nomadiclondoner

Hello

I've read this blog for the past 4 weeks and have found it incredibly useful.

I'm reaching out for some advice. I currently work in the UK and have spent the last 6 months traveling back and forth to the US for work. The US office have now asked would I be interested in a 2-3 year move to the US to complete the work they need. To be honest, this is what I was wanting and glad we are thinking the same way. The skill set and experience I have is very rare, and that they desperately need someone like me in their office.

We haven't spoke about financials yet, but my wife is a solicitor in London, earns a good salary, and she would need to quit her job and move with me to the US. With what I've read thus far on the site, I"ll get brought in on a H1B visa, and she will be on a H4 visa, meaning she cannot earn.

Has anyone else been in a similar position, and do the majority of US companies offer to cover our overall household income in 1 salary (ie. mine) plus extra for the inconvenience. I'm not going to take the role if it doesn't work for us personally, professional and financially.

Any advice or 1st hand experience would be great.

Thanks.

rpjs

Why do you think H-1B? An L-1 intra-company transfer visa would be more advantageous to you as your wife could work (once she applies for and gets an EAD). You need to have worked for the UK company for a year to qualify; clearly you've been with your UK employer for at least six months already. Even if that's your total time so far with them, the earliest you could start working on a H-1B would be October, so by then you'd qualify for an L-1 on length of service anyway.

nomadiclondoner

Hi Roy

Thanks for the reply.

I wasn't 100% clear, the company I work for in the UK is the main business, the US company is a separate company who franchise our products. It would mean being employed under a new contract rather than being transferred.

I suspect a H1B is my only option unless there's any other options.

Thanks

Vimto

Does the the US company own 50% or more of the UK company? If it does then its a L1 intercompany transfer, if they are a distributor/franchisee then its an H1B

nomadiclondoner

It doesn't own any sadly, so it will need to be a H1B.

rpjs

If the US company is under the same ownership as the UK then L ought to be doable. The company I work for started in the UK but transferred its base of operations to the US, with UK Ltd and US Inc. owned by the same US holding company. We have often transferred people from the UK to US on L visas.

In terms of salary equivalence, there's a lot of factors involved. If the US company is out in the sticks somewhere then a good London salary translated on current exchange rates might make you very comfortable indeed. If you're transferring from London to New York or San Francisco, you may well find even a good London salary might not go as far as it would back home and you should definitely hold out for more, especially if you'll be losing an income.

When I moved over, even though I went on an immigrant visa as a USC's spouse, I was able to transfer my employment from London to New York with quite a big bump in salary to make it doable (thankfully I had a very supportive NYC-based boss). I used sites like Glassdoor.com to research the going rate for my role in NYC and was able to negotiate it.

nomadiclondoner

I will enquire about the L visa, as there might be away to work it if a holding company can be created to ease this process.

But sadly my wife's legal qualification won't be recognised, she'd have to sit the US bar exams, not sure how long that takes, and also, if she does qualify, she'll only be able to work for a short period of time and I'm unsure if a company will hire her knowing she's only here for a short time.

I have heard of companies paying the other halfs of transferred employees 'compensation' in the tune of their former salary to basically pay them to stay at home, but this is only hearsay and I'm unsure of how common practice this is.

The US office is based in LA, London and LA seem to be on the same level of cost of living, but I'd need to do some more research to get an accurate figure.

rpjs

At the end of the day, if they really want you in the US the ball is in your court. You really don't owe them any favours - you need to look out for yourself and your family and walk away if they won't offer you a package that leaves you at least as well off as if you didn't go.

IIRC there's an entry on the site wiki about what other things you should be looking to negotiate as part of a relocation package - moving costs, tax help, flights back etc. And make sure whatever they offer you in additional help is grossed-up to cover US tax on it.

TimFountain

Honestly, I'd carry on commuting. I did that commute monthly for 3 years (Newbury to Austin, TX). Since there is no financial ties between the two companies and you'd be getting a new contract, there doesn't seem to be any guarantee that you would get your job back if and when you return to the UK. You might really like it in the US and find that you feel trapped into having to go back to the UK given that in your situation, it is unlikely the US company will sponsor you for a Green card. Which will take forever anyway. The H1/H4 combo is a source of frustration and you will be unlikely to make up the lost income from your wife. All told I'd stick to the UK and commute, perhaps with longer stints in the US as necessary.

Hotscot

"I have heard of companies paying the other halfs of transferred employees 'compensation'"

I suppose this could happen at the top executive end but generally I've never heard of that.

Pulaski

Me neither, and replacing a solicitor's salary would be a substantial commitment.

FatFrank

I have known large automotive companies to help with employment for both the main transferring employee and spouse once the visa situation has worked out. IIRC has usually been with an L, or one situation where both husband and spouse were given an E visa. This is obviously something that needs negotiating as part of the initial deal.

Hotscot

You mean give both spouses a job?

Bob

LOL

No.

And chances are, she wouldn't be qualified to work here anyway. Only a couple of states allow a solicitor to sit the bar exam without studying from scratch over here. I don't remember which, but you could find them on a search as it has been mentioned in the immigration side of the forums. It also isn't a cheap option and only for a couple of years just wouldn't be worth it I would have thought.

Could she not just live in the UK and between the two of you have extended stays, or go to a third party country?

Sally Redux

I have heard of spouses being given jobs in the academic/science world. It surprised me, as they usually have to conform to an equal opportunities policy when employing. I don't think visas were involved though.

As for compensation for the salary shortfall, I have not personally heard of that, but maybe if OP's skills are exceedingly desirable.