How did you end up moving to the US?

[aaron_2000]

I'm interested to know how any PHers ended up moving to the US and what route you took to get there? I'm currently pursuing it through a career I don't have any interest in but seem to have skill in, if I had any choice in the matter then building a business in the US doing something with cars would be the dream but the capital and time required mean I have to stick with IT which is rather soul crushing but my want to live there outweighs my want to enjoy my job. I'd be very interested to know how any of you went about moving there and what advice you might have

[aaron_2000]

Appreciate the replies. It would've been far easier if my girlfriend was a US citizen

[aaron_2000]

The Moose said:

aaron_2000 said:

Appreciate the replies. It would've been far easier if my girlfriend was a US citizen

It'd be easier to change the girlfriend...

Don't get me wrong, the thought of marrying a visa has crossed my mind after a long day of misery. I'd sleep better for the rest of my life knowing I did it the right way though

[aaron_2000]

off_again said:

Bit of a late response from me too!

Worked for a couple of US tech companies and ended up being owned by HP. Offered me a role in California and moved over on an L1A Visa. Brought wife and two kids. That was back in 2014 and obviously been here since. Moved to the Bay Area like many other ex-pats, but moved out (super expensive as an average 3/4 bed home is well over $1m now) to 50 mins outside of Sacramento.

Kids older now and one moved out, youngest finishing off high school. Still work in technology and do enjoy it here. I have had opportunities and earning potentials that I couldnt have taken advantage of in the UK. There are challenges though - forming lasting friendships can be hard and some things you think you know (from media, TV, movies etc), you dont. Navigating healthcare, insurance, tax and other things was a challenge but getting there.

On a green card now, but the minimum period has passed, so can go for citizenship, which I think we will all do. No rush (and its $750 per person!), but would bring a level of predictability to things. And being able to vote would be nice!!! But not concerned about having to do tax returns for life - I dont see myself living a tax-free location any time soon, so chances are I will be tax neutral at worst.

When you bought a house, car etc, did you not find it stressful knowing you weren't a full citizen so were vulnerable to deportation? How do you find the tech working environment there compared to the UK?

[aaron_2000]

off_again said:

aaron_2000 said:

When you bought a house, car etc, did you not find it stressful knowing you weren't a full citizen so were vulnerable to deportation? How do you find the tech working environment there compared to the UK?

Good question - but being on a Visa can be subject to change based on the current policy of the government. Being on a green card is different though, there are a lot of legal frameworks in place and only very specific circumstances in which it can be removed (like being convicted of a federal offense, and then, only in specific circumstances). So its not really an issue to be honest.

The process of getting mortgages, loans etc was pretty easy though. Got my first mortgage while on a Visa and as long as you show you can be here legally, they dont really care. So that was nice. The biggest issue was around credit history though, and we got hit pretty hard while we built this up. Its much better now, but took time. Just bear that in mind.

As for the work environment? Yeah, that is an interesting one. I do say the modern US workplace is FAR different to what is perceived around the world. Any medium to large company in the US is actually pretty respectful, flexible and in many ways similar to the UK. There will be a fair amount of politics (where is this not true?) and ambition, but usually it will be pretty dynamic and hard working - though workplaces will vary a lot. I am really talking about technology, but it will vary.

A few things that I find odd or unusual though - paperwork! Lots and lots of paperwork! They love their forms, duplicating and submitting things. Anything to do with government (local, regional, state or federal) will have a lot of limits, auditing and controls in place. So many things you cant say, do or even have on your laptop! Very strange when compared to the UK. Oh, and there is typically a concern around 'at will' states - where you can be let go for pretty much any reason and usually within 2 weeks. This is very different and can be a worry, but in general, most US companies are cautious for the fear of getting sued. I am sorry if you have been impacted, but its usually rare. Usually most large companies will do a 4 week payout - though the big concern is continuing your healthcare. There is COBRA that allows you to keep paying for it until you get another job, but its a common thing to negotiate on if you are impacted. Just feels weird that you would do that, because its legal protection that is built in for the UK and EU countries.

