nun

Sounds as if an L1 visa is the most appropriate. The GC route would be expensive and the company would be a bit foolish to do it if it's an intra-company transfer. Also the GC will have significantly greater future tax consequences for you. From a pensions perspective it will be easier to keep your UK pension going if you plan to return to the UK.

bobbedford

Finally agreed with my company yesterday on relocation package and other terms (3 months of pain).

Would like to say thanks for all the help posted on here, and the information in the Wiki.

I don't think i would have been in anywhere near as strong a position for negotiation or would have missed something critical.

I ended up getting everything I wanted/ was suggested and a bit more.

Very much looking forward to making the move to tropical Chicago in January now.

Thanks again.

Brat1

Congratulations!!! It can be a complicated process and I also have found BE invaluable for information/advice. Good luck with the move

Bob

Congrats!

Also nice to hear you come back with a update...we often don't hear back from folks, so I hope you stick around

bobbedford

It's probably worth me sharing some tips I guess.

1- Don't be afraid to ask for something, they can only say no.
2- Work out exactly what you think your costs of moving are going to be, line by line and share these with the company. The numbers soon add up:
2a - Home. If you own your house at the moment your mortgage provider may change your interest rate if you move to rent the place out. Mine bumped up the rate by 1.5%. I worked out how much I would earn in rent and then knocked off agents fees, electrical gas safety costs, and my mortgage payments and asked them to cover the shortfall
2b - Redecorating your current home. In order to rent it out you have to redecorate the whole place most likely (painting and carpet cleaning)
2c - I have to sell my car, want them to cover difference between loan value and actual
2d - new furniture, electricals etc. are going to stack up
3- Health Insurance, Health Insurance, Health Insurance!
4- Secondment vs. transfer. After looking into this I came down on the line of secondment was best for the time being. That way I still accrue my UK pension, they pay my NI contributions etc. and I don't have to cash in my share option plans early
5- Greencards. Just get it written that they will be sorted and when. I actually don't want one ASAP when I get into the country. So we are going to give it 6-12 months first and then decide if I am going permanent
6- Rental support. Something worth asking about, and my company threw in (it was very generous in the end)
7- Holidays. I kept 25 days + public holidays. Try to push for this
8- The most basic should include relocating your crap over there
9- Tax advice for the whole period of the secondment. I aint going to have a clue about filling in tax returns... plus I hope the tax guy will be able to get me a nice fat refund!
10- They should repatriate you if you get made redundant
11- Health Insurance, Health Insurance, Health Insurance! (so important I've put it twice)
12- House hunting trip. You want to go in advance of moving to take a look around
13- Nice to have if they pay for you to come home once a year

Throughout the whole thing I was having dilemmas as to whether I was being avariscious. But you aren't!

As far as I am concerned, just because you want to move to the US doesn't mean you should pay a riduculous amount to do so. Your company should support you. The only reason you have any chance of moving to the US is because you are bloody good at what you do, and because there is no-one in the US that can do your job as well. YOUR COMPANY NEEDS YOU - SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE BEING TREATED FAIRLY (I am in no way saying you should profit from the move, but it should be cost neutral)

Hope that helps.

Bob

7 - Make sure to understand that sick leave is not part of those days and that it is paid

9 - At the very least they offer tax advice on the first and last year of your stay if you don't go GC.

10 - Repatriate you, your family and your shit.

13 - At the very least see if you can push for emergency flight home in event of family death/illness as those tickets can cost thousands last minute and it's something they probably won't have to stump for, certainly not on a regular basis at least, you'd hope

But yes, all really good advice that! Especially it being a two way relationship, because if they could have found some one local, they would have, so you obviously hold value for them to begin with.