GCostanza

Hello,

In the final stages of completing my L1-A application moving from LDN to NYC
Hit a bit of snag in terms of US salary so would appreciate any feedback.
My current US equivalent salary is apprx $70K exc. commission, having spoken to 3 recruiters in NY, the average salary for my role and experience is around 115-130K.
I've been told that due to internal pay structure, it would be very difficult to have this % of salary increase approved.
I have a meeting with my boss on Monday to discuss but wondered if there was any thoughts from forum members? My primary concern is that base salary would appear too low for a NYC move on an L1-A.

Any feedback much appreciated
Best

DavidLemon

There is no requirement for the company sponsoring your L1 to offer the prevailing wage, thus they can make any offer they want. However that said, if the proposed salary is significantly below the prevailing wage and/or the wages of your US resident staff, then the petition could result in USCIS viewing your petition unfavorably, and may also result in investigations by USCIS or Department of Labor.

md95065

That just means "we don't want to pay you that much" ...

What is the nature of your transfer to the US?

Is it a temporary assignment where the intention is that you would return to the UK within a year or two? In that case it would be reasonable for you to keep your current UK salary and benefits (including vacation time) but get a temporary increase to cover the cost of living while you are on assignment in the US.

If it is more likely to be long term then you should be switching to a US based compensation plan and should be looking for a base salary and benefits that are comparable with similarly qualified US employees.

Also, who is it that is pushing for the move - is it you or your employer? If it is something that you really want to do (and your employer is aware of that) then you don't have as much bargaining power as you would have if it was something that they initiated.

Ultimately this is something that you have to negotiate with your employer - the whole "due to the internal pay structure" argument is, at the end of the day, just HR bullshit ...

SanDiegogirl

Who initiated the move?

If the company did and they asked you to transfer for a specific reason, then you are in a much better position to discuss the higher salary with them.

If, on the other hand it was generally advertised and you applied for it, then negotiating can still be done, but you'll have to prove more strongly that the salary is too low for the job/experience. Get some figures from the research you have done.

GCostanza

Hello everyone,
thanks for your feedback
A colleague in our NY office approached the company to move to LDN if I was interested to move in the opposite direction. I said I wasn't opposed to the idea and things escalated from there.
I am aware of the NY colleague salary and have feedback from recruiters as to the going rate.
Ultimately, although NY would be great, I'm not going to move to scrape by on 50% of the salary of my peers.

SanDiegogirl

So you know your colleague's current salary which is less than you are getting and he is the same level and has the same experience as you? So you have some basis to believe that you are being underpaid.

Of course all sorts of criteria come into play when moving from one country to another.

You can only speak to your prospective new employers and negotiate what you can based on your research. (I would not mention that you know what your colleague's salary though )

When I moved from a Berkshire UK office to one in Silicon Valley I received a 15% uplift because of costs in California. How does New York compare to London living?- it could not possibly be less expensive.

GCostanza

NY is considerably more expensive primarily due to rentals being much higher.
Ive read from a few different sources that NY salary should be 15K GBP higher to factor in various costs.
Im not overly concerned to earn the same amount as the other colleagues as it's a new country (i'm in sales)....but earning 50% less is a bit too extreme in my books.

Sally Redux

What would be the benefit to the company of your exchange? That's probably what you have to work on.

hungryhorace

I'm over on the same visa, and i would not expect to work for less than $130k in NYC. The cost of living both in NYC and the US in general I find is actually more expensive than London - yes, you read that right. Once healthcare deductibles, taxes (NYC has a relatively high state tax), rent, tolls, dentist, the list could go on are taken into consideration there's very little difference between here and the UK.

I'd almost suggest you're underpaid in your current role. A 50k London salary is equivalent to 40k elsewhere in the SE. The minimum salary for a senior/mgmt role in London would be 65-85k in my experience.

Good luck with your L1 btw.

Nutmegger

Don't forgot that NYC also has a city income tax -- so that's federal, state, and city!