Michigan move?
 

Hello!
We are a married couple in our 30s with a 3year old daughter. We are currently looking at the possibility of moving to michigan- probably Wayne county area.
My husband is employed at ford in the uk and his job can be moved to Dearborn in Michigan. I also work for an American company and probably could move but I haven’t investigated this possibility yet.
I guess my questions are all around communities and finding friends again at this stage in life, was it /is it difficult? My husband would meet people at work, my daughter will meet people at school. However I won’t ne be working so I’m concerned about my loneliness.
Also health insurance, do you have any advise regarding what to choose and costings?
Since moving to the USA is there anything you have come across that you hadn’t planned for or hadn’t considered?

Thank you in advance x

Re: Michigan move?
 

There are always 2 main questions to be asked when contemplating such a move. Can it be done? And what will it achieve? If your husband is in a position within Ford that can be transferred over here then it looks like the first question is covered. But what will it achieve? You are already concerned about loneliness (as the spouse of an employee transferred within the company you would be able to work as your visa type would permit this). Have you ever been to Dearborn, Mi? Do you know anything about living there? Your child is 3 and you are talking about schools. Are you intending for this to be a permanent move?

Health insurance will cost several hundred dollars a month for a family of three and that's just for the premiums. There are co-pays and deductibles on top of that too. An employer the size of Ford will fall under the rules of having to provide some form of insurance arrangement for the employees with the payments automatically deducted from his pay checks.

I have been living here just over a year.i came here because my husband is American so at least I had in-laws and his friends who became my friends when I moved. I had visited numerous times before moving. I have lived in 5 other countries because of my job and my parents. But still it was hard at times, even with a husband here who "gets it" and explains things to me. The cost of living is higher, I have gone from 6 weeks annual leave down to 17 days annual leave and sickness allowance combined, a completely different style of management and worklife, having to be more dependent on a car (I miss being able to take a train somewhere). Everything is Americanized - so-called Italian restaurants (and I'm not talking about those big commercial chains but the independent ones) serve food that bears no resemblance to what you'd find in Italy, "sharp" cheese here has no flavor at all unless you spend a fortune on an artisan cheese (and I do), bread is spongy and sweet, you will struggle to find something with a decent crust on it, these may seem like trivialities but when you add them all up and deal with them all the time...

That said, there are many good things here. We live in a very beautiful area on 6.5 acres in the mountains with the most beautiful views. I am enjoying my job and there are opportunities here that I wouldn't have had in the U.K.

Re: Michigan move?
 

Welcome to BE!

So the obvious first question is, has Ford offered him a transfer? Or is this more of a 'they have a factory there so we could move there' type of thing?

One thing to know about Michigan right away is that they get a lot of snow - and to them 6/7 inches is nothing to worry about, schools are still in session, and you are still expected to report to work, of course this being the case they are prepared for it, but as someone moving out there having to put an hour in in the morning digging your car out before you even go to work it could be a little intimidating!

As to health insurance, you largely don't get a choice. Ford will offer your husband coverage, and it will be take it or leave it. The people that are entitled to coverage through an employer are not entitled to register on the Obamacare exchanges, so he'd be looking at private coverage that costs $$$$$$$$$$ with no group subsidy.

Re: Michigan move?
 

I know Ford do move people, they offered my Dad a move, he did not take it.

Always wonder what would have happened if he had.

I would expect Ford have pretty decent Health Insurance options.

It is obviously different, but difference can be good as well as bad, many of us were a lot older than you are when we moved.

Re: Michigan move?
 

Oh I'm sure they do, I was just trying to ascertain from a visa standpoint if this was an iron already in the fire, or something that had just been mused over as a possibility.

Re: Michigan move?
 

It's been decades since I lived in the Detroit area so won't be much help, but you haven't indicated whether "Dearborn" means the Research and Engineering Center (Oakwood, off the Southfield Freeway) or the Ford Rouge Center (truck assembly). Is he currently at the Design and Engineering Centre in Dunton? If it's the Dearborn Engineering Center, then many employees at that facility will live to the west, nearer Brighton in SE Livingston Co. If you relocate to that area, or any area in the greater Detroit Metro area, you'll most likely be looking at being a two car family, which means you'll be driving. So, no need to be a stay at home mom.

As I said, it's been a long time, but I'm sure most of the above about Ford having automatic employee heath coverage is true.

Re: Michigan move?
 

I think some of the logistics, questions and what to consider have been well covered already. In my humble opinion MI is a great state to consider, yes it does get very cold and snow is guaranteed every year in most locations but if you can deal with that the state has a lot to offer. Some of the nicest people in the US in my opinion. Here is a snippet:

Re: Michigan move?
 

Trader Joe's sells cheese with flavour at reasonable prices (ie cheaper than so-called "artisan" cheese in the regular supermarkets). I can't remember the last time I went to an "Italian" restaurant: I gave up trying to find a decent one. Bread, sigh.

Re: Michigan move?
 

Dearborn is a great part of Michigan, for a start you're practically on the border with Canada if you get a little Homesick and Michigan State (remember it's Mish not Mitch) is a particularly lovely State at all times of the year

Yes the Snow and the Cold (-20C air temp and -34C Windchill) can get a little wearying by Mid Feb but Spring is just around the corner (though we seem to straight from Winter to Summer with little in between)

Ford will have a Medical Scheme, as he needs to include both you and your daughter) I'd guestimate the monthly fee will be around $400-$500. But pay attention to the plans on offer especially Co-Pays and Max Out of Pocket expenses, especially with a 3 year old daughter

Most Pre-K will expect her to be fully vaccinated before she's admitted

Re: Michigan move?
 

America is a big and diverse place and what you make of it as an immigrant is entirely up to you. You will make friends through work, school, and your neighbors. I've never had an issue making friends and feel this country is the most inclusive place (my experience). You will be just fine, just keep an open mind and be open to all sorts of people

Re: Michigan move?
 

Can be weird, I was in Costco on Tuesday and they have the ladies offering samples which I take advantage of, one of them had these mini pancakes and being Pancake Day wished her Happy Pancake Day etc and she did not have a clue. So I explained it all, when I left I heard her wishing another shopper Happy Pancake Day!

One at a time.

Re: Michigan move?
 

There's a lot of very nice neighborhoods around Detroit, and a lot of not-so-nice neighborhoods. Prices of houses vary massively from London prices to Ridiculously cheap, so you'll have no problem finding somewhere.

I live in Ann Arbor, MI, very international due to the university, and there's always LOTS going on for all ages. It's very liberal and diverse, Plymouth is nearby and perfect for families, Northville is also nice, and full of wealthy ford executives. Canton is the Milton Keynes of the area - has everything you need (including an IKEA) and plenty of housing, great for commuting.
There's a surprising number of British people around here.

Sure, it gets cold in winter, like well below freezing for a solid 2 months, but you get used to it. Weather is great the rest of the year. Somehow people still get around in the snow, there's just tons of accidents, it's like a normal thing to happen here. Also, roads are terrible, like we complain in UK about roads, but you ain't seen nothing yet!

A lot of people around here commute at least an hour to work each way. So I know several people that live out a bit further and enjoy large lake front properties and enjoy weekends in summer drinking on the boat.

Michigan is a great place - and people are proud of being from the mitten state.

If you get the opportunity, I say take it, life is about taking these leaps sometimes.