Jakojack

Hi all !!

So glad to find a forum like this one !
I'm French, living in England for 2 years now.

I am actually really nervous:
I received a job offer from the US in order to work in San Diego. I would like your advice if it worth it, especially financially.
I would be able to live without counting my money and noot be careful with it each time I'm buying some bread.

The company is offering me:
- 60k$ an year
- Half paid health insurance
- One trip Europe-Usa a year

Based on that, about how much money I can live with after removing taxes, a rent of a 1000$, buying/rent an average car and buying good food ?

Do you think I can live well with that?

Thank you !!



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Noorah101

Hi and Welcome to BE.

Before talking about money and living expenses, the first thing we need to know is which visa this company will be getting for you. Lots of companies offer the job, but then don't want to follow up with visa sponsorship.

What is the job, exactly?

That being said, I would consider a $60K income for San Diego to be on the low side, and would expect almost double that. San Diego is not cheap. You will also have more expenses than just rent, car and food. You will have half your health insurance premiums plus copays and such, you will have cell phone expenses, cable TV (unless it's included in your rent), electric/water/gas (unless it's included in the rent), car insurance, gas for the car, etc. At $1,000/month for rent, I wouldn't expect it to include everything either.

$60K a year is $5K per month. Minus about 25% for taxes gives you $3,750. Minus $1,000 for rent gives you $2,750. Then there's your half of the health insurance premium, cell phone, car insurance, gas.....you can see where it would dwindle very quickly.

Rene

Owen778

Welcome to BE!

So, the first question is this: What visa are they planning to use for you to be able to work in the USA? You don't mention it. If there is no visa, the only way you could do that job is illegally. A further issue is that if they are planning to issue an H1B visa, it's an oversubscribed lottery and there's no guarantee you'd get it. If you applied directly to the US company, it's possible that they haven't considered the visa at all, and the offer is dependent on you have work authorisation for the US.

$60k is pretty low income for an expat anywhere in the US. It's about double the minimum wage in San Diego, which is not a cheap city. I imagine you can get by with that if you're single, but I doubt you could live well.

Jakojack

Hi,

Thanks for this quick reply.
Indeed, they are planning to get a H1B visa for the future.

It getting more clear withwith information you gave to me: they ask me if I want to come earlier, and give me a temporary contract of 6 months.
I guess they have planned to get a temporary visa in order to get the H1B for the future....

They also ask me if I want to be there earlier in yhqt case, I will get the visa h1B for sure.

What is the safewst solution in your opinion ?
I will be flavourist which a very specialized job.

I didn't expect the life to be that expensive overseas.

How expensive are mobile contracts or even bills ?

Thank you !!

Noorah101

So they will be filing the petition on April 1, 2019, in hopes that you'll get through the lottery and be able to in October 2019.

And what visa would they get for you that allows this temporary work in the USA? You need to find out.

This doesn't make sense. Of course I'm sure you want to be there earlier, but is there a visa that covers you for that? And that still doesn't mean you'll get the H1B for sure, nothing is guaranteed.

I am still not clear what options you were given, in order to say which one is safer? All I see is the H1B possibility.

I don't know what a flavourist is, sorry. Are you sure it qualifies for an H1B? Do you have a degree in this field?

Yes, life in the USA can be very expensive, depending on the city you live in. San Diego is up there with some of the most expensive cities.

I think most cell phone carriers have gotten away from contracts, it's just month to month. Depends on the carrier and your age. I'm over 55, and only need one line, so mine is fairly cheap at $50 a month.

Your first goal is to talk to the employer again and find out exactly what "temporary" visa they'll be getting for you, and if you definitely qualify for an H1B.

Rene

Rete

Definition of a Flavorist:

A Flavourist Develops Flavours For Food Products. A flavour chemist also known as a flavourist is: an individual who works with natural and synthetic approved chemicals in order develop flavours for a variety of food products.

scrubbedexpat099

Is this company a non profit?

scrubbedexpat099

PS H1b is a temporary visa.

ch2016

Based on my experience so far, the US could certainly do with some well-qualified flavourists, so if it's not qualifying for the H1B then it sure should be!

sherbert

If the company is a not for profit/research foundation then JakoJak will be able to get an uncapped H1b which means that s/he does not need to go through the lottery.

SD is not cheap and certainly far more expensive than the UK. You will struggle on 60k when taking into account rent, utilities, car (absolute necessity in SD I am afraid) and health insurance. It's quite likely that your half of the premium payment will be several hundred dollars a month. Affordable rentals are hard to find: there are at least three large universities and a massive military base so demand outstrips supply.

When I lived in SD, It took me a year to find a decent loaf of bread and it would cost $5 a time. However, I think you should visit the area and see for yourself if the lifestyle (outdoors, beachy) is for you and then you can judge for yourself whether the prices compared to your wage are worth it. But first, sort out what kind of visa they are bringing you over on: if it's NOT an uncapped H1b you a) have no guarantee you'll get here any time soon and b) if you are lucky enough to win the capped H1b lottery, you won't be moving until October 2019.

AdobePinon

scrubbedexpat099

I thought it was location dependent and had gone up?

civilservant

OP - you need to realize that the wage you are being offered for the Bay area is not going be livable in all likelihood. This is a very expensive place to live. A quick search found that the average 1 bedroom STUDIO in the area runs at $1,500 per month, which is nearly a third of your gross salary and even more of your net.

If you want a one bedroom, its more like $1800.

That, allied with the clear visa issues you face, don't make this an attraction opportunity IMO.

Noorah101

I thought it was San Francisco that was referred to as the Bay Area? Do they call San Diego that as well?

Rene

civilservant

My bad