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Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by Serene1
(Post 9024716)
Hi, thanks to all for your valuable advice. I need to have a re-look at the health care package that they have offered??!!! It seemed great as i knew insurance was expensive....but i will need to look at the fine print and all these hidden extras that we here in UK dont expect or know about!
Yes, i must admit i was feeling a bit doom and gloom and although i was trying to convince myself that a move would be great for us - this forum wasnt helping:lol: But it's definately making me look at it in a different perspective. I just got the impression from this and other threads that it was hard to make new friends? But, i suppose it depends what your interested in and what groups you can find and get involved in. I dont have any idea what what to do. It is going to be tight financially and i know it doesnt make sense to take a drop in income. I definately cant work as a pharmacist as i dont have US conversion...even when and if the GC comes through eventually? The only option i have is the E2 route for me to work. I think i have to post visa questions on the visa/immigration page. Im thinking if we do take the plunge, thats the only way to not struggle financially. But, sometrhing tells me its not going to be easy to convert from the H4, find and buy a bussiness either? I love California and have wanted to begin a life there for years with the promise of a better quality of life for kids and for us. Beginning to wonder if that would really be the case? :confused::( Buying a good one is another matter. |
Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by Boiler
(Post 9024761)
Buying a business is not too tricky.
Buying a good one is another matter. Would you recommend to use someone like this especially when we would be new to the country and the practices? Are they considered to be trustworthy? Or is it pot luck who you pick to use? |
Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by Serene1
(Post 9024716)
I love California and have wanted to begin a life there for years with the promise of a better quality of life for kids and for us. Beginning to wonder if that would really be the case? :confused::(
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Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Out of interest, if you are going to spend $150k+ on a business, how is that going to help if you say it will be 'tight financially' without you earning - won't that just make it worse?
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Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Yes - buying a business seems to be an additional financial buredn and a big risk that you really don't need.
Better to figure out if you can survive for 24 months on one income and plan on you going back to work as soon as your husband gets his green card. |
Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by Serene1
(Post 9024773)
Have seen some bussiness brokers on the Bussiness Brokers Assosciation.
Would you recommend to use someone like this especially when we would be new to the country and the practices? Are they considered to be trustworthy? Or is it pot luck who you pick to use? |
Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by N1cky
(Post 9024780)
Why do you think your kids will have a better quality of life in California?
Outdoor activites, swimming, beach, hiking, biking etc or even just picnics in the park- cheap and cheerful would be lovely!!!! We love being outdoors and just cant be as active as we would like be here. The numerous activities geared to children like waterparks, themeparks,excellent zoos and museums! They could take up various sports that they couldnt do here - ie. watersports....to mention 1. Obviously depending on where we would live - a better public education! Access to some top class universities - i went to uni in the UK and my personal experience was that i didnt enjoy it at all....not what i was expecting! (could just be me?) It's a bigger country, the UK is becoming more and more cramped every day and in every way. Dont know if i am being naive but i imagine there would just be greater job opportunites? I know i have a tourists view of the US and maybe these perks wear thin after a while and reality sets in.....but i just feel...it beats the Wst Midlands hands down? Please correct me if I am wrong. thanx.xxx |
Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
I get asked a lot which way I prefer. standard response is that are just very different, it would be nice to do 6 months here, 6 months there. But I can not.
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Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by christmasoompa
(Post 9024786)
Out of interest, if you are going to spend $150k+ on a business, how is that going to help if you say it will be 'tight financially' without you earning - won't that just make it worse?
It's a big risk to take - and is something i would have to think about very carefully. Honestly, I'm not sure its the sensible thing to do.....risking it all for a life in the US? We would probably just first of all see if we could manage on husabnds wage. thanks for your post. |
Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by Serene1
(Post 9024922)
Hi, well i guess since i have visited California several times, I know that the weather is great, which in turn means that the children are not couped up inside the house for 10 months in a year. We can PLAN weekends, which we cant do here as you never know what the weather will do?
