What is my best option to obtain an immigrant visa or what other visa is available that would enable me to live and work without restriction?

I am a UK citizen and would like to move to the US permanently. I am a qualified CFP here in the UK but want to establish my career in the US. The majority of firms offering the positions I am looking for claim that they will not sponsor and that they require you to be a resident or hold a visa with no time limit. I have a friend who I grew up with (her family took me in when I was young but never formally adopted me) who said she would sponsor my trip however I am not an immediate relative by traditional definition.