natalie33

My husband has been offered a job in Savannah and we are now trying to make up our minds whether to up and move from Essex, UK. We have 2 children aged 2 & 4 and Im desperately worried how we will fit in Effingham/Guyton/Pooler/Rincon areas (these are areas we've been advised are nice!), and what the local schools are like in comparison to the UK. Any advice, information is greatly received

Bob

Might help if you say what visa's you're getting?

If it's a company transfer, you'd get L2 and be allowed to work too, if that makes a difference. If it's not a transfer, it'll likely be a H1B, which mean unless it's a uni related type position, they won't be applying till next April for that Oct 2013 start and you'd not be allowed to work.

Don't know if that makes a difference or not.

As for the location, no idea, but there have been a couple of threads in the past, tad old, but might be worth searching out as a starting point, that and city-data.com

MarylandNed

If you haven't been there before, I think you should definitely go take a look. Your kids are very young so maybe you could leave them with family while you and your husband do a recce trip? I like Savannah. It's a cool city with character and charm.

As Bob said, the type of visa your husband gets will determine whether you can work or not. With young kids, you may not want to work but it's good to know whether it's an option.

Good luck!

penguinsix

This is our WIKI on moving into US schools.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Educat...s_in_school%3F

You might want to try City Data for more specific information on towns and neighborhoods.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/savannah-area/

Giantaxe

Visit in the summer to see whether you like the heat and humidity

Savannah, like Charleston, is a beautiful city. Of course, being a visiting tourist is rather different from living there.

natalie33

Thank you for your replies. Im not sure on the VISA type but it is a permanent job which hes been offered. My next question thats worrying me a little is the wage. Is 67k a good family wage to take home in that part of America? Im not intending to work due to my young children and getting settled. Also, Im a hairdresser and unsure if thats a difficult trade to to get employment in.

Noorah101

It's pretty easy to figure out which visa he's getting, if you let us know whether he's A) transferring to the USA via the company he currently works for; or B) this is a brand-new company and he's a new hire with them?

The southern states, I believe, have a lower cost of living than other parts of the USA, but if his GROSS pay is only going to be $67K a year, I personally don't think that's enough for a family of 4 to live on, especially if that's the only income. Keep in mind if that's his gross pay, he's going to have deductions for health insurance and taxes coming out of that paycheck.

If you end up coming over on a dependent visa which allows you to get employment authorization, I think you can probably find work as a hairdresser.

Rene

natalie33

Hi,
Yes to Visa A and 67k is gross pay. This is the part Im worried about as I dont intend to work for a while.
Thank you for your help.

Noorah101

OK, so he's most likely getting an L-1 visa (intercompany transfer). You'll get an L-2 and can apply for work authorization in the USA, so that's good news.

Bad news is, I have a feeling that pay is too low for a family of 4 (with growing kids). Do a LOT of research and number crunching ahead of time. Have your husband find out what his premium cost will be for the company health insurance for the family. That could be a large chunk taken out of his pay, as well as taxes.

Rene

Nutmegger

You don't indicate if you have ever visited Savannah. Do take the advice given above and visit to get a feel for the place before you uproot your family. The visit will also give you an idea of what it costs to shop for groceries at the supermarket and what the cost of housing is like -- and to talk in person to HR at your husband's company to see what kind of health insurance they are offering, and what it will cost.

fatbrit

The visa (immigration status) is important -- don't neglect it. If you've decided you like it here and want to stay, then out of the blue you've got a week to leave, you won't be happy. Your employer controls your life until you get residency. Prepare accordingly, and this starts with the contract.

At $67k for 4, you won't starve. But you won't be particularly rich, either.

Whether you will be allowed to work or not depends on your visa. Hairdressing is licensed by the state -- you may need to retrain to become certified and this will cost $$$. AFAIK, most hairdressers are effectively self-employed, renting the seat off the salon.

Redwing

You might want to try and get hold of Cindyabs, who posts on BE sometimes. She lives in Richmond Hill, which I think is only about 20 miles of so from Savannah.

Sally Redux

Will this be a significant plus for your husband's career?

My impression, as fatbrit has mentioned, is that hairdressing can be quite tough. Not sure what public transport is like in that area but you will probably want to run two cars. Childcare and children's activities can be expensive. No popping into London for the day.

natalie33

Yes it is a step up in his job but the wage is low for the first 1 1/2-2 yrs due to his inexperience. Im just very unsure about the wage as I dont want to struggle financially.

fatbrit

Estimated median household income in 2009 was $33,332
-- http://www.city-data.com/city/Savannah-Georgia.html

Of course, parts of the city will be decidedly third world.