Outdoor activites, swimming, beach, hiking, biking etc or even just picnics in the park- cheap and cheerful would be lovely!!!! We love being outdoors and just cant be as active as we would like be here. The numerous activities geared to children like waterparks, themeparks,excellent zoos and museums! They could take up various sports that they couldnt do here - ie. watersports....to mention 1. Obviously depending on where we would live - a better public education! Access to some top class universities - i went to uni in the UK and my personal experience was that i didnt enjoy it at all....not what i was expecting! (could just be me?) It's a bigger country, the UK is becoming more and more cramped every day and in every way. Dont know if i am being naive but i imagine there would just be greater job opportunites? I know i have a tourists view of the US and maybe these perks wear thin after a while and reality sets in.....but i just feel...it beats the Wst Midlands hands down? Please correct me if I am wrong. thanx.xxx Not able to do watersports in the UK? Museums - you can't find museums in the UK? (with free entry). Better public education in the US :lol: have a look at the film "Waiting for Superman" The population density of California and the UK are almost the same - moving to LA you are going to be more cramped than the Midlands. I was going to point out how expensive University was in the US, but now the Tory/Lib guys have pulled up the drawbridge, it is getting that way in the UK. Don't get me wrong, I like California and I like coastal LA, but most of your reasons do not seem that robust. |
Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by Serene1
(Post 9024922)
Obviously depending on where we would live - a better public education!
Originally Posted by Serene1
(Post 9024922)
Access to some top class universities
Originally Posted by Serene1
(Post 9024922)
It's a bigger country, the UK is becoming more and more cramped every day and in every way. Dont know if i am being naive but i imagine there would just be greater job opportunites?
Unemployment in California: 12%
Originally Posted by Serene1
(Post 9024922)
I know i have a tourists view of the US and maybe these perks wear thin after a while and reality sets in.....but i just feel...it beats the Wst Midlands hands down? Please correct me if I am wrong.
thanx.xxx |
Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Move because you want to, not because the streets are paved with gold or it looked good on Wish you were Here.
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Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by Serene1
(Post 9024922)
Hi, well i guess since i have visited California several times, I know that the weather is great, which in turn means that the children are not couped up inside the house for 10 months in a year. We can PLAN weekends, which we cant do here as you never know what the weather will do?
Outdoor activites, swimming, beach, hiking, biking etc or even just picnics in the park- cheap and cheerful would be lovely!!!! We love being outdoors and just cant be as active as we would like be here. The numerous activities geared to children like waterparks, themeparks,excellent zoos and museums! They could take up various sports that they couldnt do here - ie. watersports....to mention 1. Obviously depending on where we would live - a better public education! Access to some top class universities - i went to uni in the UK and my personal experience was that i didnt enjoy it at all....not what i was expecting! (could just be me?) It's a bigger country, the UK is becoming more and more cramped every day and in every way. Dont know if i am being naive but i imagine there would just be greater job opportunites? I know i have a tourists view of the US and maybe these perks wear thin after a while and reality sets in.....but i just feel...it beats the Wst Midlands hands down? Please correct me if I am wrong. thanx.xxx Its very different paying for theme parks and zoos when you are on holiday and have saved all year, to doing it when you live here. You are obviously worried about not having enough money to live in CA so general ticket prices for a family of 4 Waterpark 1 day ticket = $110 Universal season pass with block-out dates = $296 Knotts Berry 1 day ticket = $158 Disney 3 Day hopper = $642 Add on parking, food, merchandise, how many times a year do you think you will be doing this? Also, they are always crowded because there are always tons of tourists, the novelty soon wears off. Sports and museums are expensive too, and personally we found that kids in elementary don't do anywhere near the amount of sport in school as they do in England. You will probably find yourself couped up for 3 months of the year here, its often too hot to hike or ride a bike. |
Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by Boiler
(Post 9024987)
Move because you want to, not because the streets are paved with gold or it looked good on Wish you were Here.
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Re: Hi, advice on H4 visa and CA/Irvine life needed
Originally Posted by Sally Redux
(Post 9025165)
Yup that is the best advice you will get.
We will be one income down and therefore much, much more financially better off here?! From my posts you can see that this is actually a major concern of mine. Thus, the questions on realistic costs of living etc. These are the things that I dont have experience of. I didnt see it on tv, I have travelled extensively in California, Arizona, Nevada, Florida and New Jersey and New York state. They are the tourist places to go but I loved it so much that thats where we chose to spend our holidays.....could have popped to Spain for ALOT less $$$. I agree I have a tourists view and idealogy of living over there but that is because that is all I have experienced. Thus, my reason for posting on here to get some real experiences of people that made the move already and how they found it. We did rent an appartment in Irvine for 4 weeks at one point, that was a base for a bit of travelling, so i did get to see the local amentites and lifestyle there. It doesnt really compare to here? Am i the only one that thinks that? |
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