penguinsix

Relocation package questions:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Before_You_Move

This is from the guide for Hong Kong, where most of the expats that move are in the finance industry (and expecting quite generous packages) but it does give you an idea of some things to ask for, a few you might not have thought of.

Good luck

littleleroux

Thank you, that is really helpful.

There is loads we hadn't considered but all the help is very gratefully received.

Steerpike

To the OP - be aware, the weather changes dramatically in CA when you go away from the coast. All the fine words said above about the weather in San Diego may not apply to Poway, which is inland a few miles. I just did a quick comparison and it seems to be a fairly modest difference - 4 degrees (F) warmer during the day, 6 degrees colder at night. In the bay area, where I am, a 25 mile trip inland can yield a 19 degree difference in daytime highs and an 8 degree difference in nighttime lows.

On the topic of negotiations, be aware that part of the reason for the generally higher salaries here is that you have poorer vacation, retirement, etc. So if you push for 'UK-style' vacation allowances and so on, you may get it at the expense of the 'US-style' salary.

littleleroux

Thank you Steerpike

I guess at the moment we look at the weather from a british perspective...It would be nice to get up and not be shocked if it's warm. We had our first snow here in October and it's been pretty horrible since...not to mention the wettest summer on record (it's currently -3 celsius).

We will remember what you have said about allowances. There is a lot to consider but in san diego the salary is going to come in handy from what I can gather. When we first discussed moving to the US we looked at ohio and the cost of living was lower...the weather wasn't great though. I've had a look at options for me as well and have been in touch with the university regarding retraining to do something relevant to my career in the UK. Thankfully as long as we can afford it they don't see a problem so I can at least provide an extra (although small) extra income.

JAJ

Bear in mind that if you don't have a green card, you may not be eligible for "in-state" tuition costs. You need to check what the policy in California is.

nettlebed

Sounds as though it might be around the Torrey Pines/La Jolla/UCSD area, between I-5, I-805 and SR-52:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=3...,0.181961&z=13

I live in the Mira Mesa area for a year, and really liked it, though I did get a little bored with the weather. Fog till around 10-11am, then sunshine until the evening.

There's a ton of interesting stuff around there. I'm sure it's changed a lot in the 19 years since I lived there, including getting more built up, but it's a great jumping-off point for lots of great places.

I used to like going down to the Sweetwater marsh in Chula Vista, where there was (is?) a great nature interpretive center.

It's an easy shot in to AZ for desert, if you like that (I do), and the drive across the hills is nice too.

emailrob

Is he going on expat or localising? The two things are very different.

If he transfers, he "goes local", takes local benefits, salary etc. If expat, usually (not always) stays on uk payroll and it really is a "temporary" role.

It sounds like an actual transfer (I transferred from UK to Southern California 6 months ago so have quite a lot of experience, good and bad!).

As I'm one of those evil HR people everyone on here hates I have a lot of experience of relocation benefits (I manage relos at my company). PM or ask away.

San Diego is lovely, and a wonderful climate as others have said. If you're not planning to work, the most important thing is to make friends, do volunteer work, anything to get you out of the house. We're lucky to have a wonderful group of friends on British Expats around here, and I honestly don't think my wife would have survived the first few months without them (or without killing our boys!)

JAJ

It would have thought it should be expat until green card is granted, then consider a switch to local.

I wrote something for Australia bound corporate relocations and I'd think that most of the issues for the U.S. are similar, except possibly a more difficult pathway to green card (unless it falls within the first preference).
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Corpor...tion-Australia

emailrob

Well as an IT Director he should be ok on an L1A which means no labour market test for the position. SHOULD mean around 18 months wait.

Vicky88

We live in San Diego so feel qualified to make some comment on OP's questions.

First off, I don't think anyone in their right mind would want to live in Poway. It's an ok place I guess, but unless you are spending megabucks to live at the top end of the market it is a totally uninspiring location, good schools or not. As others have commented, in summer it can get horrendously stifling in Poway as it is so far inland.

Make sure you bring plenty of money because rent is not cheap. We pay $2900 for a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apt with loft and we are 5 miles or so from the coast.

As JAJ mentioned, you can probably forget studying for the first 12 months, as it takes that long to qualify for in state tuition at the community college. In the meantime you could study at normal rates at UCSD - for a class at the extension there it would be in the range of $400-$500 per subject. If you went to the real college I think UCSD is at least $30k per year.

Also be certain before you move that the job is going to last. There are a lot of layoffs happening here at the moment. DH works for one of SD's biggest employers and they are meeting to discuss layoffs next week. You don't want to come all this way to find yourself out of a job and a long way from home.

Also I would doubt if you could work here without doing a nursing conversion course of some kind. Didn't Rockgirl come over as a nurse and think it took her quite some time to pass the necessary exams. (I could be wrong as this was some time ago). I think you would have to have rocks in your head to want to work as a midwife in the USA and especially California the home of litigation.

Also don't be thinking if you are on a $100k it's a lot of money for California because it's absolutely peanuts. Nice weather does not make up for fights due to lack of money or boredom because you can't work.

Triumphrob

Ibn Warraq

I love S.D. The downtown just right off the coast so plenty of nice and fresh sea breeze unlike shithole should I say Los Angeles. Clean, great night life, organized in the downtown area (Gas Lamp). It is amazing that I notice there are less Mexican (illegal or legal) in S.D. than Los Angeles even though it is only 20 miles from Tijuana. In Los Angeles, you always feel like you are in some third world Latin American country with all those dumpy building and norteno/mariachi music blasting. I guess they just run straight to L.A after hopping the border..

Steerpike

Sounds to me like you are a racist/snob. Is there something wrong with having Mexicans as your neighbors? California was a Mexican colony until about 150 years ago. LA is a MUCH larger city, and as such, has the typical 'large city' issues, which include inner city crime, gangs, etc. This is not something you can blame on the 'Mexicans' (legal or illegal).

Triumphrob

Amen! I bet he dont like blacks either....

Steerpike

I would also like to add, every single repair/upgrade done on my house has been done by Mexicans, every restaurant I eat at has a kitchen staffed by Mexicans, and just about every piece of fruit/vegetable picked in the state is picked by hard working Mexicans who toil in the blazing sun for hours a day - probably for a pitiful wage. I don't think I've met a Mexican that wasn't helpful, polite, and hard working. These people come here to feed their less fortunate families back home.

I happen to also like their food and their music!