karann

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice with this dilemma I have?

I am British, living in England. My partner and I are looking to move to North West Florida this year. I have two children. My eldest son is 15 years old and in Year 11 in England - the year of his GCSEs, which of course, is a far from ideal time to move to a different country. On the plus side, both my children want to move to USA and, my 15 year old would have an extra year and a half, before he has to take his exams, if we moved. Also, we already have a home in the particular place we would be moving to, and have spent a lot of time out there, so at least it is a relatively familiar location for us.

Is there anyone else on this forum, who has experienced this kind of move with a 15 year old? If so, I would be very grateful if you could let me know how it all went, please?

Thanks very much.

sir_eccles

Is your partner a USC? Are you married? What visa are you eligible for?

fatbrit

Without a suitable immigration status, it's moot.

karann

Thanks for your reply. I wasn't actually enquiring about visa eligibility, but advice about my 15 year old son settling into USA high school.

Any advice on that subject would be much appreciated.

Jerseygirl

The reason you are asked is because a dozen or so new members drop by each week wanting to move to the US...mainly Florida...and they do not have the relevant visa/citizenship to do so. Without the means to move to the US the rest is irrelevant. So...if you could please answer that simple question...then we can move on. Thanks.

karann

Hmmm...nice and friendly reponse!

Well, for your information, we do have visas being processed, as it will be a company move. The reason I posted my query is so that I can be prepared for what to expect, that is all. I certainly don't have any intention moving to USA without visas.

AmerLisa

Yes, but there are many people who come on this site and want to move without a visa. I don't think anyone was intentionally trying to be rude, but only that it happens quite often.

At any rate, I wish you the best. I'm sure you will find relevant information using the search option at the top. But others will probably chime in as well...

Jerseygirl

Thank you.

My daughter was 11 when we moved here so her/my experience is irrelevant. The forums are usually a little quiet during the weekend...but someone will probably be along to help you before long. Good luck.

karann

Thank you for your kind reply.

All this moving marlarky is very stressful - staying in Blighty is what I would prefer. Anyway, it is what it is and we are moving to the USA. So, any advice from anyone re my original post would be very welcome!

Sally Redux

My kids were a bit younger. I met someone whose daughter was 16 when they moved, and she said she had to try to get the work done in the UK recognized by the school here as being of the same standard, so that it could be shown on the transcript. So bring as much information as possible about your son's level of achievement. They don't do exams here as such but are continuously graded so that they have a 'Grade Point Average'. I think this child also made a lot of visits back home to visit friends which she needed to help her get over the change, but everyone is different.

I have noticed that children who are good at a sport seem to be accepted more readily into the social scene at that age.

Jerseygirl

I know you didn't ask for this...but you will find loads of information about moving to the US in the BE Wiki. What sort of things to ask for in a relocation package...healthcare insurance...etc. I know you said the visas were being sorted out but the type of visa could be crucial. The main concern is will it lead quickly to a green card? Without a GC kids cannot work and have to leave the US when they reach 21.

Giantaxe

You don't say whether the children are also your partner's and thus already US citizens. If they're not, then it makes things more complicated in terms of whether they'll be able to work, even in a part-time job, on whatever visa they are coming over on.

The biggest issue you're probably going to have to deal with is the education of your children. If they are thinking of going to college, then you need to think about whether their UK education can transfer to fulfilling whatever requirements are needed here. There is no equivalent to GCSEs, for example, and much more emphasis is placed on what classes you have taken, and what grades you have got, over a period of years. The closer you get to college age when your children move, the more tricky it becomes. But if you use the search function, you'll see that people have done it.

fatbrit

If your children will be on an immigrant visa, it's a very different scenario from if your children are not. An H1b with a willing company and an EB1 classification is different from an H1b with EB3, and an E2 investor with a 15 y.o. is just child cruelty IMO. Yes, your immigration status is most relevant as to whether your planned move would be beneficial for your child.

karann

Thank you for your reply - it was very helpful. I have all of my children's school reports, so that'll hopefully deal with the transcript issue.

We are also intending to come back to England,as much as possible, so we can visit friends and family.

Luckily, both my boys are keen at sports, so from what you said, that is very positive!

Thanks again.

karann

Thank you for letting me know about this information on Wiki. The visas are for a GC, but hopefully, we won't be over there too long!