ScottMc

Hi All,

I've been reading the posts and there's some great information here. I was wondering if any of you would like to share your opinion on our situation.

Basically it a "should we or shouldn't we?" moment.

I've been looking through the info and we don't seem to have any issues with the visas, labor certification and GC.

My wife will be going over on an intra company transfer to start a section in the US offices that currently doesn't exist. (Testing goods to legislative standards, bit like trading standards).

They have stated that the equivalent salary is around the 40k mark plus benefits (including insurance but don't know amounts and coverage yet).

I'm putting together a lengthy list of questions for her employer regarding actual net salary, health benefits, relocation assistance etc.

I do not hold a degree which from the other posts seems to be a key in obtaining many roles. I'm highly experienced in contact centre work, having been a process/project worker, team leader, co-ordinator etc for a number of years.

I understand this has been a declining market due to outsourcing but hope to get a reasonable job within a short span of time and hope this is possible if I dedicate myself to my search correctly.

We will be moving to the Chicago area.

Bottom line after reading up on the various insurance requirements, how property rentals work etc I foresee quite an initial outlay and some risk involved in the move which is excepted. We have a small amount of savings to take with us which I hope to keep most of to assist if everything goes well and we require a home loan deposit.

What I would like are people's opinions on our situation - given the above salary do you think in your opinion it's work the risks and are the rewards of living in the USA enough that a moderate salary like the one above (plus hopefully a similar salary from myself after a period) will eventually offset my worries of the reduction in job security/role protection in the US as opposed to the UK?

Sorry about the length of the post and the individual circumstances but I'd like the opinions of some of you that have "been there done that"

Thanks,

Scott

dbj1000

Before I reply to the whole thing, I have a couple of questions about your situation.

Can you explain that first section about visas, labor certification & GC?

Do you mean that you understand that it is likely to be difficult to get a GC based on an L1 (EB3) application, and that it will take many years?

Secondly, what CURRENCY is the 40k salary in? That makes a difference of about 1.85x at the moment!

Duncan Roberts

Yeah, because $40k with not a lot of up front cash in Chicago for 2 people is probably less than advisable.

blaze

Hi,
There are lots of issues to address which someone who lives in that area would be better qualified to go over with you than me, but $40K (presumably $) is not a lot in the Chicago area for 2 people to live on IMO. If you are thinking of purchasing a property then you will need a down payment as well as all the extra fees that go along with a home purchase (these can be quite costly!). If you rent then you will need first and last months rent e.t.c.
Purchasing of a vehicle (which I presume you will need) is another expense and petrol at the moment (for us!) is wickedly expensive.
There are so many things to consider financially that you really must make sure that you have all of your ducks in a row before making the move so there are as few surprises as possible.

Elvira

I have to agree with the others - $40,000 is quite a low salary here in the US. Certainly not enough for two people to live comfortably in the Chicago (or any metropoletan) area.

A lot of Brits have found it difficult to secure employment in the US, so the OP would be well advised to research his prospects very carefully. Many US employers are unfortunately very anal about 'requiring' a degree and are quite likely to disregard a resume that's only experiecne-based.

And benefits (especially healthcare :scared: ) definitely need to be looked at in detail. A lot of employers are cutting back on this, and all those deductibles and co-pays soon add up, even for healthy people.

Celsius

Your wife will be getting the offer of an assignment overseas in writing, won't you? The contract should spell out what's covered and what's not.

As for you finding work, what's "contact centre" work? Call centers? If so, those kind of jobs are ten a penny in the US and staff turnover is very high. Pay isn't great either (but probably more than minimum US wage).

Elvira

Oh, and another thing just occurred to me: I understand that renewal of L1s has become less straightforward recently. I think there is an article on this somewhere on this. I would urge the OP to look at that also.

And as djb has said, obtaining LPR status could take many years, and until one has that, one is basically at the mercy of the employer. In any event, I would not rely on verbal promises of 'in due course we'll sponsor you for your GC'...

Kate2112

They have stated that the equivalent salary is around the 40k mark plus benefits (including insurance but don't know amounts and coverage yet).

I am assuming that by equivalent salary you are stating 40k as GBP. If this is correct it is not even close to enough for two people to live on in Chicago, unless you were used to a low income in the UK.

While you don't need a degree, you will probably find that many in your field do have degrees, which will make it more difficult to get past the resume stage, but not impossible You will probably need two cars as many jobs in the Chicago area in your field are based in the burbs not the city. Extra cost to be factored in. Metro transport is good and commuter lines out to burbs are good but you may need a car unless you like getting up at the crack of dawn to commute.

Health Insurance - co pays and deductibles etc are extremely important, as Elvira said even healthy people are shocked at the costs. Read any offers for this very carefully and perhaps comeback and discuss exactly what is offered so people here can tell you what that means in real terms.

Good luck and good wishes to you both

Vicky88

Last job I worked had a call centre, rate of pay was $10-$12 an hour. Of course being California it probably pays better than Chicago because of the cost of living. Benefits were non-existent, and staff turnover was like none I had ever seen. I would add that probably 2% of employees were caucasian, the rest were hispanic/African-American. Reason I mention this is I felt they aimed to employ those races as they thought they were more likely to stay long-term. So this is not an area I would be excited about being employed in.

Celsius

This page makes sobering reading. It's about the minimum wage and includes a handy map outlining the difference across the country.

Sally

You need to think about where your careers are going in the UK. Don't know your ages, whether you have children? From what you've said, it sounds like you will be giving up a lot. Life in the US is no picnic and i would say any job offer would need to be significantly better than what you have in the UK to make it worthwhile.

Duncan Roberts

I would estimate that a $40k a year job after taxes, medical, dental, vision, 401k, disability and life insurance (all depending on what is offered and how much they cost and what you take) you would be looking at around $2000-2500 a month take home pay. I know single people in Chicago that earn double that and struggle.

BritGuyTN

I think two people at either $40k or 40k GBP converted in chicago is not very cool to have a good standard of living

Jerseygirl

What I am having difficulty understanding is, if your wife is such a valued employee that the company will be paying for your visas, green card, moving expenses etc. how come she's only getting 40K pa??

britontour

It must be £40,000 which is $74,528