Anyone moved from the UK to live in the USA?

Anyone moved from the UK to live in the USA?

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Discussion

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Monday 16th January 2017
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Stu R said:
Yep. Couldn't be more straightforward, helps having a badass immigration attorney too I guess.
Any reason why you didn't sponsor them - you're a USC now aren't you?
Good Packers performance tonight, by the way!

smack

9,727 posts

190 months

Monday 16th January 2017
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I almost moved to the US, has job waiting for me, well it was moving to a permie role for the company I was already working for, with the companies immigration lawyers doing the paperwork for my visa, but the deal started to stink and I walked away. Did I make the right choice? Probably yes, in this case, as it was the most dysfunctional company I had worked at for a long time, and if I did jump, as it happens it would have all fallen apart with all my household goods halfway to the US, with me having to return to the UK, and having the bonus of pickup all the costs of it all, being £10k's out of pocket.


Matt Harper said:
Stuff like this makes me wince a little.
E2/E3 E-1/E-2 visas (Treaty Trade/Treaty Investor)
E-3 is limited to Citizens of Australia

MarshPhantom

9,658 posts

136 months

Monday 16th January 2017
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Matt Harper said:
bridgdav said:
I've been here in North Carolina for 6 years...

All I can say is, for the first couple of years... "Welcome to America... give us all your money"

IMO - A Great place to live, with so much choice of cars, entertainment, sport and leisure, food and drink. But as has already been said, USA is a massive place and even though we live in a nice area, great neighbours and a local bar within a good walking distance... very close by are not so nice areas...
Just like any city or town TBH.

Getting a job, sponsorship and a green card application from a US company will be more difficult than searching for a location.

You also get the opportunity to buy something like this for peanuts.

Very apposite regarding costs in the early days - big security deposits for everything.

Here's my old banger..


You can also buy these in the Uk...

MarshPhantom

9,658 posts

136 months

Monday 16th January 2017
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Another friend moved Pittsburg with work, didn't enjoy it all and was soon back in the UK.

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Monday 16th January 2017
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smack said:
E-3 is limited to Citizens of Australia
Absolutely - thanks for the correction - total brain fade.

GavinPearson

5,715 posts

250 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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hairyben said:
Would you compare it to new labours pfi hosptials, where the care and attention to the actual product and it's value to the people came a very distant 2nd to the opportunity to score headline political capitol?
It's probably best not to because the politicians who wrote the law were well intentioned. But their results just don't work well enough for the people that they wanted to help. As the U.S. system is all private there are no government hospitals for ordinary people (but they have a system for military and ex-military personnel) so Obamacare provided a means for people to see a Doctor, get prescriptions and operations but it ended up too expensive. We'll see what replacement comes in the next few weeks.

unrepentant

21,212 posts

255 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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GavinPearson said:
We'll see what replacement comes in the next few weeks.
A few weeks. biggrin

Stu R

21,410 posts

214 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Matt Harper said:
Stu R said:
Yep. Couldn't be more straightforward, helps having a badass immigration attorney too I guess.
Any reason why you didn't sponsor them - you're a USC now aren't you?
Good Packers performance tonight, by the way!
I am now, finally but I wasn't eligible to, apparently it's a minimum of 2 years after approval before you can sponsor. I'll be sponsoring their switch to a 'proper' visa this year before we sell the business, I believe I'm eligible to as of March/April.

Packers are on fire, somewhat apprehensive of the Falcons though!

Haven't forgotten about your oxo cubes BTW, taking me a while but I broke my back.

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Stu R said:
Matt Harper said:
Stu R said:
Yep. Couldn't be more straightforward, helps having a badass immigration attorney too I guess.
Any reason why you didn't sponsor them - you're a USC now aren't you?
Good Packers performance tonight, by the way!
I am now, finally but I wasn't eligible to, apparently it's a minimum of 2 years after approval before you can sponsor. I'll be sponsoring their switch to a 'proper' visa this year before we sell the business, I believe I'm eligible to as of March/April.

