nouseforanameuk

Hey everyone,

First off I would like to say what a great resource this forum has been for me before and during my move to the US, so thank you to all the regular contributors.

I’ve been here a year now and have recently been in a bit of a dilemma as to whether to go down the route of US permanent residency or not.

A bit of background on my situation; I’m a British citizen, I moved here 12 months ago on a company transfer (L1A Visa), I'm 27 and am recently married. My wife is British and I own 50% of a London apartment that I bought around a year before I moved to the US (no other significant assets). We are currently thinking of staying in the US for around 2-3 years and then moving back to Europe.

My company will sponsor me for a green card but will not cover the costs and from what I’ve read we would be looking at around $5k for green cards for both of us.

So essentially I’m unsure if this is worth the outlay if we will just move back to the UK and abandon our residency status in a few years. The tax issues also seem to get very complicated with having US residency or citizenship if we ever went down this route.

I know there are already a lot of threads about these issues but I am really looking for some more personal views, experiences and views to help me make my decision.

Thanks in advance.

Hotscot

If your certain you'd move back so soon it may not be worth it...but what if you change your mind and want to stay, or change jobs? Is that possible?

I guess only you can determine that.

fozzyb

As Hotscot said - how remote is the possibility that in 2-3 years to want to stay permanently?

I found it was gradually during the second year that I changed from "being on a long visit" to "being home" in the US. I think it was as Thanksgiving/Christmas/Halloween/4thJuly etc come round for the second time - they feel familiar rather than not-quite-sure-what-its-like-here, and you start to build up those "remember last year when..." associations which makes a place feel more like home.

Plus 2-3 years is plenty long enough for life events to happen (like pregnancies ) which can change the way you feel about things.

I think if I had moved back to the UK at the end of the first year (as was the plan when I moved out) then it would have just felt like "bit of an adventure now back to real life" sort of feeling, whereas moving back after 2 years felt like leaving home and having to start again.

Getting the green card does put you in control of your destiny a bit more - but its your call as to whether that is worth the cost.

Hotscot

And if in fact you stayed long enough to become citizens it gives you an enormous location flexibility for the rest of you lives. (Even with the tax issues that come with it.)

N1cky

Having the green card puts you in charge of your own situation. As it stands your company can lay you off, and you have to leave the country in a matter of weeks, with a very slim chance of staying, even if you wanted to.

How long do the company want you out there for? If they want you for longer than your original visa (usually 3 years on an L). You could ask them to at least deduct the costs of what your visa renewal would be, from your green card application.

You can always give up your green card if and when you do move back to Europe.

McZaki

I went through the same 'dilemma', I can understand what must be going through your mind.

I also moved here on L-1A with family, march last year. Applied the permanent residency in Aug this year, and got the green card within 6 weeks.

From experience, I'd say go ahead with the Green Card process -there's no harm!

Like others have mentioned, having the green card puts you in charge of your own situation.

If something goes tits-up at your current employment or you just want to explore other opportunities in the marketplace then having the green card will help you. Also, I went back to the bonnie land for a few weeks, and things are still a wee bit sluggish out there, so it's good to have some options.

(N1cky - hope you're well.. just logged today after a year.. I haven't forgotten my beer debts )

N1cky

Hey, how's life going now? Last time you were on you were feeling a little homesick I seem to remember. Are you still in MV?

McZaki

Life is crazy busy. I have been doing coast to coast for a year now, and finally working from home for the next 4 weeks because of the tax break piece. The homesickness has stretched to a completely new dimension!

Yes, I'm still in MV.

Sally Redux

A year? Wow that went fast.

McZaki

Hey Sally, how you're doing?

Yea, 20 months already, it's crazy how time went so fast.

Sally Redux

I'm doing good (especially since leaving the land of fruits and nuts )

It really is, your kids are probably ready for college by now

Hotscot

For Scotland? I'm the same...Life here is extremely rewarding but almost every day I'm pining to be back home...

N1cky

That doesn't sound too good

a18ion

My experience was like fozzyb. I never expected to stay in the USA. But both in moving here in the 1980s, and then to Britain in the 1990's (and now back in the USA), in each case, after about 18 months, the new place started to feel like home.

Getting the green card, as everyone else has said, puts you in control. We gave the green card up when we went to Britain. And the only tricky bit if you do go back, is that the laws for an exit tax will apply to you if you're here 8 years as a green card holder. So if you go back before then, the the GC was "costless". But if you stay longer, then it's no longer benign.

McZaki

It certainly feels that way sometimes!!