migration to the states

This depends greatly on where you are from, what skills/education you have, and if you are related to anyone in the US. There are three ways to obtain a “green card” so you can legally live and work in the US: if you are a relative of a US citizen (takes 1-11 years), there is a lottery of people from regions that few people want to immigrate to the US, and there is a way for educated people (people with PhDs or researchers/scientists). This article is long, but tells you about the ways to arrive here and be able to work here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Permanent_Resident_Card

The above is to legally live and work in the US forever (with exceptions) which is what you want, but you can also get a visa that allows you to work IF YOU HAVE A BACHELOR’S DEGREE (4-years)…it is called the H-1 visa and is good for 3 years and can be extended to 6 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa

If you want to study in the US, you can get a student visa and can work for 20 hours a week AT THE SCHOOL. With a student visa, you can have an internship (work to get experience) for 29 months. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-1_visa