justhefourofus

Hi, my husband has been offered a job in Portland OR, visa has been approved. We are just looking at finances, schools, living costs etc and working out whether we can actually afford to do it, bearing in mind the higher cost of living and cost of health care. It would initially be for 3-4 years, and our intention is to move back for secondary school in the UK. Our kids would be 8 and 5 when we move, likely to be January 2020.

I am feeling very overwhelmed by the thought of the upheaval and would love to hear from anyone who's moved to the US with youngish kids and has found it to be overall a really positive experience. It feels like there is so much to do to make it happen and I am not sure where to start!

Also, can anyone offer advice on good schools and places to live to the west of Portland, somewhere with a good family / community feel? (we've considered Lake Oswego but not sure our budget will stretch that far...)

And any general tips / encouragement about making the move would be greatly appreciated!

thanks.

civilservant

- What visa?
- Whats his income going to be?

justhefourofus

H1B visa
$116,500 (probably worth mentioning that his job is with a non-profit, so package probably not comparable to large corporates)

civilservant

That doesn't seem terribly high for the PNW, especially when considering he'll lose 30-35% for taxes and healthcare costs, so take home of approx $6800pm.


Of course, on the H4, you're aware that you will not be authorized to work?

justhefourofus

Yes, I'm self-employed in the UK so it is quite frustrating that I wouldn't be able to continue doing that in the US. But as it's unlikely to be a long-term move we are weighing up doing it for the experience, plus it will be a really good career move for him.

Pros and cons. But, his salary does mean we need to be careful about where we choose to live, so looking at best affordable options in the west of Portland for a family.

TexanScot

Yes, that's what many people say at first

scrubbedexpat099

Seem to remember there was a recent thread on Portland.

Would be normal for them to provide relocation assistance including a Realtor to deal with specific accommodation issues.

A non profit does not mean a charity, just that they do not pay dividends.

justhefourofus

Ah ok, it's a charity / NGO then

scrubbedexpat099

What sort of relocation assistance do they provide?

justhefourofus

Shipping costs, I would go out for a recce in Oct / Nov, they'll put us in touch with a realtor, but not much more than that... just wondering what places to focus our search on, particularly as we need good schools, and also how common is it for families to rent apartments / condos rather than houses out there?

scrubbedexpat099

A good rule of thumb is the more the rent the more likely it will be in a good school district, something the Realtor can advise on as far as the specifics are concerned.,

I assume it was much more common to rent an apartment than a house.

Noorah101

Does the company have good health/medical insurance benefits? That could be a deciding factor for you, with a family of 4, with 2 kids, and only one income.

Rene

naomi

I know people who live in Beaverton (about 7 miles from Portland) and they enjoy living there. It's cheaper to live there than Portland proper.
Beaverton, Oregon: MONEY's #No. 12 Best Place to Live in 2017 | Money

Giantaxe

A couple of things to be aware of.... relocating internationally costs a lot more than shipping costs. Really, you're starting from scratch in many respects. Secondly, anything they pay for your relocation will be taxable income to you (you can thank Trump for that one). What you should ask for is a "grossing up" of what they pay you so that they are effectively paying the taxes on thr assistance. An explanation in here:

https://www.creditkarma.com/tax/i/mo...nse-deduction/

civilservant

And of course, since I failed to mention it before, you are aware that the H1B is oversubscribed every year? The ensuing lottery is about 35-40% success rate at best, and requires an application in April for an October start unless he is working for a cap exempt institution.