Concur with others that this is a weak offer especially if it’s from a large company (10,000+ employees). I’d call it lukewarm offer if the company is small (employs up to 200).

If you are obsessed with the US, or, despise the UK then it may be an appropriate option. If you are content and settled in the UK I’d not go for it.

Thanks very much for all the input so far.

The salary is still tbc so I have made it very clear to my manager that I’m not willing to commit to entering the application process formally until that’s confirmed and whether the permanent relocation policy has any flexibility. If it doesn’t then I’m minded to just say no. The inferred lack of support to progress from L1 to Green Card is an absolute deal breaker. If they want me to consider moving forward with this then the relocation support needs to be more than is outlined. At a minimum I’d want double the financial support (so £10k), confirmation of immigration support to progress to Green Card, cost of transporting my dogs (that’s offered in the 1-3 year international posting), and confirmation that they would support other settling in things. For example I have a company car at the moment so I’d need to understand if that’s part of the overall package, and if not would the support one of the expat leasing schemes.

At this point it’s too conceptual to be able to give a definite appetite! I need lots more information

And please note that you are going to need two cars in CT -- no bus service as we know it in the UK -- so another item for the budget!

$500k was my budget buying in CT in 2016 in Fairfield….That figure will be significantly higher, especially at the Greenwich end of the NYC metro north commuter line…

Bear in mind that, since you won't have a credit rating, it will be very difficult to borrow money to pay for the things you need. Agree that you'll need two cars but other things will also surprise you - we couldn't get electricity supply in NC until we'd got Social Security Numbers and agreed to pay a large security deposit. Negotiate hard on the $5K incidentals money.

To be comfortable yes… but I do see people who do it without…. I frequently see people dropped of early in the AM at the Metro North station with the baby asleep in the car so that partner can use the car during the day.. and each town has some houses / apartments within walking distance of the metro north station. Some companies in Stamford etc also have a shuttle at the office end to bring workers from the train…. We both worked, so as soon as we moved from the city (nyc) where we only had 1 car, we got a second one.

If there was a commute into NYC, that might make sense, but the job is apparently in Greenwich/Stamford, so using the train doesn't seem feasible -- the working partner would have to be driven to work and picked up afterwards. And that would preclude living somewhere like Wilton, Ridgefield, or Redding -- very nice places with excellent schools and a reasonable commute that are home to many folks who work in those cities.

One of the senior managers at work does 3 days a week in FiDi, Manhattan from Wilton (driving the whole way!) - I always think that's a horrendous commute. They've done it even before COVID when we were in more.

Yes, I have seen people do that and it sucks. But it is doable. Would I move from another country to do it, absolutely not.

- one way flights
​​​​​​- £5k for general expenses such as contract cancellations, mail redirections, passports
- 3 months temp accommodation
​​​​​​- air freight allowance
- shipping/insurance for a 40ft container and up to 3 months storage costs
- first tax return (US and UK) support

Sadly there’s no support to visit CT beforehand, and only 2 days paid time off to settle in.

It's a very bare bones package...
​​​​​​- £5k for departure expenses - probably ok. But what about expenses for when you arrive in the USA?
Most people I work with have a homefinding trip in advance + some rental assistance OR Temp housing for 30+ days. Not usually both.

3 months temp housing - for a family that needs to be within a particular school district is always a headache. It can be really difficult to get this corporate housing in the right place. If your plan is to buy a house, then it's possibly just about do-able in 3 months. If your plan is to rent then I'd probably opt for negotiating a homefinding trip after your visa is approved/ 2-4 weeks before you have to move here. This is about the right time to find an available rental home ready to move into. Temp housing is expensive so instead of this - if you're going to rent - ask for rental expenses . you'll be paying 1x month's rent + at least 1x month rent as security deposit + possibly a broker fee of another month's rent when you sign your lease.

L2 spouse visa. I know they are allowed to work on this visa but it's not easy finding an employer that will take on a new hire with this. Whatever you do, base all your cost of living calculations only on your salary/ rental income from Scotland.

Start a spreadsheet with all your current expenses on and then start investigating the US cost. Healthcare costs are significant/car insurance costs more/ kids activities cost more.

Hi! I live in CT and love it! It is a beautiful state with both rural, urban and shoreline living. It is pretty expensive to live here so that is worth keeping in mind. You can easily explore other states without flying but we also have a couple of airports to help you go further. If you do decide on moving over, make sure to do some research on the towns and cities as there are a few I would personally avoid.

Good luck!