Hi -

I have lived in the states since '98 (since marrying american woman) and we are considering moving back to the UK at some point (3-10 years time)
I been through the big homesickness stage, and am settled now in a nice old house, good job and now have a reasonably clear picture of life in both countries. My wife is eager to live full time in England - she loves european/british culture and wants to be fully immersed.

I'm very concerned about 'rose tinted glasses' but some aspects of UK culture do seem to stand out, apart from family:

- countryside, footpaths, history
- mild weather (I live in midwest, minneapolis, the british don;t know cold :-)
- pubs
- don;t have to drive everywhere
- less prudish
- good bacon, chocolate, beer etc.
- just a different 'vibe'
- more vacation
- the black hole of London. I lived there for some years, would rather live near the pennines (Manchester/Leeds etc). Thing is all the jobs are down south it seems. USA has strong regional economies (like the Twin Cities)

problems though are:

- horrible house prices. Shocking.
- In software/IT, wages are not as good. Here in US in software development you can earn $100k without being senior manager, in UK things seem to max out at 35-40k sterling if you are down in the trenches programming/testing. Thats still a decent whack, but its not exactly enticement to come back.

The driving is mad and the place generally a bit grubby, but thats part of the charm.

A return to the UK would, I think, mean a drop in material standard of living. I would have to be sure that quality of life went up (shopping is not everything is it). Maybe a career change? (who wants to sit in front of computer all their life???:-)

My wife suggests trying to work over there for 3 months, over her kids summer holiday. Good idea I think, test the waters.

Wondering if anyone else has thoughts to bear on this matter, or experiences of returning home after a succesful period of life in the USA

thanks

Alan

sorry - "black hole of london" should be under problems section :-)

alan, regarding living in the Northern Midwest, respect on the Cold thing. aye, it does get a bit nippy.

As for relocating up north check out www.reedrains.co.uk as they will let you look at houses in and around the north.

goodl uck dude, my misses wouldn't mind living in Britain, but I told her the kids couldn't cope in school right now.

good luck

I have step kids, and I would also be concerned about how they handled it, though going to college in UK would be good I think.

I'm recently back from a stay in the UK and we had such a great laugh with my family, the peak district is really beautiful (I didn;t realise till I left) and part of me really felt at home.
Still, it was a holiday.

London's not for me, done that already, its a bit of a rat race: a lot of fashion victims and a lot of commuters and lot of traffic and dirt.

I am torn though, the Twin Cities in minnesota are nice: clean, safe, green (lived in Arizona for a while, amazing/interesting area but very weird vibe to me) and its good to be back home (in the US) with some proper sunshine.

Basically, I know I don;t want to spend the rest of my life in the states commuting back to the UK intermittently with expensive and tiring airflights - but going back would be a big upheaval with sacrifices all around, and then commuting to visit wifes family every so often.

Well, I this is probably the typically immigrant conundrum.

I'll check the estate agent.

One possibilty is to rent house in USA and see about buying a second in the UK.

Hi There

I too can sympathise with the cold!! I'm just down the road from you in Rochester and am moving to the Cambridge (UK)area. Minus 45 windchill factor is horrible:scared: It's just too cold here - logistically getting around for 6-7 months of the year is a nightmare.

I've been in MN for 3 years and before that WY for 5 years. I obtained my U.S. citizenship so am dual but I have always known that I would want to move back to the UK at some point. I've chosen to do it now as my kids are 3 and 5 and really want to get my daughter into the UK school system.

I'm lucky in that I've been offered a job back in the UK already and I get 23 days holiday a year plus 8 national holidays plus sick days!! We may get paid more in the States but think about the longer work week we put in i.e. 40+ hours in the States, I'll be working 37 hours, U.S. - 2 weeks vacation and you have to earn it before you can use it, U.K. - minimum 4 weeks right off the back, U.S. - paying healthcare premiums, co-pays and co-insurance, U.K. - healthcare is covered by NIC contributions.

It's swings and roundabouts really - you just need to weigh up what is more important to you.

Ask yourself this question - Where do you want to be when you die?

Well I was reading your delima and everyones replies and thought I would throw my $.02 worth in or £.02. lol I'm a USC and my husband is a UKC. I have been in the UK now for 10mos and did live a year here before that. I love the UK's landscape and history and buildings. The charm is unbeatable. The people have been very nice to me, but.. I miss stores being open 24/7 and I miss hopping in my car and going straight to where I want to go and not 10miles out of my way to get there. UK petrol prices, ouch!!I loved walking when I came here. I mean theres a shop 5min walk from where ever you are, but in the winter I hate walking all the way into town. I freeze my rump off.I miss the hot summers of ohio where I'm from. We get 90F to 100F.Our summers are from may to oct. Its july and I havent seen a day over 75F here in the UK and havent seen many of thoughs. I miss fast food and I can go to the bank or post office or even to the shop and never get out of my car. I miss how when you go in a restraunt or a store and employee's are so helpful and meet your every need. Houses are cheaper and when you rent a house or apt in the USA the heat and water is included and you get mixer taps and a dishwasher and wall to wall carpet. In the USA although you pay for medical care its very good and fast care. I have a heart problem and put in to see a cardiologist last nov. here in the UK and still waiting for an appointment. Jobs for people over 40 is hard to find in the UK. I'm 43 and my husband is 47. He is a computer tech. and has been unemployed for 2yrs. Cant find a job. They always make a point of his age. Everything is at your finger tips in the USA. People say that americans are spoiled but it does make life easier. Me and my husband are waiting on his K-3 and we are off to USA. My husband can't wait to see the USA again. I couldnt wait to move to the UK. It was a life long dream to me and I still love it here but you have to have big money and by the way up north in the UK is a nicer place to live. My husband is from Leeds and it is lovely up there. We talk about in a few years buying a house in England and coming over and spend a few months a year and when the time comes maybe retire here. But for now our options for a better life is in the USA. Most UKC's I talk to here always say, "what are you doing here? If I had the chance I would be in the USA." Both countries have alot to offer. I think age plays a big part in it as well. i think for school age children it would be hard for them to adjust from the USA to here. Its more laxed in the USA schools and school year is shorter as well. I think a good idea would be for you and your wife to set down and in a realistic way, stay our of dreamland, and write down the pro's and con's. Everyone is different and what may bother one person wouldn't bother another. I miss fireflies and hearing crickets in the summer nites. You and your wife may careless. Its all up to needs and likes and dislikes of each person. I agree with you on London. It reminded me of NYC. been there done that ,dont make me do it again! lol But I wish you and your wife the best of luck in whatever you do. Cheers!

