Does anybody leave the USA?
 

Hi - newbie here.

Great site, lots of useful info.

After reading through the posts, it seems like lots of UKers seem to leave Australia, NZ & Canada to return to the UK.

What I want to know is:

Is anybody leaving the good old US of A?

Am I the only person who is fed up with the US?

Am I missing something? Apparently I'm mad to be leaving.

I've been here (both the Mid-west and SF bay area) for 8 years and to be honest I could take it or leave it.

The kicker is that I'd probably be financially better off at home (UK) as my OH would be able to work (currently on an H4).

Rant over.

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

More people emigrate to Australia than the US. This explains a large part of why so many on here are returning from Australia, rather than the US.

People do return from the US (I'm one of them), you just don't see so many of them. Have you looked through postings on the US part of the board? There are a few on there talking about returning.

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

Me, I'm still here but want to move home, it's still in the planning stages with a husband who fears change it's a tough process.

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

Right, that sort of gets to the reason I am a bit reluctant to leave the US. It seems like it is much easier to get into Australia, NZ or Canada compared to the US. To put it in perspective, I've been in the US for 8 years and am now only at the stage where I (read my employer) can apply for my green card - that in itself can take several years. Had I gone to NZ, Canada or Australia 8 years ago, I'd be a citizen by now.....

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

...and I wouldn't have to vacate the country immediately if my employer decided to fire me and my OH would be allowed to work...

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

I came back after 30 years in the US -- mostly southeast Texas, but also 5 years in Iowa. Didn't hate it there, but was missing home, and I decided it made as much sense to return to the UK as to move to New York or San Francisco -- or anywhere else in the US. I do have citizenship, though.

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

There have been numerous posters on here that left the US to move back to the UK. Off the top of my head I can think of Thydney, Optimus Prime, Partystar, Angry White Pyjamas and Honeymommy. Herpes Simplex (who used to be Cuckoo From Mars) left the US and then came back.

They all left for differing reasons ... financial, social, personal, professional etc.

I think that what happens so often is that it is so difficult to get in that most stick it out (at least until they get their citizenship) because of the time and effort that they've already invested. Then by the time all of that is behind them so much time has passed they have gotten used to the place or they have no more strong ties to the UK.

Just some of my observations.

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

The US immigration system does leave a lot to be desired... particularly for skilled migrants. To get my current work visa (H1b) I was placed in a lottery! I hold a graduate degree from an Ivy League school in Engineering - paid for by the US government..... that is just crazy.

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

I think a lot of people get 'sucked in' to the very comfortable lifestyle that you can have in the U.S. Plus its nearer to Europe than Australia so cheaper to get back for visits.

Having been here 5 years, I like some aspects of life here and dislike some. I think the lifestyle can be somewhat artificial and have yet to find someone who is willing to have a good political debate with me (but maybe I have met the wrong people!)

I saw the movie 'Revolutionary Road' a few weeks ago with 2 American girlfriends of mine, The theme running thru the movie is that leading lady (Kate Winslet) finds domesticity in a US suburb so banal she longs to escape to Paris (where the people are 'real') I could identify with this quite a bit as I live in one of those leafy 'burbs. However my 2 friends were like 'huh? Whats that all about, whats wrong with her?' It was amusing and interesting on a whole lot of levels to me. I'm not sure if I got more out of the movie or their reaction!

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

Here in Orlando area, there are tons of brits over here on those E2 visa's. I've seen tons returning for various reasons, mostly because they had never run a business prior to being here and decide after a year or 2 that it's not for them, OR they just don't like to be here on such volatile visa and head back OR if they've got kids decide the education isn't up to parr OR if they get fed up of having to renew all the time and not knowing where they stand.

We have green card so at least we don't have that worry, but there are other things. We are at a point where my hubby can return to UK to his old job (secure and pays well unlike here, now he's unemployed) OR wait here until we can start applying for citizenship which we can start process in December and then go back after we've got the citizenship, BUT, my hubby will probably loose his chance to get his job back. real dilemma. Right now I couldn't care less about gaining citizenship in one way, but frightened incase I ever regret it.

At the moment we still don't know what to do for the best stay for a while longer or just go for it. Our heads are everywhere right now. Up and down is an understatement. Our Daughter is getting older and we need better education than florida can offer to her. She's also started to say stuff like "I am never going back to UK, no way, I like it here etc etc", this worries us as ultimately we want to return as we don't like things here.

Just to give you an idea of what we don't like so that you don't feel like you are the only one not liking it here. In no particular order, just off top of my head:-

1) falseness
2) no small talk
3) very bad customer service
4) rude people
5) the me, me, me culture here in Orlando
6) people don't seem to get past the hi how are you?? no conversation.
7) health care
8) education
9) extreme humidity in summer
10) bad drivers
11) the police, rude and uneducated with taser guns, very dangerous LOL
12) most americans here are untravelled and very small minded

gosh, the list could continue believe me.

I am just soooooooooooo lucky that I made great friends with some lovely brits here and we've had a ball with them. Tried so hard to meet a mixture of peeps from all nationalities, but, didn't work out. boring.

hope this helps you to realise you are not disliking the US of A all by yourself.
:thumbdown:
feel free to pm me if you need a chat.

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

If I did hang in here until I got my Green Card, is that something that remains valid *forever*. For example if I had a Green Card and left the US, could I decide to return to the US whenever I pleased to work.

Or would I need to continually return to the US every so often to keep it active?

I should really know this stuff by now....

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

I actually asked the same question this past week. Please look back at some very useful replies.

In a nutshell it seems no.

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

No if you are gone more than 12 months (may be less now) you have automatically forfeited your Green card. I was back in UK 11.5 months and the immigration guy told me I was cutting it fine and shouldn't go so long. So I got citizenship.

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

Thanks for the info. One last question. How long after you got your green card did it take to get citizenship? I know it probably depends on a host of factors - I was just looking for a rough estimate.

Not sure I can be bothered hanging around for a green card, never mind citizenship!

Thanks again

Re: Does anybody leave the USA?
 

5 years after GC, usually. In some circumstances, 3 years if the spouse of a U.S. citizen. Plus processing time. There are some exceptions to these rules, such as military service.