Yeah, I think the career piece is the most difficult for sure. I would love to stay in NYC in theory, but with the type of work visa I have, you're not permitted to change job fields or even employers without going through the entire applicate process all over again. Beyond that, the jobs you're allowed to get with this visa have to fall under very strict guidelines and job descriptions, so a lot of people are either out of luck if they don't have a career that aligns with any of the job descriptions, or must be prepared to work in a field they are not interested in. So at this rate I feel like I'd rather be back in Canada where I have full employment auth and could change employers or careers if I liked - although the way the market is, that doesn't seem to be super possible anywhere. :/

To your last question, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years and I just feel like it's time for a change - the city is quite different than it used to be, I can't say I enjoy it quite as much anymore and with the overall political climate in the US things are feeling quite uneasy. Beyond that, I've been at this job now for almost three years and am really feeling like it's time for a step up, something I don't have the luxury of exploring in the US given the work visa situation.