Flower, just wondered why you are doing K3 when you are resident in the UK and qualify for Direct Consular Filing through the US Embassy? If you get your husband a K3 (which could take up to a year as opposed to 3 months for DCF) your husband will still have to adjust status in the US (another year or more) whereas with DCF he gets a greencard on landing in the US.

My post is not so much about you but your wife's attitude and views towards the UK.

Love of culture is one of the many factors that may help her adjust to living in the UK.

Has she lived in the UK or overseas for any length of time?

I ask 'cos the ability to live in a country is being able to adjust to a change in the way you live (quality is so subjective), the foods eaten and available in the area/region/country, the weather and of course, the people of the nation.

I met my spouse in '98 when he began his assignment in the UK. We lived there until 2002 when we moved to the US. I believe his ability to adjust to life in the UK (we lived in London but traveled within the UK and visited European countries) was partly due to his upbringing, having lived in 7 different cities (in five states) by the time I met him.

So, he was accustomed to being uprooted and adjusting to new environments.

The UK and some of its cities are not unlike many US cities in terms of the cost of living, e.g. LA, San Francisco, New York and some other big cities. Also, driving in big metropolitan areas in the US such the ones based around the cities I just mentioned is no different (it's probably worse) than London in many respects.

I have always been here on a visa waiver. I have never been here on a visa so there was no other way to do it but this way. You have to show you have legal resident as in a visa in order to file that way. I came over last sept this time, to wait for my husband's interview for his K-3 and go with him and then help him pack up and go home, buttttttttt..........he was denied because of UK police report and we are doing the I-601. So I went home last June after being here 9mos and filed for his K-3 and I-130 then I came back in Sept and I've been here since. So yes I have overstayed. The first 9 months I was here I had file with UK immigration for spouse visa but then we changed our minds and decided we wanted to be in the states so we dropped the UK immigration visa so that overstay was ok. I'm not leaving here till we can leave together or they drag me kicking and screaming.

If you are overstaying, you are overstaying. It is never 'OK.'
Strange that you did not get the UK spousal visa from the US when it can be gotten in just one day from the British Consulate in NYC, LA or Chicago (we got ours the day we applied). Then you would have got your decision on the US spousal visa much quicker and if you get the visa would not have to bother adjusting status in the US.
I hope the 601 is granted because if you have to stay in the UK, with your overstaying you would now stand less chance of getting the UK spousal visa.

Alan
Are you a US citizen or just a green card holder? If you've only got a GC it would make a lot of sense to become a naturalised US citizen, as GC holders put their status at risk within a short period of time once they move outside the US.

US citizens do have an obligation to file for US taxes even if living overseas, although the amount you actually *pay* may be little or nothing. Most people consider the inconvenience to be a price well worth paying for keeping open indefinitely the option to return to the US.

You do not lose British citizenship when naturalising as a US citizen. And US citizens have a range of other advantages over GC holders in the US.

Jeremy

No I think you miss understand SQuirrel, the first time I came over we didnt intend to stay so I came on a visa waiver I-94, then once we got here we said yeah lets stay so I called UK immigrations and they sure just fill in this paperwork and send us your passport and birth certificate along with your paperwork and it will take 3mos to process and you cant leave the country during this process blah blah, then before it came through my father fell ill with cancer so and by this time we had been here 7mos and by the way UK immi said because you have filed there would be no problem with your overstay on your visa waiver, so I called them cause I had to go home and I had to have my passport and I told them the problem and they said I would have to drop the filing in order to go home, so I did had no choice cause of my dad. So I went home for 3mos and I talked to my hubby and he said I dont want to be here I rather be in the states it has more to offer and with all my family there and he doesnt have much family here to speak of and he cant find a job so I said ok I'll file for you here for the K- 3 and I'll come back. NYC, LA or Chicago is like soooo far away from me, US big place, anyway didnt know about alot of that stuff till after the fact. So here I'am and he was denied his K-3 so got to get this I-601 done so we can get out of here. This last trip I have made I have overstayed and I dont much care really I'm sick to death of this whole process. I think they just push you to see how far you'll go and just to see if you'll stay together. HA! wont work with us I tell ya! Sooooo there it is in short form.

You didn't have to actually go to LA, Chicago or NYC to get the visa, you can apply by post. It took my husband 5 days to get his UK visa. The reason they told you it would take 3 months in the UK is because you are not meant to just come as a tourist then switch to a spousal visa, you are meant to get the spousal visa from the US before you come.
Anyway if anyone else reads this, it's much easier to get the UK spousal visa if you are going to be waiting out the US immigration process with your spouse in the UK, then you can go DCF, get the greencard in about 3 months and not have to bother with AOS or EAD etc.

I'm also considering moving back home after 19 years of living in Connecticut. I'm originally from Gloucestershire.
I have had several job offers via a UK job service but they all want me to move within a month

which UK job service is this? I would like to find such a service