Relocation Package
 

I know this has most probably been asked umpteen times now.

Tomorrow i have a meeting to discuss my benefits and relocation package. I'm happy with all the benefits except my 401k. Max company contributions $900 a year! Health insurance 100% by company, dental 50/50 jnsuramc premium. 15 days holiday plus 10 (bank hols?). 2 x salary death in service.

This isn't a intercompany transfer, I will be on a H1B. And i won't be a senior staff member.

What type of relocation packages have other people managed to get? Or wish you had? Or learned about something after relocating you wish you asked for?

Is there anything to stop me just buying a cheapish run down house cash when I'm there? Saves me paying rent for the first few years.

Thanks

Re: Relocation Package
 

If you plan on staying in the USA long term, negotiate a Green Card application. Without that you will be going home in 3 years unless it gets extended and that can only happen once.

What you can get for relocation is going to depend upon how much they want you, and how much you want to go. At a minimum negotiate your air fare out, accommodation and car hire for 6 weeks until you find your feet. Also negotiate a package to return home in the event they let you go, because you will not be able to seek employment elsewhere and you will have to leave the country very quickly. US employers for the most part can fire you for any reason other than discrimination and there is no safety net.

If they are very keen to get you on board then negotiate for a lot more but like I said it all depend upon how much they want you. If they are very keen on you asking for $10K to $20K allowance to set up a new home is not unreasonable, but if they have other options they may well balk at much of anything, You will have to judge how important you are to them and what other options they may have.

Re: Relocation Package
 

Green Card is a major issue. Get that in writing from the get-go if that is a concern. In fact, even if it isn't you might ask for it as you don't know how you'll feel in 3 years.

Relocation money should include 'setup' money--a bit of cash to buy this and that. Everytime I've moved I've had to spend as much as a few thousand pounds on, well, crap. New power outlets, a power drill, placemats, a new mop, a rental car until I buy my own car, a night or two in a hotel because the flat wasn't ready.

Re: Relocation Package
 

My husband, who has 15 years of experience but isn't in a hugely senior role, was originally offered $5k relocation allowance, which is the company's standard relocation package. They then came back and said since this was an international relocation, they would offer $15k. It was a very nice gesture on their part. Note that he did not need a visa, though.

It was $15k before taxes (so would be taxed; you could ask that they cover the taxes, making it maybe 1/3 more). We submitted receipts after the move and they reimbursed him via his paycheck. It was more than enough for us moving over here as a family of four. It covered a bike he bought to get around in; it covered the first couple weeks of rent since he was here a few weeks before we all moved over. It covered flights and transport. It covered the shipping of our household goods (though note we did not ship much furniture at all).

Re: Relocation Package
 

As presumably you applied for this job, what you can reasonably negotiate for is generally considered less than if your current company was transferring you and had asked you to move.
You asked similar questions in December and got similar answers: Flight over, transport of household goods, initial accommodation/rental car, lump sum for initial expenses, flight back is job goes belly up, maybe clause in contract saying company will support you in Green card application.

Re: Relocation Package
 

I hate talking money, always feel bloody cheeky. But i didnt realised i would get taxed on it, something to bear in mind when negotiating

Re: Relocation Package
 

I didnt even think about the power supply differences. Basically everything electrical i own is not suitable for use in the US.

Do you know what costs are invovled in a greencard? Ultimately my goal would to be get citizenship.

Re: Relocation Package
 

Have you already applied for the H1B and been advised that you have been selected in the lottery?

Re: Relocation Package
 

There are two parts to getting a green card through employment. Your company has to go through a process with the Department of Labor similar to what they went through to get your H-1B. That involves attorneys and application fees, and the application can be subject to audit which increases the cost and time required. The cost of that is incurred by the company (because they are legally obligated to pay for it) would be anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $10K or more, depending upon how much effort the attorneys have to put into it, whether they use in house attorneys or out of house consultants (more expensive) and whether or not the application is chosen for audit (more expense). Most use out of house specialists. Then there are costs to meet the DOL requirements to advertise the position. It is a substantial outlay and once you have your green card you are free to find employment elsewhere, that is why most companies will make you sign something that requires you to stay with them for a set period of time or pay back their costs if you leave prior to that.

If the DOL approves the application then you have to adjust your status. That does not have to be paid by the company. Costs would be in the $2,000 range for the various fees. You may want to use an attorney to help you with the application and then you have those fees as well which will depend upon the attorney you select and how much time is involved but I would budget another $2,000 +/-, a lot more if you use an expensive attorney. You can do it yourself as well which is what I did to save those fees. I did not find anything too difficult although it was time consuming chasing it through the system and the bureaucracy at least in my case was mind numbing.

Re: Relocation Package
 

You should insist that any lump sum for relocation costs is "grossed up" to cover taxes.

Re: Relocation Package
 

Hopefully i will hear at some point today

Re: Relocation Package
 

It would seem that this thread is somewhat 'putting the cart before the horse' then. You only have, at best, about a 25% chance of being selected in the lottery.

