droidguy72

My work is based in mid town Manhattan, NY. We're already looking at accommodation, either over the river in NJ, or just inside Brooklyn. I've been before on a few weeks work trip and its a lot crazier than where we live now, so it will be a fair adjustment for us all. I've drafted up a budget and worked out the sort of salary I need to live there (this part is still in negotiation). One important consideration is my partner would quit her job here and although she doesn't earn much comparative to my job, we still rely on that income. The biggest question mark for me is what our healthcare deductible looks like every month from my wage slip. Coming from the UK its easy to take all this for granted (albeit we do pay national insurance - its not quite the same as healthcare insurance).

Rete

I think you mean IF the company will file for a green card for them. Many have not filed for their L visa holder employees and they have been made redundant and have had to leave the US in under a month from redundancy and go back to the UK and into council housing, i.e. honeybunny.

That is why I poked fun at his use in the subject line as "Permanent Move to the US". A work visa is not a permanent solution to living and working in the US.

Pulaski

"Good" has a variety of meanings in the context of health insurance, and a full discussion undoubtedly warrants a thread of its own, but suffice to say, counterintuitively for anyone used to the "all you can eat buffet" approach of health care delivery that the NHS offers, the "best" health insurance is probably not the policy with the greatest payout possibilities.
Health insurance in the US has a language all of it's own and "deductible" doesn't mean "deduction" (expense), it means something similar to "excess" in the UK.
You will pay SS contributions, which are comparable to NI, but your income tax will probably decline compared to the UK, quite possibly by more than the cost of health insurance and related healthcare expenses (deductibles, copays, and FSA and/or HSA contributions).

Twinkle0927

You need to drive a hard bargain with your employer regarding the relocation package. NY/NJ is the opposite side of the country from me so I don't know anything about costs and reasonable wages (except that nobody could pay me enough to live there )

Things to negotiate on:
- salary (goes without saying)
- healthcare - find out what the premiums are AND the co-pays and deductibles. Contrary to popular belief, national insurance doesn't fund the NHS, it funds pensions and employment-based benefits. The NHS is funded by taxation so it is not a fair comparison to look at what you are paying in NI and assume your total outlay for healthcare here should be the same. It won't. If any of you have existing conditions requiring regular medication find out the costs of this
- a pre-move trip for you to scope the area
- flights home every so often
- cars - are they going to provide a rental car or two and if so for how long?
- accommodation - are they going to assist with this? A temporary rental until you find something permanent?
- furniture and housewares - are they paying for everything to be shipped over or providing an allowance for you to buy new? You might want to buy new as your stuff from the U.K. probably won't look "right" over here and beds won't be the right size for bed linens here.

Many people have the idea that things are cheaper here. That's usually based on a fortnight's holiday in Florida and seeing the price of petrol and fast food. Living here is completely different. Petrol is cheaper but you will drive a lot more so it works out the same. Bad food is cheaper, good food is more expensive. Car insurance rates will make your eyes water. Any activities your children want to join in after school cost a fortune. Internet and phones are more expensive here for, what I consider to be, a far inferior service. Clothing and footwear are more expensive for comparible quality. Even the cost of going home - a return flight from London to any city in the USA is always cheaper than a return flight from that same city back to London.

I know you got annoyed by some comments regarding getting married but it was all in good faith. We live here and have been through the immigration process. It came across that you weren't aware of just how much of a difference it matters to be married when it comes to employment-based immigration. Not only the cost and quality of living but the mere fact that it is just impossible to bring an unmarried partner on a derivative visa. It's as serious as that.

SanDiegogirl

OK, just to answer a simple question with a simple answer - for a 4 person family (you, wife and two children) budget anywhere between $500 and $700 bucks a month being deducted for premiums. (if it's less then hooray, if it's more then you have the bulk of it budgeted)

Additionally, when receiving medical treatment, there WILL be deductibles and copays you pay as you go along.

You could ask your company NOW what will be your premiums for the company scheme.

md95065

While that's generally true for most of the US, the issues surrounding car ownership are somewhat more complex for people working in Manhattan.

If, by chance, they happen to live in Manhattan as well then it is a safe bet that they will *not* be driving to work and that the cost of owning a car (I'm thinking, in particular, of the cost of parking) may be so great that it outweighs the benefit. In that case they may end up just using something like ZipCar for errands that need a car and renting a vehicle if they want to get out of the city for the weekend.

If they are commuting into Manhattan from a distance then the main use of their car during the week will be driving between their home and whatever rail station their journey starts at.

Nutmegger

If the OP goes for Brooklyn, absolutely. But if he opts for Jersey, then his wife will surely need a vehicle for ferrying children and groceries and he will in all probability need a "station car." (A banger that can be left all day in the station parking lot.) As the OP states that his prospective job is in midtown, he may also want to consider Westchester and Fairfield County, CT, as they are easily accessible from midtown on the Metro-North rail lines.

tom169

Not to sound depressing, but also get flights covered back to the UK if the job gets yanked. Also flights back to the UK if you... Uhm... Die.

Twinkle0927

I based this on the fact that he's already said they are looking at NJ as a possible move. In fact, living in Manhattan was never mentioned. Even if he commutes to work by public transit, his wife will need a car for errands during the day. And for the benefit of lurkers who may be considering a similar move, in most parts of the country there isn't something akin to Tesco Express on every other street corner here. Just going out to get milk and other basics involves a car journey for most.

fbf2006

How I miss Tesco Express!
While it's true that most/many? things in NJ involve a car, I doubt that they'll be driving more than they did in the UK.

Rete

And MD95065's didn't say the OP indicated that he was looking to live in Manhattan. If, by chance, doesn't mean that it was on the OP's list of places to live but perhaps a remote possibility for him and his family or someone else reading this thread.

I've no clue what a Tesco Express is but for New Yorkers living in any of the 5 boroughs and bordering 'burbs, we have what is commonly called bodegas, green grocers, 7/11's, gas station super marts and old fashioned mom and pop stores on, if not every corner, every other corner.