Canadian wanting to live in the US
I know this question comes up at least 80 times a day -- every day but none of them seem to make very much sense to me.
I am a born and raised 21 year old Canadian who is currently doing the whole long distance relationship thing right now. I live in Windsor, Ontario so the US to me has always been so close it honestly didn't feel like a different country to me -- just my neighbour. My boyfriend lives in Pennsylvania and I'd LOVE to be able to move down there with him. I have a diploma in Animation (Though it was only a 3 year course) and seeing that he is not college educated we figured that I would have a far better chance finding sponsorship and work in the US than he would find in Canada. ANYWAY. So far my easiest option seems to be to just go for it and get married! Yay! But is it so horrible to want to test the water before jumping in right away?
What I'm curious about is; is there a way for me to be able to live with my boyfriend BEFORE we get engaged or anything along those lines? (Legally of course.) How long can I be just "visiting" before I have to return home even just to say "hey I went home to have a poutine now I'm coming back." Does doing this make getting these other fiancée visa's impossible? Lord knows I don't want to screw myself over in the future though I'm notorious for doing it.
Also, is it faux pas to "visit" the US while looking for work related sponsorship? I've applied to a billion Graphic Design jobs in PA via Find Jobs. Build a Better Career. Find Your Calling. | Monster.com however I've had no luck thus far. I figure that maybe -- just maybe I'll have better luck finding work if I'm there in person saying "please, I'll work my butt off for you if you let me."
Any help at all would be absolutely wonderful! Thank you very much in advance. And any additional information you think I might need, please feel free to include it. I really have no idea what route I should be taking to be with my boyfriend.