Harters

Hi lucky ex-pats

My wife and I are desperate to move to the USA as soon as we can. It's not exactly straight forward though and so I wondered if anyone has any advice for us as we start our attempt to move across the pond....permanently (GC)

1. I am 49, wife 45. I am a well known (in my industry) IT Security Consultant - 25 years of experience across Europe and my wife is a stay at home mum of our 8yo and 3yo. She used to be a chartered accountant until we had kids.
2. I currently work for an American company based in Utah that has (i think) brought employees over from India on several occasions but not sure if that's on a work permit or GC.
3. We need to bring my wife's parents with us - they are 74 / 72 and in good health (non-smokers, non-drinkers...live life like a physically active vicar and a nun)
4. Both us and our parents own our own homes outright (no mortgage) and each is worth around £600k and so with savings and pension pots etc once all is sold in the UK we will have around £1.7m GBP to bring to the states (don't think that really matters but wanted to point out we are financially OK and don't expect be a burden on the USA.
5. My company said if we do come to USA they will fund full health care for my family which is a nice bonus - not sure about parents

I realise there is a ton of "what ifs" and it's not going to be easy given the ages of the 4 adults.

My company is open to the idea of me coming to USA and I have told them I will cover the expenses of them helping.

What about the parents... can I make them somehow as dependants like my kids are ... we can't leave them on their own
What's the best route? I think there are 2 employment routes ... I forget the details...L1B? and read that one was better for moving onto a GC
IF we somehow manage to find a way any ideas of time scales? for me, I'd move tomorrow but I know it's going to be months and months ...roughly how many at a guess?
Is it worth hiring a lawyer or are the forms simple enough? are we talking 1-485 to start with?

Anything that helps us is really appreciated as I'm a little lost at sea not knowing the best place to start (apart from talking to my company more) and I am assuming that I go for the work permit and then try to move to the GC ...just worried how we manage the parent situation

Thanks to all in advance

christmasoompa

I think you'll have a relatively easy route to a visa for you and your wife/kids, assuming your company are happy to transfer you. Certainly easier than your Canada plan. But just as with Canada, your parents can't go on your application, they are not dependents. Again, as with Canada, it would be a good few years before you could sponsor them - you'd need to be a citizen first, so would have to have held your own 'green card' for at least 5 years, then wait to get citizenship - realistically probably at least 6 years after arriving before you could do so.

So if they want to move at the same time, they'll need to qualify for their own visa route. It's possible they may have enough to 'buy' green cards via the EB-5 program ($900k investment IIRC), but you can see all of the visa options open to them (and you) here - https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulas...ork_in_the_USA

HTH, good luck.

Harters

Thanks for that...

Yes, we had to give up on Canada as it seems it is too difficult due to our age but my employer gives us a fighting chance with the USA

We realised the USA has a lot to offer as well and Colorado / Utah / Idaho looks to give us all we were looking for with Canada.... just a shame about there being so many guns but you can't have it all.

If they can't come with us on day one we can't go either. They have nobody else and yes they are fighting fit right now when one of them eventually "goes" we need to be there for them.
If we have to wait till they are no longer with us then it could be another 10-20+ years and then I'm too old/retired

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH.... so wish we had decided to move 10 years ago (((

I probably shouldn't ask this but.......Can anyone see any way what-so-ever of us all be able to the USA in the next 18 months?

christmasoompa

Maybe I'm being daft, but why do they HAVE to go with you, if they are fighting fit now? Couldn't they just visit you for a few months at a time each year? Very few people want to take their parents with them when they move abroad (and very few parents want to go - mine would be horrified if I suggested they come with us!) so it's just unusual and I had assumed they needed care and lived with you. If that's not the case, then maybe they'd be happy visiting for chunks each year until you could sponsor them?

Only you will know if there are visas suitable for you all to get to the US in the next 18 months - see the link I gave you above with all of the visa options on there. You'd have no problems (again, assuming your company will transfer your and sort a L1 visa), and could be out there by summer pretty easily. Your parents will depend on what visa route they qualify for, if any.

Harters

OK, Thanks Chris errr Christmas Oompa )

I'm sure I'll be back to let you know how we are getting on....

scrubbedexpat099

There are countries that allow you to take your Parents, for the life of me can not remember where I saw this.

Assuming you went to the US on a L with some sort of commitment to file for a GC then they would be 80 ish before they could immigrate and another 5 years before they could buy into Medicare, simply not practical.

They may be OK healthwise now but things change.

Agree visiting would be the best bet for as long as they can.

Jerseygirl

Plus healthcare/meds etc for 80+ folk could swallow a big chunk of the £1.7M.

As people get older travel insurance becomes more and more difficult to obtain...not to mention extremely expensive. Even a stay of a couple of weeks could be more than the airfare.

scrubbedexpat099

Sounds like that amount is for both families and they would need housing etc.

Jerseygirl

Yup.

Noorah101

Hi Harters,

Your thread title question is "Is this possible?", and the short answer is "No".

The only way your parents can move to the USA at the same time as you, is if they can qualify for a visa in their own right... and at their age the only one available is probably "buying" a green card, which is about $1M each.

Rene

civilservant

This. Everything else is really a waste of time.

SanDiegogirl

Looking back at your posts and seeing you have considered Canada, maybe New Zealand and now have the opportunity of being transferred to the US by your company, can't help but think that if you don't take this current opportunity then, say, in 5 years, when you are having Sunday lunch with parents on a cold, grey, drizzly day in the UK and the kids are fractious and the wife is cranky that you don't turn around and say, "if it wasn't for you two we could be enjoying life in Utah, Colorado or wherever in the US"
I too moved to the US at age 50 with a job and although there were issues in the UK that could have prevented me moving, I knew this was it, or forget the wish of working and experiencing the US. As it turned out the 'issues' resolved themselves satisfactorily even with me in the US.
As said, your parents are not OLD as per today's expectations. They could both live for another 20 years and your desire to be there for the last one will have put your life on hold for years and years.
The parents could get B/2 visas and visit you for up to 6 months at a time - they might not even like living in the US! and then you'll be very glad you did not give up on your ambitions to try and accommodate them.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

SanDiegogirl

With regards #5 - this is not a bonus this is a must have and something which all decent companies will provide. You do not want an offer which does not provide health insurance. Funding full health cover will NOT be what you think....you will still have monthly premiums and co-pays for treatment. So budget for costs for this (they will NOT pay for parents)

With regard 'helping your company cover costs of moving you to the US' - this is NOT usual. You should not pay for any processing of your visa. If your company wants you to move to the US because your experience and knowledge is valuable to them, THEY pay for the visa. Now the fact that it sounds as though YOU have approached the company about moving, they might not be so generous in your re-location package.

You company will, most likely, apply for either an L-1A or L-1B for you, Your wife and kids will get L-2's, You don't get a Green Card. That your company will apply for at a mutually agreeable time some time in the future. You had best make sure they are willing to apply for a Green card for you.

tht

His employer could go straight for an EB GC, there is no requirement to come on a visa first, it’s usually just faster.

SanDiegogirl

Agree..... the OP does not kow what the company will process for him, so hence my qualifying the L visas with 'usually'