Please do come back when you have heard!

Re: Relocation Package
 

I'm also in the H-1B lottery this year, not heard for me yet but the rumour is that the likelyhood is even lower this year. Peope online are infering from their results that there was ~350,000 applications for 85,000 spaces (<25% chance). Apparently, some people have been getting many employers to put them in seperately to increase their chances...

Re: Relocation Package
 

That's less than a 19% chance.

Re: Relocation Package
 

Well just had a teams meeting to say I was successful. If the pubs were open I'd be going, going to settle for a few with the wife

Re: Relocation Package
 

Nice one! I assume this was your first try so that's pretty lucky.

Re: Relocation Package
 

Yea my first attempt. I just hope i can be there 1st October now. Can't wait

Re: Relocation Package
 

Also you should be aware that has H4, your wife will not be able to work in US (but she can live here with you).

Re: Relocation Package
 

I thought she could work whilst I had my h1b, she would have a H4 EAD visa?

Re: Relocation Package
 

No she cannot work if you have an H-1b.

..... but you had already been told this back in December: The company said H1B and that she wouldn't be able to work under that. Is their another type she could work under then?

As I understand it, at some point when you are applying for the Green Card and have been approved for the I-140 then she could apply for EAD. (and you not likely to be doing this for a few years)

Re: Relocation Package
 

Nope, the H4 EAD is only for a small subset of people stuck waiting for green cards, it wouldn't apply to you. Sadly it seems to confuse a lot of people!

Re: Relocation Package
 

Do you have an advanced US degree (which gets you a second drawing) or did you get though in the first round with a US Bachelors equivalent degree?

The new process is so much easier, no need to pay all the fees to the lawyers to put together the case till you know if you are picked.

Have you checked the compensation offered is enough for an H1b? It’s called “prevailing wage”:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/for...revailing-wage

your description of the benefits is also not very confidence inspiring... do you know what kind of healthcare they are paying 100% for? The times I have seen 100% of the monthly premium paid the plan is often not great and covers very little, and when I have seen it only 1 plan option was given. Did they say which provider e.g. United or Aetna, or BCBS, Cigna etc and if it’s a HMO, POS etc ?

the plans I have set up I would generally pay 70% of the premium for most employees and 80% for execs and them cap the total the firm would pay at say $2k a month, some of the higher costs ones were up $5k a month for a family plan.

Re: Relocation Package
 

No, unfortunately not. I am here on a H4, been here 4 months and not able to work - my wife is a professor, so on a cap exempt H1b. We are already in the processes of applying for our green card (i140 petition approved). So, I will be applying for the H4 EAD as part of this. Even with that in mind it will still be some time before that comes through, so your wife should be prepared for that because there is no way around it. Personally, I'm enjoying the break from work - I'm doing some online courses and learning Spanish (hoping these will fill out the gap in my CV a bit as well), but I know not working isn't for everyone.

Re: Relocation Package
 

Thanks for the information. I looked at various websites over the past 4 month and been getting conflicting information.

Can you get the H4 EAD as long as your wife has applied for i140? You dont have to wait until she gets her green card. I think I've read that somewhere and greencard process can take years. Sorry if i getting thinks muddled

I like youre online learning. Might be an idea for my wife.

Re: Relocation Package
 

Not applied for, but when approved - https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the...endent-spouses

HTH.

Re: Relocation Package
 

​​​​I got through the first round with 18/19 years speciality experience and qualifications. Not degree level. I am a member of the institute of mechanical engineers which is internationally recognised.

Ive looked at the prevaling wage. Not 100% sure what to do. Not degree qualified, but a lot of specialised experience. So do i put 120 month required or put qualifications as college?
​​​​​
I cant remember the name of the provider now. I have noted it down somewhere. But basically they have a primary plan with $5k deductibles, and a secondary plan which brings the primary deductibles down to $1k. In network coinsurance is 100%. So i have 2 cards to carry.

Re: Relocation Package
 

In network cover, looking at the paperwork in front of me says 100% on everything. Transplants, cancer treatment, urgent care, in / out patients etc. Any on going aftercare / rehab $25 per session

Re: Relocation Package
 

Thanks for that. Im going to have to push them to get my greencard asap then.

Re: Relocation Package
 

It might be worth starting a new thread to ask about the process and timescales in the immi section of the forum - anybody with knowledge might miss it tacked on to the end of a discussion about relocation packages.

I have a very vague recollection that there was talk of scrapping the H4 EAD thing, so that's worth checking out as well, not sure what the latest on that is.

Best of luck.

Re: Relocation Package
 

So not '100% on everything' then ;)

Do you know anyone that current works at the company in the US? Local knowledge is always a good thing, especially about this sort of topic.

What you wrote above just doesn't sound realistic. Something like a transplant could set them back $250k.

Re: Relocation Package
 

When the 1-140 is approved is when you can apply for EAD for H4 visa.
As said, getting the green card can take years.... it's all up to your employer to make the application

Re: Relocation Package
 

No experience with an H1b without a degree, assuming your future employer has done it before hopefully they have an experienced lawyer working on it.

