Should I stay or should I go!
 

i live in NH and have been considering moving back to Cardiff for years. I have a green card but willing to give it up if I leave as dual citizenship seems too complicated in the long run.

I have no one here since my divorce apart from a couple who are really good friends. All my family are in Cardiff and I have friends all over the UK. I think I would be better off there but can’t seem to bring myself to give up the green card. I lived in South Korea for 5 years and don’t regret leaving, but maybe that’s because it’s fairly simple to get a teaching visa if I ever return. Once I give up the green card it’s gone for good.

any advice?

Re: Should I stay or should I go!
 

Nothing complicated about getting naturalisation in the US; are you worried about tax issues if one is a US citizen?

How long have you lived overseas? What are your job prospects in the UK?

While you might have lots of friends in the UK, you won't be better off if you don't have a decent job and the ability to have a decent living.

Re: Should I stay or should I go!
 

Hi, and welcome to BE. Personally, I'd apply for citizenship. Sounds like you're loathe to give up the green card, so citizenship would mean you could return if you did want to return at any time and just keep your options open. Once you've got citizenship you could even split your time between the two countries if you wanted.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

Re: Should I stay or should I go!
 

I concur, welcome to BE! This is a good group of people, with most response being sensible and beneficial. Our regular experts, including the two above ;-) are reliable and somehow manage to get through responses here daily. Hats off to them!

It sounds like the Green Card / Citizenship, as mentioned, is a good idea, but I can't comment at all on that.

You might have an impression of the UK of how it was when you left, but might find it very different when you settle in again. That might be good or bad either way! Perhaps consider moving over for 6 months, like a long holiday, rent a small place, if you can afford to do that. Since you're a teacher, maybe you can earn online at the same time.

Other than that, Asia is a teachers oyster these days! With so many expats that's left over the years as markets and demand has changed, it almost seems like there's only teachers left, haha! I wish I had that skill (teaching). If you're good, then salaries are good too, very very good in the right international schools. I suppose it just depends on what lifestyle you like and prefer, but all the obvious ones come to mind like China, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea as you mentioned. Not forgetting Vietnam perhaps, as a growing nation.

I'd say, take your time, weigh up your options, and you have the choice to experiment now you're free, but also having that choice with the USA would be a good one to snap up in my view. Also take tax advice. All the best.

Re: Should I stay or should I go!
 

I would also choose to get citizenship first as that really does give the option to move back anytime you want since you are worried about losing your Green card. It took less than a year for us to get citizenship once we had our Green cards. If you find that you love it when you move back and hate having to file US taxes and do FBAR filings etc then you can always give up US citizenship, but if you give up your Green card and then find you really want to move back to the USA it is much more difficult.

Re: Should I stay or should I go!
 

Try before buy? You can go over for 6 months without relinquishing your Green Card and if you do it right, can even stretch it to about a year. Go over for an extended move and see if you like it? Not the Summer vacation, see all your friends, go out to dinner kind of trip, but the 3-6 months, rent a flat, buy groceries, deal with the day-to-day kind of stuff for a few months. See if there is a honeymoon period or if what you see is what you like. Give it a try, and come back if it doesn't work out.

Re: Should I stay or should I go!
 

Well, I booked a flight for next month. Going to see how it goes. Thank you for all your answers.