Novocastrian

<slits wrists>

sir_eccles

Ah, I finally spotted your subtle bolding of my woeful typographical error. I shall now go hang myself in shame.

Novocastrian

<runs to find the Bandaids>

username.exe

There's a thread dedicated to that in the Trailer Park.

Novocastrian

As I said, just passing by.

Jerseygirl

You state your wife has "has experience in teaching and working in care homes (for children) and nurseries." Exactly what qualifications does she have and are you sure they are enough to get her a similar position in the U.S.?

md95065

When people transfer to the US on an L1 visa there are, broadly speaking, two different types of compensation packages that they might end up with.

If it appears that the assignment is likely to be temporary (say, 18 months or less) a package is sometimes negotiated where they essentially keep their UK salary and, to the extent possible, other benefits such as vacation time but also receive some kind of "cost of living" allowance to cover the increased cost of living in the U.S.

More commonly that does not happen and they just transfer to the U.S. organization almost as if they were a new employee (which can mean a massive decrease in vacation entitlement) on what is, hopefully, a local salary that is competitive with what other similarly skilled and qualified employees in the organization are getting.

It isn't immediately obvious which category the OP's offer falls into although I have an uncomfortable feeling that it may be "neither".

Apart from salary and benefits there are lots of other things that the OP needs to be aware of and should be negotiating with his employer. There have been many threads on the topic of "relocation packages" so a quick search of the forums should yield quite a few results, but among the top items should be:

1. salary
2. vacation
3. health insurance
4. relocation expenses
5. assistance with preparing tax returns
6. flights back home
7. agreement to sponsor for a green card

Note that only certain relocation expenses are tax deductible and any money that your employer gives you for relocation will be treated as taxable income.

As I said earlier, $50,000 for two people seems to be borderline at best.

While two people can certainly survive on that amount of money there are many things that they will not be able to do - such as - buy a new car, save money, eat out in restaurants, go on vacation etc ...

Do not underestimate the initial startup costs of relocating to a new country where you have no credit history. Expect to spend anything from $5,000 to $20,000 in your first month in the U.S.

The first $5,000 gets you into an (unfurnished) apartment by paying the first and last month's rent, a security deposit and paying cash deposits to get utilities connected.

The next $2,500 buys you some furniture, bedding, kitchen utensils and a TV.

The next $2,500 pays for all the other stuff that I can't think of right now.

The next $10,000 gets you a car.

OK, you might not spend $20,000 in the first month (but you certainly could) and if you don't have at least somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 of readily available cash you will find things *very* difficult.

Similarly, not being able to drive will make life very difficult. I hope that your wife-to-be can drive because, if she doesn't, things will be essentially impossible. If there is any way that you can get a UK driver's license before you arrive in the U.S. do it. You will still need to get a CA license but at least you will be able to drive from day 1.

Assume that, between applying for and getting her EAD and trying to find a job (*any* job) your wife will not be able to work for the first 6 months.

Be prepared for the fact that she might not find anything suitable within the first year (and that, if she does, you might need a second car).

I hope this doesn't sound too negative to you - it really isn't meant that way - it is meant to be realistic.

You may be able to make this work, but only if you go into it in the full awareness of what you are getting into. My biggest concern is that, while you might be able to "get by" on $50,000 you will have a very hard time dealing with the initial startup costs and will be very vulnerable to any unexpected expenses that may come along.

Good luck with it!

Pulaski

In my opinion your assessment is very fair, and a realistic assessment of the situation the OP faces. I wrote a similar assessment about a year ago for some contemplating bringing his family over to Virginia for just about the same amount of money. I don't think we ever heard back as to whether he came over or not.

Ozzidoc

Seconded

sherbert

PM me - we relocated to SD a year ago and I can tell you everything you need to know.

Cost of living is verrrrry high here. 50k won't get you far at all for 2 people. And this area is stuffed to the rafters with people who will work for very low pay for very obvious reasons. I don't know how people survive really. Not to detract from your wife's skills and qualifications, but those kind of jobs are not paid well here in the US.

You'll be shocked at the price of things. Even petrol is now twice as expensive as it was a year ago (although of course that is still dirt cheap compared to UK). As others have said you'll need wads money at the ready to counter the fact that you've got no credit history.

You will not be able to get around without a car so if you can get your license before you come, I'd do it. You'll pass the test easily here in the US (and it only costs $30 to take the test - three times if you need! - and get a license), although the crazy SoCal driving is really something that takes time to get used to.

As furnished accommodation is very rare, you'll need to furnish your place from scratch (unless you are shipping stuff over). Craigslist, thrift stores, Marshalls and Ikea are your friends. PM me, I can advise you where to go in SD.

MoshiMoshi

Exactly this.