Packers are on fire, somewhat apprehensive of the Falcons though!

Haven't forgotten about your oxo cubes BTW, taking me a while but I broke my back.
Whoa! Hope you are mending - forget the Oxo cubes - found a source (sauce - ha!) in Orlando - a little "English Shop" on Mills Ave, if anyone's interested.

You may sponsor parents the day you become a USC - it's also quite a speedy process (by USCIS standards at least) - usually takes around 4 months - and parents become LPRs so no visa requirement either. You do have to provide an affidavit of support for first 5 years of course.

Sponsorship of siblings is a different matter - 10-12 years is usual for that process.

Edited by Matt Harper on Thursday 19th January 02:13

Stu R

21,410 posts

214 months

Thursday 19th January 2017
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Matt Harper said:
Whoa! Hope you are mending - forget the Oxo cubes - found a source (sauce - ha!) in Orlando - a little "English Shop" on Mills Ave, if anyone's interested.

You may sponsor parents the day you become a USC - it's also quite a speedy process (by USCIS standards at least) - usually takes around 4 months - and parents become LPRs so no visa requirement either. You do have to provide an affidavit of support for first 5 years of course.

Sponsorship of siblings is a different matter - 10-12 years is usual for that process.

Edited by Matt Harper on Thursday 19th January 02:13
Evidently I've got something twisted up or lost in translation, but that's good to know. They're all set thankfully, just waiting for the right house to jump out at them.

Glad you got sorted on the important stuff, I'm actually thinking of opening up shop again on the import export stuff, and buying some property at your end of the country. Not that I'm sick of construction in the winter or anything biggrin

Dr Gitlin

2,561 posts

238 months

Friday 20th January 2017
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Moved out here in 2002 as a freshly PhD'd scientist. Spent a few years in academia, then switched careers and worked for the US government in a policy job. Now I get paid to write about cars for a living! Not sure I'd have been able to do all that in the UK, but perhaps I would. I definitely don't think I'd get paid what I do now if I had stayed in the UK though.

Of course, we're in for a fked up few years as of tomorrow.

bridgdav

4,805 posts

247 months

Friday 20th January 2017
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Dr Gitlin said:
Of course, we're in for a fked up few years as of tomorrow.
It's going to be Great... I've seen it written on a baseball cap...

NSNO

333 posts

151 months

Friday 20th January 2017
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Don said:
I lived in New Jersey for a while...best part of eighteen months, I think. Always rented and intended to move back to the UK, though.

I loved it.

If I had met a nice American girl, rather than the nice British one, I could have stayed, I think.

But living in Australia was better. Spent eighteen months in Sydney. Very, very hard to beat. I would move back there in a shot, if I could.
So would you choose Sydney over NJ/NY then?

I currently live in Sydney, been here for three years now and Perth for two years previous to that. It's a great place to live and a nice lifestyle but I've always wanted to move to New York, but it seems a lot harder to get a visa there compared to Australia.

mwyatt82

87 posts

122 months

Friday 20th January 2017
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I moved from Oxfordshire in Nov 2013 to the Milwaukee area. I'd pushed my employer to move me here and they finally capitulated when I said I would leave if they couldn't help me achieve my dream. I work as a Senior global account manager for a market research firm in the Fast moving consumer goods area. I'm happy with my move I am well established now with a long term girlfriend and i'm a member of a mountain bike club and volunteer for the MS society after being diagnosed in Feb 15. I'm on a L1A visa and looking to get a GC in 2 years or so from now. Things i'd say I love:

