scrubbedexpat083

The competition clause was a issue for them. So their lawyers are looking into this. So we not discussed numbers or details yet. They wasn't happy with my solicitors letter saying the clause wasn't valid. We arranged to have another chat in January.

Yea i will check all the fine print. Need to cover my wife / future family.

Did you fly your cat over? Any idea on costs? I know it be easier getting them in rather than out should we ever need too. Don't expect company to pick this cost up at all. I would leave all furniture here an just buy again over there.

Is getting a mortgage difficult over there? Even with guaranteed employment and 25-50% deposit. Would you recommend getting a US credit card whilst in the uk to build up some type of rating?

civilservant

Doesn't mean no out of pocket costs. You'll need to actually look at the information from the insurer. Ask to see your prospective employers benefit paperwork before you sign on the dotted line.

It will almost certainly cover your spouse and children, but depending on the plan, that might be when the costs bite you in the ass. As an example, my plan covers me at $55 a month, if I added my wife to that plan, if jumps to over $300.

That's not 'potentially' - October 2021 is the very earliest you could enter the US on an H1, and that assumes you being successful in the lottery which, as stated, is at best 1 in 4.

Difficult yes, expensive yes, impossible no. You cannot really start building a US credit rating until you get your SSN - ergo when you have arrived in the US. Your lack of employment history in the US will be a problem when applying for a mortgage, but could be overcome by records from the UK possibly.

Lion in Winter

So, here's what I mean by insurance. Let's assume your monthly premium is fully-paid by your employer (lucky you). Here is an example of how policies might work, based on my last health insurance package from an employer:

Coverage was 80/20. This meant that the insurance covered 80% of covered medical costs and I had to pay 20%., up to my annual "out of pocket" limit, and after that insurance paid 100% of covered costs. In my case, I had an "out of pocket" limit of $3,000 per year per person on my plan, meaning that if I needed medical care I would pay up to $3k before the insurance would pay all the rest, and if either my son or my husband needed care that same year I would also have to pay up to that $3k for them as well. I had an annual max out of pocket for the whole family of $7,500, so that would be the most I would have to pay. Check this amount. If you do need any care, be aware that costs will quickly escalate from a few hundred to thousands to 10s of thousands of dollars if you have a hospital stay, which is to say that you will be paying that out of pocket max so budget for it.

I was lucky in that my policy had no deductible - an amount you have to pay before insurance pays anything at all - but many do, so check that.

I paid small amounts for regular doctor's visits - $35 - $75 depending, and $10 per generic med, more for prescription. So check that.

If you are looking to start a family, specifically check maternity cover. It varies.

With a group plan from your employer, preexisting conditions are usually not an issue, but do check if you or your wife have any.

Many employers offer a choice of plans, so find that out.

Be aware of any waiting period before the plan kicks in. Again, with group plans less of an issue but possibly 30 - 90 days. Just check so you aren't left uncovered.

None of this is to say that health coverage makes your move impossible at all, just that people used to social medicine such as the NHS don't always appreciate the costs. Your salary needs to be commensurate, that's all.

Also be aware that dental insurance plans are separate and usually puny. Cleanings and fillings are cheapish, but if you need any major work you will be paying a lot.


Check in an international pet shipping company for costs. I recently was quote $4k to move one cat the other way, which seemed steep.

civilservant

Maybe not so with the current pandemic, their costs might have increased significantly (although I agree that does seem high)

Nutmegger

Aren't French bulldogs considered brachycephalic? Make sure you let the shipper know what kind of dog you are talking about, as many won't ship such breeds. Also, in some jurisdictions you may need to have a kennel license for four dogs, even when they are just pets (though it's more likely when you go over four). All the dogs should be vaccinated for rabies, DHLP, Lyme, and kennel cough, and on monthly medication for flea and tick and heartworm protection. When you get your renter's insurance, make sure the company knows you have dogs.

Lion in Winter

Ouch, yes, good point. I think many airlines now simply refuse to fly them because of the risk to the dog.

scrubbedexpat099

Seems a bit premature to get into dog moving details when the moving issue is not sorted.

Also whilst S386 did not make the cut if the next administrations passes it any talk of an EB3 Green Card would be decades away.

Glasgow Girl

Here is a website that identifies salaries for mechanical engineering jobs in Akron, OH. Starting at about $66K for less than one year experience up to $103K for more than 10 years, with $75K average. Sounds like you should be at the upper end.

https://www.indeed.com/career/mechan...ries/Akron--OH

Negotiate your vacation time for sure. As you are aware vacation time in the US is typically very stingy, with many offering only two weeks for a professional position when you first join the company (occasionally more but sometimes less). If the company wants you enough I am sure they will negotiate about 4 weeks but don’t expect UK levels of vacation.

You dogs will be a problem particularly for the initial relocation period when you may need temporary accommodation. You might want to negotiate a trip over here prior to actually relocating in order to secure a house that you can move into immediately you arrive because getting temporary accommodation for 4 dogs will be tough. A substantial deposit will be needed if you rent with that number of dogs. Or, come over by yourself first and have your wife and dogs come after you have a house.

Kelly Blue Book will help you research car prices.
https://www.kbb.com/?psid=20003&siom...BoC_GUQAvD_BwE

Zillow.com will help you research house prices both for sale and for rent.

Nutmegger

For some people, not being able to take their pets is a deal breaker, so better to know right away rather than discover the problems at the last minute and have their hopes dashed.

SanDiegogirl

If she has a British passport she is a citizen

If YOU are on an H-1B your wife will NOT be able to work - there is an opportunity for her to be able to do so as and when you are at some stage in the Green Card process way down the line..... maybe someone else can comment on this.
There are other visas, E type comes to mind, under which she could work. It will depend on what your company wants and what you qualify for.
Typical visa costs for company are approx $10K, (they have to have company lawyers do the processing for you)

SanDiegogirl

Wow.... really? No monthly premiums? Sweet .....

scrubbedexpat099

The dogs can still travel, by sea if needed.

steph0scope

No, it’s really not. We see this great claim made about prospective employers in the US by would-be immigrants and all it shows is that you have not understood how the system here works.

Every company with at least 50 FTE employees must offer a health plan to their employees or face a “fine” (tax) to the government. The cost of the fine is the same as the employer cost of health coverage so they may as well offer the health coverage otherwise they won’t get anyone with any talent to work for them when all their competitors are offering health plans. You may be lucky that they cover the premiums for you (my employer does) and possibly your spouse (I have seen this from time to time). What they won’t be covering is your deductibles and co-pays. When an employer states they offer healthcare to their employees, one must never assume it’s at no cost to the employee. Quite the opposite.

Please don’t think you are getting a private version of the NHS provided by your employer where you never have to put your hand into your pocket at all. You will have to put your hand into your pocket, and deeper than you think.

steph0scope

Good point. Our city rules are no more than 3 pets per household otherwise you need a license to be an animal boarding company and they check to see if you have enough room and outside space for however many dogs/cats you have.

scrubbedexpat099

It is like any other type of Insurance, Insurance does not cover everything and there are deductibles etc.