One final comment though - and there are so many different behaviors across different states in tech companies. The Bay Area will usually be very focused on your history, current job title and how you can help them. The Pacific NW is similar, but will be more friendly, but there is something called the 'Seattle Shoulder' where you will often get the brush off. Texas is usually much more open and inviting, that stereotype of 'the friendly south' is true, but they are super polite too! Very different. Office politics will be there and there is often an expectation to work very hard and long hours - especially in the Bay Area! But getting a fair balance can be a challenge, so just be careful there.

Is there an industry or location that you are looking at? Happy to fill in gaps where I can.

Thanks for all that. Credit is the one concern for me in regards to first renting then eventually buying, location and industry wise I'm going into cloud architecture once I pass the AWS-SAA exam, I applied to do the AmeriCamp program this summer partly so I can demonstrate an ability to work and leave on a J-1 visa without any trouble which I'd hope would do me some good and secondly to get a better feel of working around Americans day to day. Location wise I'm pretty set on either Jacksonville or Texas, I don't really want to pay the living costs of California and I don't see myself as being high level enough to compete with the top Silicon Valley grads. I know there's a large deficit of qualified AWS architects in the US which was pretty much the main reason I got into it, I'd be willing to work anywhere but without sounding touristy I would like to settle somewhere warm like Florida. How long after moving there did the holiday mindset go away?

[aaron_2000]

thainy77 said:

I'm in Texas if you have any specific questions on the state.

Cheers

off_again said:

Yeah, on the credit side - it can be a major issue. I was sponsored and as part of the visa deal, I was setup with a bank account and credit card - though with very low limits. Essentially you start with a zero credit rating and need to go from there. You will pay higher interest rates, often have to leave deposits for things (like utility accounts) and often have to get a 'secured credit card' to help build things out - basically you give them $500 and they give you a credit card with a $500 limit. But it does kick in relatively quickly though, and usually you will start getting your number showing after 3-4 months. Getting it good takes time though. You cant really transfer credit over though. There used to be an Amex card that you could, but not sure they do that any more. Cash will be king for a while, and maybe do what you can about bringing cash over and using a debit card from your account. Dont use your UK credit card though - it serves no real benefit and clearly wont support your credit rating.

Isnt the J-1 limited to the sponsor for your work? I would dig in on this and make sure you have this covered. CA is a great place and yes, its super expensive to live here. However, its still cheaper than the UK on a mid to high income. Taxes are high, but less than the UK overall though.

FL and TX are cheaper states to live in and much more affordable. One word of warning though, all locations have bad areas, streets and blocks. If the affordability is good, its usually because its a bad area. You absolutely pay to live in a nice area, more so than the UK. That said though, FL and TX are cheaper in general though, just do your research on the areas and cities themselves.

Jacksonville is ok, but its not a great place overall (IMHO). Though, I would take it over Orlando any day! Personally, I dont like FL, but thats me. GA is much nicer and you would be very close. Atlanta is pretty good and a large city and Savanah is also a great place, though very touristy.

Weather - I am assuming you have been to FL before? Spring and autumn are nice, Winter is good but the mid-summer period sucks. Bugs, humidity and blaring heat, yeah you can keep that. For me its not the heat itself - usually FL is less than 100 F on average, but its the humidity and the fact that it doesnt cool down much over the evening! I can cope with 100-110 during a hot summer, but knowing it drops to 80 or less over the night. Thats nice. Phoenix, yeah, get lost.... like living in a fan assisted oven during the summer! But then again, it has very nice winters...

I've never bothered with a credit card in the UK, I always use debit and cash which in hindsight was a mistake. I only mention Jacks because that seems to be where all the major IT jobs are in the state, ideally I'm aiming to move there early to mid next year. I'll be spending a few months over there this year, I was hoping to go in Feb to visit an ill family member but the restrictions were too severe. I always liked the mid summer heat and humidity, despite it taking me nearly an hour to walk a mile in it. My biggest concern is actually finding a company to sponsor me for work, despite knowing it's an in demand role I just have the feeling that even companies willing to do visa sponsorship would do their best to avoid it