Qualified refrigeration tech immigrating to USA

[RBSL]

I have been qualified for 16 years and currently own a very succesful air conditioning/ refrigeration business in South Africa. I am currently in the prosess of immigrating to the USA. I would appreciate any imformation on what certificates I require to get a job in the US, I am looking to work in California or Texas.

[WMG]

If you know your stuff you can probably request a ride along with a small company in any big city in Texas and likely get hired. Under the table if you do not have the right to work in the USA. California is not nearly as hot or humid as Texas so I doubt it would be as lucrative.

[RBSL]

Thanks for the reply. I have won a green card to the USA and am legaly allowed to work and live their. I am wondering if my qualification are valid in USA if not what exam or certificate i would need to get. As for location all the research I have done the salaries in California seem to be higher.

[KnewYork]

California is not nearly as hot or humid as Texas so I doubt it would be as lucrative.

Guess again. California, especially the San Francisco Bay area, has excellent wages. As far as certificates...you'll need the EPA certificate to handle refrigerants. When you first arrive, if you are working for a shop you can work under another person's cert. You haven't indicated what type of work you do. Residential, commercial, industrial? I think anywhere you go you'll find a wide range of hourly wages. The lower wages will more than likely come working in the residential field. Union wages in Southern California are $43.00-$51.00 (total package) for a journeyman. In our service group all our journeyman are paid over scale.

[RBSL]

Thanks for the help. I have done a wide range of work started at residential field 16 years ago and currently own my own business and specialise in commercial refrigeration and air conditioning. I have spent a year in the US and realy enjoyed the time I spent in San Diego so am looking at moving to the west coast.

[Six]

I have been qualified for 16 years and currently own a very succesful air conditioning/ refrigeration business in South Africa. I am currently in the prosess of immigrating to the USA. I would appreciate any imformation on what certificates I require to get a job in the US, I am looking to work in California or Texas.

Nothing personal Cali members but it would be akin to a cruel joke to advise any one immigrating to the US to head to California.

California's like a hard core socialist country. The very rich, the very poor and those who work for the bloated local government there do ok.

Decades of liberal democrat control has pushed that region of the Country deep into debt and the excessive high cost of living and punitive tax policies and governmental regulations have people and companies running for states like Texas.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov...-move-20111127

http://www.nationalbubble.com/people...-the-thousands

Texas has no State personal income and City's like Houston are in demand of qualified Commercial HVACR technicians. Its one of the most air conditioned cities in the world.

Texas alone represented 95% of all jobs added to our NATIONAL economy in the last 3 years under Mr incompetent. ( Obama )

Its a state that understands high tax's and burdensome regulations drive out corporations.

Move to San Francisco and along with everything I mentioned you can expect things like this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/us...ambitious.html

Kind of hard to raise a family their. True salaries are higher but you'll need that inflated salary to pay for a inflated rent payment or mortgage payment.


My Uncle lives in Berkeley California. He informed me my 1.5 story 2300 square foot home in Berkely would be worth in excess of 600,000 dollars.

We paid 140k 5 years ago.

Its too bad to. California is a beautiful State. They screwed it by letting the inmates run the asylum.


So do your homework on the licensing requirements definitely but I would put A LOT of research into what region of the US your going to move to.

[KnewYork]

There are a number of South Africans in San Diego. I know a couple of them. If you decide to land here, get a hold of me through a PM and I'll see if I can't get you introduced to one or two of them.

[KnewYork]

California's like a hard core socialist country. The very rich, the very poor and those who work for the bloated local government there do ok.

Interesting observation...I don't think I'm very poor, I know I'm not very rich and I've never worked for any government agency yet I think I've done alright for myself. I've lived in California since 1968 and this the only state in which I have worked in this industry. No doubt it is more expensive to live in San Diego. It's what we call the "temperate climate" tax. I wouldn't trade the no state income tax guarantee for Houston or Dallas weather. Not to say I'd never leave California, but I certainly can't complain about the opportunities and success I have found here.

[RBSL]

Thanks Knew York I will take you up on your offer.

[WMG]

Here are a couple of links which should help.

http://www.tdlr.state.tx.us/acr/acr.htm
http://www.natex.org/

Nate certification is a plus and most states have different requirements concerning experience, insurance, etc.

[RBSL]

Thanks WMG very helpfull.

[Six]

Interesting observation...I don't think I'm very poor, I know I'm not very rich and I've never worked for any government agency yet I think I've done alright for myself. I've lived in California since 1968 and this the only state in which I have worked in this industry. No doubt it is more expensive to live in San Diego. It's what we call the "temperate climate" tax. I wouldn't trade the no state income tax guarantee for Houston or Dallas weather. Not to say I'd never leave California, but I certainly can't complain about the opportunities and success I have found here.

Don't get me wrong, my post wasn't an indictment on the people of California by any means.

I have family in Berkely.

It was a comment on California's current political and economic situation and the fact is people and corporations are fleeing California to come to states like Texas that offer no personal state income tax and are friendlier to investment and corporations. I wouldn't direct anyone from anywhere in the world to set up shop in California unless they have some contacts already there.

[RBSL]

Thanks for the info at the moment i will go where i get the rite job at the rite salary.

[John Markl]

Salary is relative to cost of living.

You will no doubt find a higher salary in California.....but it will be gobbled up by the cost of housing.

North Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth) has one of the lowest cost of living rates in the country. A good HVAC technician can earn good money and live well.

[RBSL]

Thanks John, i have checked out housing in Houston and you are rite it is about a third of the price as in California.
The job hunt continues......