Mid Western folks. They generally are extra friendly people and charming on the whole
Cars. Lots of choice and the performance per $ equation is amazing. Being in the Mid West corners are so rare that handling doesn't matter quite so much.
Food. Yes there is garbage but the good stuff isn't hard to find and most Americans seek it out and often tell their friends, so it's not hard to find fantastic grub.
Weather. Yes it's more extreme here but the Summers can be spent by the lake with consistent sunshine and the good snow in the north in winter means snow mobile fun!
Energy costs. I don't think twice about my leccy, heating or petrol bills anymore.
Health care. I am very lucky and privileged to have a good insurance plan here through my employer but the speed, efficacy, choice and quality of the institutions I have dealt with has been amazing. My diagnosis in Feb 15 was stressful and scary, but I was diagnosed within 2 weeks and on a drug to manage my condition within 3.

Things I had trouble with:

Phoney people. Some the most difficult dealings I have had with Americans are with those who are incredible at being two faced. I know this happens everywhere in the world but some Americans are incredible at being passive aggressive and two faced.
Straight roads. I considered getting a Porsche Cayman last year but ditched that dream when I remembered there are no corners which would do a car like that justice where I live!
Residual values for used cars. I couldn't get over how much cars are still worth after several years here! Was a bit of a nightmare when I first got here but it does mean it makes the case for a new motor much easy to justify!
Taxes. I did a big whoops on my taxes in my first year (being ignorant) and paid the price. Life was easier under PAYE!
Retirement. With my long term health condition i've got added stress around health care in retirement. Indeed many Americans open Health retirement accounts to have a separate pot in retirement for any health dramas, and some simply defer retirement as long as possible.

Overall though I love the country and hope to be an American one day. Being a resident alien isn't a great place to be in.

unrepentant

21,212 posts

255 months

Friday 20th January 2017
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mwyatt82 said:
Overall though I love the country and hope to be an American one day. Being a resident alien isn't a great place to be in.
Sorry to hear about the MS but you're in a good place as far as research goes.

I am a permanent resident and don't plan to become a USC. Apart from not being able to vote I don't see any disadvantage in being a PR as opposed to a USC.

Zeek

882 posts

203 months

Friday 20th January 2017
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unrepentant said:
I am a permanent resident and don't plan to become a USC. Apart from not being able to vote I don't see any disadvantage in being a PR as opposed to a USC.
Same. I'm not sure I'll make the jump from LPR to USC. The only benefit seems to be that they can't ever "send you home" as a citizen, which is a risk you technically run if you do something they really dislike as a LPR. I'm quite grateful I didn't get the opportunity to vote this year...!

5ohmustang

2,755 posts

114 months

Friday 20th January 2017
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joshcowin said:
I would love to live out there but my wife would hate it!

Has Obamacare helped with the healthcare? It is being touted as a triumph, but why is trump scrapping/dismantling it?
Obamacare was sold to the people as free healthcare as in NHS free. There is nothing free about it. You are forced to have health insurance or when it comes to tax time you will be charged a fine, in my case if I did not have it, I would have to pay $1700.

It has been a disaster and now in the process of being dismantled.

5ohmustang

2,755 posts

114 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
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Europa1 said:
5ohmustang made the move. You may want to read some of his posts before committing to move out there. smile
What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? Good things I hope.

5ohmustang

2,755 posts

114 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
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The jiffle king said:
I moved to Georgia about 2 years ago and it is great in many ways and frustrating in others. I love living in North Georgia as it affords an outside lifestyle most of the year which is something I love.

Things I like:
Choice
Big houses
Friendly people
The cost of everyday things is cheap
The value you get for housing... it's outrageous when you come from the UK
Muscle cars.... and trucks
The pride you see people have in their country and go get it attitude
Rodeos... Honestly the most dangerous thing is to be a cowboy and be a bull rider or Bronco rider and it's all good clean family fun
Double garages with door closers
Miles of trails and outdoor spaces
Availability of travel in the US


Things which frustrate:
Working out the health system and how it works
people driving everywhere... I really do mean everywhere, even to get the post from the mailbox at the end of their drive
Snakes - I am the snake whisperer and have seen too many copperheads smile
Quality of food can be poor
Driving standards... The test is a bit too easy
The lack of small shops or stores as we call them here
All of the above is true, dead on.

