ducatiandy

My family and I are at the start of the long process of moving to the US. As everyone here has already been here I am looking for a wee bit of wisdom, you know not re-inventing the wheel etc.

If I were to ask for one thing that you would have done when you were at my stage what would it have been now knowing what you now know? It doesn't have to be big, the smallest piece of information would be appreciated or the smallest thing to do.

Thank you!

Patrick

Get an MBNA card now, when you get to the US you can call MBNA and get a credit card using your UK credit history. This will start the ball rolling on the long road to getting a credit history.

Patrick

NC Penguin

At the start? Does this mean you're about to apply for your visa(s) to move to the US? If so, which visas are you applying for? It would be good to know as people may have tips/suggestions about your particular visa.





NC Penguin

ducatiandy

I am going to California for 5 interviews which I have set up over the internet direct with companies, and therefore will be applying for the H1B visa as I have training which does not exist in USA(so I am told). The companies I am going to are all around the area we want to live and out of the first 20 I contacted, very lucky I think.

Andy

Taffyles

We would have kept our two sons in their school in UK and boarded them with friends. Many ex-pats do this with older children and we wish we had done that too.

ducatiandy

Sorry but there is no way I would leave my children behind, the move will make them better adults(when the time comes) they are only 4&5 at the moment, it is also for them as much as us.

Thanks

Taffyles

You asked - that is the one thing we really regret. And I did say older children- our boys were 12 and 13 at the time, and in a really good school- there is nothing to compare out here, not even if you go private. My daughter was only 9 and I ended up home schooling her - which was very successful.

NC Penguin

It's good you explained the kind of visa you will be obtaining. Yours will be an employment based visa and it's one that you do not personally apply for. Your employer does all the legwork.

You are very fortunate to even have an interview for an H1B because there is a reduction in the number of H1Bs given this year and so this particular visa is hard to come by. However, this is not relevant to your question.

I think it's premature to start doing anything until you've had at least the first interview with each of the companies.

It sounds as if you're travelling alone to the interviews. That's a shame because personally, I think it's better that your spouse accompanies you to CA to check out the area (home prices, amenities, other stuff) while you're out having your interviews.

Reading the US visas forum may be helpful to you to get an idea of how long an H1B takes to process. You are aware that your wife would not be allowed to work (even do volunteer work) on the visa she would receive (but maybe this this fact is not important to you).



NC Penguin

ducatiandy

Taffyles

Also my wife doesn't work and enjoys bringing the kids up, thanks, I didn't mean it to sound the way it did.

Andy

ducatiandy

We know my wife cannot work on my H1b visa but she hopes to get her own as she is a teacher here at the moment but only intends going to work in California when she is happy the kids are settling in. She has family around where we are moving so it should be a bit easier for her, we have been a couple of times before and have looked into houses areas schools etc.