Dh2366

My wife would be working and likely to have benefits.

Nutmegger

Then don't forget to factor in the cost of childcare for your two young children while she is working; I understand it is much more expensive in the US.

Dh2366

Good point. I struggle to imagine how it could more expensive in the US than the UK, but you're probably right. Our youngest only has one year of day care left, our oldest is in school.

If we were to head to the city my wife is from we would have many more grandparents on hand than we do in the UK (family proximity is the big attraction for my wife). School fees then become an issue as in this particular city public school is not really a consideration. However, we are fortunate to be able to draw on money to cover tuition fees if that is the case.

Thanks very much!

scrubbedexpat099

Difficult to see you getting a B Visa and at the end of the day no different to the VWP in this it is for visitors.

Tax well you would seem to be US Tax resident so apart from it being complicated not sure what else to say. You would need to obtain competent advice.

You could become a LPR but then have the issue of maintaining it when you are outside of the US for so long and working abroad.

jjmb

Just being nosy, as I have no practical experience to offer. What professions do you and wife work in? I am sure it seems like a good idea at the moment but I would of hated being apart from my partner when the kids were young. The occasional 2-3 weeks when he did trips to the States, were more than enough. However, couples in the forces face this situation all the time, so obviously it workable, especially if your wife has good support near by. Good luck with your plans.

tht

retzie

In my observations of hiring committees, it is almost impossible to overcome the assumption that you will be expecting to be hired with tenure. You can write that you won't until you are blue in the face, but generally, they are spoilt enough for good candidates that it's just easier to move onto someone else.

If you are sufficiently fancy that you can expect to be hired with tenure, that is another question. But if you were in that position, you would already know it and be aware of avenues that exist outside of advertised jobs.


So you not only want to get a decent academic job in the US, but presumably you would want it to be near(ish) to her family? This is not something you can bank on happening (ever). I'm sure you know that academic jobs offer many freedoms, but choice of geography is not one of them. You may argue that just being stateside will make it easier, but will it? If family is not close enough to contribute day-to-day, you will be stuck with the childcare issue/cost. And when your wife gets a job, will she have enough vacation days to enjoy time off to visit family?

Have you also honestly thought about the kinds of US college town you would be willing to live and raise your children in? Many excellent institutions here are in what I would not hesitate to describe as shitholes. So a decent career move may involve dragging your family somewhere they despise (happens allll the time).

But who knows? If you are an outstanding researcher, you may have a better range of options that I am painting. I would suggest going all-out in the upcoming job market to see what you can get. Make sure everyone in your network knows you are serious about a move stateside, the geographic areas you are considering, and if you will consider a job that is 'beneath you' to make it happen. I think it's worth a big push to try to secure a job before initiating a move. If that fails, I would strongly advise that you only uproot the family if you can accept that you may need to get a non-academic job on the other side, if the academia stars never align.

Dh2366

Thanks tht, really helpful.

Dh2366

Thanks Retzie,

You're right to point out all these complexities, they are things I've considered. I haven't gone into much detail about my job prospects and networks, but I have good relations to departments across three fields in the US and I'm 'known' in my field(s). In addition, I have one substantial US-based research grant with the prospect of more funding were I eligible (by residency) for the competition from larger funders. I would not say I'm any superstar in the slightest and I wouldn't expect a tenure cross over when I apply to US institutions (My CV is probably a few years shy of that by US standards), but I'm confident I could compete for tenure-track positions and am currently in the running/ have given job talks at several top tier universities. Nothing has come of it yet, but the US jobs market works painfully slowly and being located in the UK makes this slightly harder.

On geography, yes, on the upside the US family lives in a particularly dense area of higher education institutions, in commuting distance to at least 2-3 other higher education city hubs. However, even in a best case scenario there are only a handful of departments where the fit would really work well and none could rival my situation in the UK. The move really wouldn't be worth it unless we could live in close proximity to US family, so yes, that is a major barrier. The advice for a big push on the job market is good and I will make this happen.

It's ironic that in all your years studying you think that your horizons will be broadened and your mobility increased. Nobody tells you that academia tends to be about getting in, clinging on for dear life and never moving.

Really appreciate your thoughts on this.

BW

retzie

Right?! They forget to tell you that mobility will actually be required and you will not get to choose where it will take you. It was this fact really sinking in as a postdoc that turned me away from a research career. (That, and it was 2008 and the job market was mindblowingly awful.) I switched into teaching-focused roles after that, but eventually bailed for (a closely allied) industry. The fact that my job involves talking to academics daily only drives home that I made the right choice.

It sounds like you have a solid basis for a 5-year plan. Given this thread, it also sounds like you are confident enough in it to risk moving the family in advance. Having watched people do things like this, please take note: the separation WILL impact on your ability to realise the 5-year plan!!! The strain it will put on your family life will almost certainly sap energy away from your research. (If you are one of the few who thrive on the absence of family, errrr, good for you...?) I strongly recommend getting all your ducks in a row before moving. If the whole family knows this is what's happening, hopefully they will offer patience and support as you see it through.

If you happen to be talking about Chicago (just a guess), please be aware that the confluence of good institutions and a major urban area is not lost on anyone. There is a huge downward pressure on the job market there, due to the desirability of the location. Rubbish schools routinely manage to hire people several levels beyond their standing (I used to be one of them); typically, this does not have a happy ending.

Overall, I think you have a reasonable shot at making this happen. Rather than trying to commute in the meantime, perhaps try to line up some summer research visits? A whole semester even? (The J-1 visa is designed for exactly this.) The idea would be to specifically accelerate your 'hire-abilty' in the US, so even if you can't bring the family, maybe you could put up with the backward version of your super-commute for a little bit instead?

SpoogleDrummer

Have you ran the number to confirm that keeping your current job when including the cost of travel, child care, secondary housing etc is better than just getting a regular job, or being a stay at home dad, over here until a better one comes along? I only ask because I see jobs all the time where I could earn 20-40K more but would have to commute 3-4 hours per day and when you include travel costs, vehicle wear and tear etc and my travel time my hourly rate works out to be less than I'm currently on. After paying more taxes etc I'd probably end up worse off and I'll be damned if I'm doing that.

WorriedMary

Dh2366

WorriedMary