very good money for which you can worthily live in Russia. But in America, this is the minimum payment. Although it’s difficult, it’s possible to plan your life in the long run, save for the purchase of housing, a car and travel, allow concerts and so on. The rent is to blame for everything, it is very expensive and depends on the area where you live. I shoot in a good area - it is important for me that the path to work takes no more than 40 minutes.
For example, if I paid 200-300 rubles for mobile communications in Russia, then here I pay 40 dollars, that is, about 2500 rubles. For the Internet in the apartment, which I pay only partially - 15 dollars, that is, about 1000 rubles. Electricity is still 50 dollars, and in Russia in Russia 50 dollars is a whole rent.
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Moreover, the quality of life that I have here is higher. I feel happier. There are a million free opportunities for quality leisure - for example, you can go to almost all museums for free if you are a resident of New York. You can always listen to inexpensive jazz, take a walk in the most beautiful parks, ride a bike. It is incredibly charged. You can buy ice cream, walk and be inspired. There are a million dating sites - you write, you go, get to know each other, go to concerts.
Of course, I do not have the status that was in Krasnoyarsk. The local circle of friends of interest is still my weakness, but this is something to work on.
Were there thoughts to return to Russia?
I never thought about returning to Russia. It's hard for me to imagine - I will already be a stranger too. Now I will always say “here we are” and “here.” I have a homeland where I grew up, where I went through becoming, where I formed as a person, but now I have a new house in which I change, into which I integrate. I don’t feel like coming back.
When I came here to receive documents for a month and a half, I considered this time as the period for making the final decision on moving. Two weeks later, I had a huge reluctance to return back to Russia, even in order to solve things. I already did not want to return.
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There is a desire to come to visit friends, family, to see how the city has changed, but if I did not have close people, then, of course, I would have nothing to return to Krasnoyarsk.
What are you planning to do in a new place / already doing?
Now I work as a pastry chef in an international technology company. Here are very cool conditions - those that cannot be found on the market in this area. I have a “human” schedule, I can relax on the weekend. The office we serve (we make sweets for company employees) is located in the very center of Manhattan - it has amazing views and is well equipped. Professional ethics and methods of work within the company - inspire and motivate.
Physically, my work is very difficult now, and I already talked about salaries. The standard of living that I would like to have with such a salary is not possible, so I plan to move to another profession - I begin to study programming, I want to retrain as a programmer. It is good that in New York there are a lot of opportunities for this. I see that all the doors are open for me.