Just to be clear, when you say you “got through the first round” it is my understanding they don’t really review anything, they check for duplicate applications and cancel them all. But my understanding is the review only happens once it’s picked, so getting picked does not mean experience or a degree etc is evaluated as sufficient yet.

On the healthcare plan, it sounds like a plan with a deductible and then something like an HSA card that covers most of the deductible. So you would have your Insurnace card and the HSA debit card. I believe that an employer can fund the HSA so if that’s the setup, that’s how the may be able to cover 100%... also check they are paying for your wife / dependents, not all employers cover everyone.

Re: Relocation Package
 

That could not be so simple, I just looked it up again and the exact wording is:

8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(iii)(C)

Re: Relocation Package
 

I can give a recent hospital bill / Healthcare example: dependent on plan and provider you may be paying 20% of every medical bill that comes in until you meet your 'out of pocket max'.
and you will still be paying monthly premiums.

our oop max was $4k (the value is dependent on plan choice) , once you have met your oop max (commonly known as excess in the U.K) the insurance MAY cover 100%. (again check for all accidents and conditions are covered), and, see what is not covered.

these are things you need to understand fully, in advance.

we pay $25 a session for 'out patient therapy' , insurance pays rest or therapy bill ($200+) per session, its common.
This is a clause in the insurance and not related to 20/80. its a set fee for therapies.
Insurance usually allows a certain number of in patient and out patient therapy treatment, we had 80 sessions allowance, for example.
which in our case, yes was / is, somehow enough sessions to date.

My wife had a 6hr spinal surgery May 27 last year while 5 months pregnant (GULP!) still chokes me, following a collapsed lower vertebrae T9 / lost ability to walk.
= $295,895 bills just from the hospital.
This bill does not count;
specially equipped ambulance ride to local hospital.
the testing at the local hospital prior to major surgery,
ambulance bills to UVA hospital.
4 weeks in a spinal rehab center.
home rehab therapy bills after.
outpatient therapy after.
doctor visits after,
back to hospital to see the surgeons periodically for CT scans & check up.

= all costs are still separate to the major hospital bill.

it's ongoing billing where therapy and check ups are concerned, on an 20/80 pay/paid basis until we meet our OOP max each year, (we are into a new billing year now) until such time that that my wife does not need to visit a care provider , essentially.

we maxed out or 2020 OOP easily, but I was prepared, and I had opted for a HSA card and saved 6k previous to the event (max HSA yearly contribution) .
our employer did / does contribute to HSA each year, its currently $375/qtr (i'll take it!).

This is the lucky part.. I had changed my OOP max in favor of slightly higher premiums earlier last year because we knew we were having a baby, so i opted for the plan with the least total outlay including premiums & OOP max. (sum of the two). i knew i was going to max it that year, so we adjusted the CDHP to a PP0 750 earlier, its just we did not expect the spinal issue.

it was covered either policy, but be we laid out less, and we had prepared the HSA, and understood all.

slight tangent (apologies) and definitely worth mentioning, some HSA accounts allow you to invest your 'tax free' HSA funds into stock market :-) and if the fund increases above the 6k/yr contribution limit, is not taxable. A riskier option, but an option, and worth considering for retirement health costs.

the Surgeons, and teams, and care was amazing / is very good.

however, naturally I would not wish that you had such an event, and know that the billing system, receiving bills and EOB's a year late, is atrocious.

the post is about relocation, medical should be examined rigorously.

HTH.

Re: Relocation Package
 

Winning the right to be considered is a step in the tight direction. No doubt I/we will have other hurdles to over come. This is one of the reasons i registered with the IMechE to be more recognised. Hopefully the lawyers know what they are doing, my friend has done it with them, but he has a degree and works in a field different to me. Hopefully my 18/19 years specialised experience will be enough.i Iknow 3 years work experience is counted to 1 year degree. I've worked for 1 of the only 2 companies in the world that provide this machinery. And you all use it pretty much everyday.

yea my wife deductibles are double mine, but coverage is the same.

Re: Relocation Package
 

$295,895, wow scary numbers. We are lucky to have the NHS. Im glad it all worked out for you and your partner.
​​​
I think i need to check all the small print what is and isnt included. Seems to give limited information at present. All so confusing health insurance in the us

Re: Relocation Package
 

understand & prep, it is not all bad. thanks, Wife & 6 month old all good :-) , and me.

Re: Relocation Package
 

Yes being picked is the first step, and assuming the employer knows what they are doing, you would think they would not make an offer or apply unless it was likely to be approved.

I can’t think of many companies that have a duopoly in manufacturing beyond maybe aviation (which not every one uses everyday) and maybe some specialized RF chip manufacturing which would go in to cell phones....Your username had me guessing primate husbandry or adult entertainment.... lol

Good luck with the visa and negotiating your relocation package! Don’t forget Americans are not as reserved about asking for things and negotiating..