joannon

Hello Everyone!

This is probably a bit of a ramble but here it goes..

We are due to inmegrate to the US from UK at some point this year, husbands green card is all ready to go, social security card for him sorted ect... we are sort of getting cold feet because of the situation with Trump and it's becoming increasingly difficult to explain to husbands family why we would leave the UK!

My family live out in the Chicago area and will be very supportive which is great but we are trying to arrange jobs prior to going and it's becoming clear that trying to arrange jobs before going is very difficult. My husband is a carpenter and has contacted potential job opportunities but gets no response. I'm educated to Masters level in Human Rights field but again most jobs I see would require me to be in the actual country before applying!

We have also had a baby recently and the uncertainty about healthcare in the US is a worry! We had just about gotten our heads around obamacare and now we have no idea what is going on! The vacation is a real sticking point, I've had the nicest maternity leave and have a lot of vacation time through my job in local government and going from 28 days to 10 seems to be really hard! How has everyone else found it?

I would say I am more keen to go then my husband as my family are there and I think perhaps it would be easier to develop my career in the US. My newest idea is to rent our (very small) flat in Essex and give it a go and then we have insurance policy if we want to come back? Or sell and buy something bigger in the UK to rent and then we would have a property to move back into? Obviously Brexit here has created a lot of uncertainty also which adds to more confusion. Husband is a carpenter in the South East so has plenty of work for the forceable future so giving up job security is also difficult for us both!

One of the main reasons for moving aside from family is the house prices in the UK being so high and as my husband is self employed it would feel like a big cloud over us when we want to enjoy our life rather than be worried about what will happen when the next recession hits.



I guess really I'm probably just trying to cover all bases, but anyone who has moved to US (mid west area) from the UK who can give me experiences/advice about how they found the move would be greatly welcomed! Particularly any leads on how to get jobs before we move would be awesome! Lol

Have a good day everybody � ����

morpeth

The vast majority of jobs in the US one applies for are via the internet, and yes want a US address, so use your families address there, have them buy an inexpensive Track phone or something similar- then forward it to something like Skype or Google voice so you can retrieve any messages.

There are several threads on BE giving experiences of those who have moved to USA you could look at for opinions. Will your family life be better with less time to be with family ?

london_calling

My wife and I moved to NYC a year ago for the same reasons you described. She's the USC, we were fine in London but she wanted to come back so eventually I agreed.

It took six months to know the US isn't for me but I won't look back on this time with anything other than fondness.

Your baby is young enough that it won't matter where he is for the next few months and you can rent out your flat. You and your husband may indeed hate it after a while and you come back . So what? You had an adventure and that's what life is about.

FWIW, I doubt Brexit will affect the carpentry business and neither will Trump. If you're politically engaged then the next 4 years could be depressing. The Christian Right is in full swing at the moment (eg defunding Planned Parenthood) and I miss the secularism of the UK.

joannon

So you are moving back to London? How long have you been in NYC total before you moved?

I think that if we didn't try I would always have the "what if" and that can eat away at you! At the very least I think a couple years with my side of the family with the baby being small and living the lifestyle to see if we like it can't be a complete waste of time before baby needs school!

Personally the biggest draw to the UK (other then UK family) is the vacation and maternity benefits. We live in a lovely part of the UK but I love Chicago and it's always felt like home, 'my husband likes it but finds walking away from good earnings hard to do with no job sorted in the USA.

Also with Trump presidency and the political climate being why it is over there literally everyone in UK thinks we are making a huge mistake!

How did you find leaving your friends and family? Breaks my heart that one side of our family is always losing out on us and grandchild especially!

london_calling

We're moving back in May, by that point we'll have been here for a year.

Leaving friends and family wasn't too bad since it's quick and relatively cheap to fly back from NYC (like $500 r/t). I've been averaging a long weekend home every 6 weeks. I've also become much closer to my brother in law and two nieces since we moved here.

Your husband sounds like a sensible chap. Far too many dreamers think life will be just great in a new country without thinking through the consequences.

I still think it's worth a crack if your husband can easily come back to the same work. It's always better to regret something you have done, than something you haven't done.

Noorah101

Based on this alone, I would be very hesitant to move to the USA.

Rene

scrubbedexpat099

Trump is undoubtedly a factor, but it could be worse.

Sarah

Based on your posts, moving does not appear to be a wise decision. At all.

Beaverstate

Housing starts and apartments are on a strong upswing in the US, may not be a negative for a carpenter.

Beaverstate

A good carpenter can be in demand...depending on location, Chicago not so much. Many areas in the US are in the midst of a housing building mini boom. Obviously where the population is moving to is a great start, such as the west coast, southwest and gulf coast. Great lakes region...no. Many areas around there are LOSING population.

scrubbedexpat099

I assume he is a finish rather than framing carpenter, need to be aware of the demographics for carpenters in different areas.

joannon

Well I'd like to say thanks to everyone for giving me a bit of their time to lend some perspective on our situation, I guess it's also worth remembering that there are lots of people in the world who can only dream of considering a first world dilemma such as this so I must remember to be grateful for that and not worry too much! Best wishes to one and all

petitefrancaise

I had a quick look back through the threads about jobhunting from outside the USA, here is one http://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-5...-882880/page2/

there are others but will either be older than this one or in the trailer park section of the USA forum

hungryhorace

Unless you expect to be earning good incomes in the US (in excess of $150k a year) do not move, especially to a (relatively) expensive area like Chicago.

It seems like neither of you are in particularly well paid industries, and especially with having a new baby, I think you'd be *INSANE* to want to move here frankly. Stay in Essex, where whilst not the envy of the other southern regions, is a darn sight better than what you'd expect to experience here with limited income.

bewildering

You will have family to stay with, the 'Chicago area' is great, and you can always return to England. You will both get jobs eventually. Just go and enjoy yourselves for a year. Then see how things feel.

Go for at least a year. That 1st 6 months is tough as you get accustomed to the small differences.