Ask HN: Getting to North America: Working or Studying?

I graduated in Economics in mid 2014 and immediately joined a huge corporation as a Trainee. Subsequently, my country's crisis got worse, and like many companies, mine had massive layoffs. I managed to stay, but there there is no trainee development program anymore nor any career prospects. I also do absolutely detest the work and feel like I have so much more I could give to the company, but I'm stifled by my insecure manager. I've been looking for another job for a year, and while I landed a few good interviews, nothing worked out.

My background: - While I am an economist, I love technology and I'm a half-decent programmer with experience in data analysis and data manipulation. - For years I've been looking to leave the country for several reasons, but mostly lack of security and bleak economic outlook for years to come. I've been to North America a few times and it seems promising.

I see two ways out: #1: Applying for a Master's degree somewhere in North America. While I would like to specialize in something related to Data Science, it feels like I just left school and what I really want is to do actual meaningful work. #2. Landing a job in North America. While ideal, it sounds unlikely that someone will hire a candidate who doesn't have a Visa yet, nor has some extraordinary skill. I have about three years of work experience, but not in a single field (mostly Operations Research/Management and Finance/Treasury).