There is one other way to get a work visa is through the Green Card Lottery. Every year they offer 50,000 work visas through a lottery. However, you have to be from an eligible country and I don't think the UK is since countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants over the last five years are excluded. Northern Ireland is included in the lottery as well as Australia. I think UK citizens can easily get Australian citizenship? This would be a very round-about way though and would take several years.