BritVsRedneck

74 posts

114 months

Wednesday 25th January 2017
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To answer the OP, yes we moved here to the Midwest 5 years ago.
My employer, a global tier 1 automotive supplier, was bought out by an even bigger conglomerate. It now had "too many" R&D centers in Europe, so decided to close our UK technical center.

I was part of a specific team in the UK, and although only having 3 years experience, It was 3 years more than anyone else in the "new team" they had established in France. So I was originally slated to move to the new office in France, or leave the company. In 2011 and only 3 years work experience I didn't fancy moving company just yet.
After being offered the position in France with the same company a few times, I found they were being rather naughty and blocking some open positions in the US to do the same job, which I had the required experience for and would thoroughly enjoy!
So I told the French to stuff their job and went stateside.

I was brought over on an L1b visa and my wife and kids on L2s. We were offered a modest compensation for moving, they paid for all the visa stuff and moving our belongings.
They did also offer some home sale assistance, but having just bought our house before the company announced the office closure, we were locked into the mortgage with a tough early redemption charge. So we rented the house out.

Like others have said it was like starting over completely, we didn't exist here. We had assistance from a "relocation agent" when we go here who helped us set up Social security cards, bank accounts and driving licenses etc.. In hindsight I think she got some sort of kick back from her go-to bank etc
The company also paid for 2 months rental car and apartment, which helped us get settled.

I also negotiated an annual return trip "home" until they started the Greencard process. (Incidentally they messed things up and are only just starting the GC now, which meant they transferred us to H1b/H4 visas, so my wife couldn't work any more. But it meant we have now had 5 return trips!)

I also doubled my salary. They asked me how much I wanted to be paid, so I made up a number, added 20% to be cheeky and they said OK.

We didn't have a lot saved after our UK house purchase, so for the first 2 years we didn't do a whole lot and just saved, we also got a secure CC (later a proper CC) and used that to pay bills, groceries etc until we had an excellent credit score. Then after 2 years we bought a nice house in a great neighbourhood surrounded by walking paths, parks, lakes. My wife and kids have such a brilliant lifestyle its actually hilarious.

Me on the other hand, well as you can tell by my username am torn. Some days I love it here and am truly grateful for the quality of life, the 'things' you can have. I've never been able to label myself, I don't fit anywhere, I never have, I was never a sporty person, so no football, soccer or baseball chats. I love messing with cars though. That doesn't mean I love cars, I don't lust after sports cars or super cars, I don't even like driving that much (I like to cycle though). But I could stand and look at old cars for hours, I have two rusty pieces of junk in my garage at home, one a Frankenstein's monster, a 1950s pickup truck mated with a 2005 HEMI Dodge SUV. The other is a Mk1 mini barn find made entirely of iron oxide. I can be in my "workshop" for hours and weld, grind and be at piece with the world. But I can take or leave driving - yes I'm weird.

I also live in what they call a HOA (Home owners Association) neighbourhood. Its basically a load of rules, and a ton of fees to be able to live in a sort of Disneyesque dream state, where people dress up to go outside and ride their lawn tractor around and prune their rose bushes.

Well, I don't fit that mold, imagine the scene of me emerging from my smoke filled garage, half my T shirt on fire from weld splatter, putting myself out with the garden hose while a group of the neighbours, well dressed and not even breaking a sweat, "power walk" by my house.

I used to have a couple of like minded mates in the UK, and we just got on with it, building cars and tinkering but with no money. Now I have money, and things. But I miss my friends.

Sure, I've got new friends here, but I don't get to talk rubbish with them in the pub.

I guess its my roundabout way of saying, be careful for what you wish for, all the money and all the things don't mean as much when you don't have the friends to share them with.