Mandana

Hi all

Remember me?! I'm sorry I've not posted in aaaaaaaaages .. life has sort of got in the way just a little bit, what with weddings and funerals and work and possible redundancy.

So, to fast forward to our current situation. We *may* find ourselves in a situation where we're without work due to my husband's company going through a major restructure, and that means he could potentially find himself out of work through no choice of his own.

If that happens, he may decide to retire, and due to the health insurance situation, we would have to go back home.

The thing is, I don't want to. I love it here, and I've made some very good friends and a happy life.

We've been thrashing out all the scenarios, and one of them that got thrown in the ring (it is almost a boxing ring lol) tonight is living in the UK over the summer, and then spending the "winter" here in Texas.

It's something that only got brought up tonight so we've not investigated the logistics whatsoever, so I wondered if anyone does that, and what are the implications of doing that?

Any help or advice before we delve further or shelve the idea would be most appreciated.

Thank you, and apologies again for the extended absence from the forum

Michael

I don't believe you are USC's yet. There could be abandonment issues as well as tax issues but generally the tax issues can be overcome but just a little complicated. You will end up being both a resident of the UK and the US.

Mandana

Hi Michael

Thanks for your response.

You're right - we're not USC, but we both have GCs. Tax is obviously something we'd need to seek advice on, and that could well be the crucial factor along with the health insurance costs.

Jerseygirl

Having a GC means you are a permanent resident of the US...which means you should be permanently living in the US. You may get away with 6 months here and 6 months...but it's anyone's guess how long that will be.

Out of interest...what would you do about health insurance for the 6 months of the year you will be in Texas?

Mandana

Good question JG, and one I don't know the exact answer to.

Buy travel insurance in the UK?!

Jerseygirl

Travel insurance will not be valid because you are not visiting the US...you are entering as a perm resident.

Unfortunately almost everything boils down to healthcare.

Michael

Not allowed because it won't cover you in that situation.

Also remember when you live outside the US too long, you may be reset to year 0 to apply for naturalization so even if you finally settle permanently in the US, you may have to wait 5 years to apply for naturalization.

Everything would work out better if you waited until you became a USC before you tried living outside the US. If not, you would have to worry about abandonment and have to hire a very expensive lawyer if that was alleged with unsure results and you would likely be landlocked until a ruling was made which could take several years.

texasjan

We have thought about that scenario as it (IMHO) give us the best of both worlds - but it boils down to health care. I don't want to spend my retirement dreading medical bills, so it seems England will be the only option 'eventually'

Mandana

True, on both counts JG.

It's early days really, and I guess we should just wait and see what transpires with the work situation, but the thought of living back in the UK is filling me with dread.

One of us is going to be desperately unhappy unless we can compromise somehow.

Despite this, we're both committed to our marriage, so the talk of separation to live where we both want to hasn't been discussed ...


























... yet !!

Mandana

How long does it take to become a USC?

There is so much more to this than just having a small property in both countries and popping over the pond once or twice a year

I'm sure there'd be many of us doing this if it were easy! Where in TX are you?

Jerseygirl

5 years after you obtained your GC. You can apply 3 months prior to the 5 years.

We always thought we would return to the UK for retirement because of healthcare. Fortunately my husband took early retirement...which includes the same healthcare package as he had when he was working.

Having multiple properties that are empty for months on end is a headache...it is also very expensive.

Mandana

Is that the COBRA healthcare package? We'd be the same if that's the case, but 18 months later we would then have to pay for our healthcare ... or go home.

If we were on the same page we would make it work somehow, but he doesn't want to retire here.

Tough call eh. I'm glad it's worked out for you

Jerseygirl

No not COBRA...it's the same healthcare insurance that we had when he was working. Same insurance company...same coverage etc.

Well we haven't worked it out yet. We have a daughter in Canada...which at the moment is keeping us this side of the pond...but we would prefer to be in the UK.

Mandana

You would? Why?!

Genuine question as I'm trying to get as many positives in my head as I can as it's inevitable we'll end up there sooner rather than later.

All that I think about is rain, family, cold, family, damp, dirty, snow, family ...

Jerseygirl

We've been here 16 years but the UK will always be home. Sure the weather is the down side but it's the familiarity that draws us. When we go back it's as if we've never been away.

The black cloud that's always looming is healthcare costs. Even with good insurance cover a major illness can still cost a lot...and then there's the hassle of the bills. Before Christmas my husband had a nuclear heart test. When he went for the results the doctor had an emergency patient...so the nurse gave him the results. A few weeks later we received a bill for several hundred dollars because the nurse wasn't in network. We are still trying to sort it out. Goodness knows how you cope when you're elderly...have a serious illness and you get dozens and dozens of bills coming (half of which you don't understand).