I'm pretty sure my husband was on $50,000 when we moved to LA 5 years ago (but -- important point -- this came with excellent medical insurance). Different visa (J1/2) but similar position: I could apply for an EAD, which took a while to come through. Until I was working, we were just about surviving, and that was all.

Agreed, but in part I sort of hope she doesn't drive, either. Personal axe to grind here, but it's ******* frustrating being the sole driving spouse in California.

Another personal bit here, but please make sure neither you nor your wife assume that these six months will be a sort of treat or vacation for her.

It absolutely sucks not being able to work when you're broke. It's fun at first, but pretty quickly your daily activities and social life are circumscribed by lack of funds. You get lumped with most of the new-country admin and housework because... well, what else are you doing?

There are volunteering options, but you have to be careful (can't just work for free). You end up with a gap on your CV, which is already at a disadvantage when eventually applying for American jobs, because it's full of foreign qualifications and experience.

Probably my least favourite aspect of the ten months or so we were living on my husband's salary in LA was being so nervous about unexpected expenses. Once, I was pretty sure I'd (accidentally!) run a red light, and the penalty for this was something ridiculous like $500, which we absolutely did not have. The sheer panic you feel at any unscheduled expense is draining. I only flew home once during our time there, and that was because I had to attend a funeral. People would come visit us, and want to do all the touristy things, and then for the rest of the month we'd be utterly broke. We had absolutely no safety net, and it's a long way from home.

I hope you have savings to buffer you, or at least a high-limit credit card.

I wouldn't say don't come, if you're young and don't have kids, but I do think you're being totally ripped off on that salary (unless you're an academic, in which case you're being ripped off but you're used to it) and should give it serious thought. Your wife, too, since in my totally unbiased opinion it's the non-working spouse who has the worst of it when you're broke. And, when her EAD does eventually come, she'll probably end up taking whatever job possible, since you'll need the extra money so badly by then it'll seem crazy to pick and choose. (Do I sound like the union rep for trailing spouses? There should be one!)

Moses2013

I wouldn't see the point of moving for that salary. If it's just for the weather, wouldn't you be better off in the UK where you both have jobs and the money you've saved will get you nicer holidays. You could also use the money for a holiday home.

shained

First of all thank you for all your replies. I have been worrying a lot about the salary offer and the move.

Unfortunately my employer despite being a very large multi national do not pay very good salaries, in America or Europe. The offer is exactly what my counterpart was on before he left for another company (50% increase and moved to Austin with 50% less cost of living, what he said, so couldn't blame him!).


Yes my wife-to-be has a full uk driving license. And I can drive, just not licenses. From everything I have read I believe I should be able to pass the test in America (hopefully)

Not too negative at all. It is this honest feedback that I have come on here for to enable me to make the best decision possible.

She already hates being the sole driver in Liverpool haha!

I know there is a large amount of risk associated with this but being relatively young (28) and unsure whether another opportunity like this will come along again I am keen to take it.

fozzyb

Do check the details of the health insurance - they can (and do) vary enormously.

Also make sure you do get a date for greencard sponsorship agreed in writing before you sign anything. Remember when you are in the US on an 'L' visa your employer can, at a whim, decide they don't need you in the US anymore and you have to leave the country virtually immediately - which means you cannot make any long term plans. Obviously it is in the employers interest to keep that situation for as long as possible, and in your interests to get past it. Get that negotiated while you have some bargaining power. (Plus once you have the greencard you are in a much better bargaining position on the salary front).

md95065

In that case it may be worth the risk.

Just make sure that you understand what your options are.

Unfortunately, if the company doesn't pay well then they may also be reluctant to agree to sponsoring you for a green card because they will be well aware than not having a green card is the only thing that will keep you working for them for the long term. The only way that this move makes economic sense is if you think that you might want to live in the US long term and that you and your wife will ultimately be able to earn enough money to enjoy living there. Otherwise you will end up returning to the UK in a year or two (at most), richer for the experience but poorer financially.

Do check up on that vacation time (does the 18 days include public holidays, perhaps?), make sure that you understand the health care costs (although at 28 and assuming no existing medical conditions you should probably be OK - you just need cover against something catastrophic happening and you employer's health insurance plan should be sufficient to handle that) and remember what I said about all of those relocation costs paid for by your employer being a taxable benefit (some, but not *all*, of which will be tax deductible).

Also, even with 3 months of accommodation provided (which will also be taxable) don't underestimate the initial costs of moving, including the ongoing "tax" for the first 6 months or so of being a newcomer and just not knowing where to buy certain things as cheaply as possible.

(FWIW I was 31 when I moved to the US and was "only" making $48,000 at the time - but that was 28 years ago ...)

Once again, good luck with whatever you end up doing.