Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Hi Everyone. ;)

Is a life in the USA still a dream worth pursuing or is it a bad idea now?

With various cutbacks in spending (health, education, etc) is it worth it?

I'm looking to emigrate to the US on an EB-5 visa in a few years as admittedly, the US is where I would prefer to have my children born and raised as I believe they would have more opportunities.

But......? :blink:

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

more opportunities to do what?

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

More opportunities to pursue their dreams, ambitions. To make the most of a better (?) education system in a society seen as "I can" rather than "Can I?"

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

total bollocks.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

So I take it the US is screwed and I should think again. LOL!

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

not at all.

but basically using your kids as an excuse because YOU want to live in the USA is lame at best I think.

If your kids want to live anywhere in the world it is your job to teach them to strive and graft for what they want.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

At the moment I have no children. I'm single and an only child with no surviving family and I'm not married. My reason for moving to the US IS for my children (future children). I'm an entrepreneur by nature and I see the US as a more entrepreneurial society with a positive attitude as compared to the UK's negative 'put down' attitude that I have experienced far too much of. I just see the US as the better of the two.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

All things can change in a few years, right now, difficult choice to make as you do read the news, and watch the telly??

Never ever take what is said to you on here to heart, that gets you nowhere
and have a good look around the search engine at the top of page, research.

Many states differ to what you may be looking for, I think its worth what I am doing to emigrate to the states hopefully 2011, maybe things will be the same, maybe not...who knows:confused:
With opportunities, come costs, like everything, look at this from all angles to make sure its for you;)

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Then with that, you have nothing to loose, and I agree with the "put down" culture here, your here once only, do it and see what you can make of it:thumbup:

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Your kids would have a good oppertunity to work at McDonalds or Wendys :rofl:

bad health care, bad social security, bad employment prospects, bad workers rights .... need I go on ?

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Just as easy to be able to work at McDonald's or Argo's in the UK. It depends on the kid and how he's raised.....

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

I'd say with 4 weeks paid vacation and not having to worry about going to the hospital it is easier to work for them in the UK.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Hospital side, definitely.... 4 weeks.....not too much. If you're not making that much money and you have to book your holidays in advance, what good is 4 weeks? I suppose that you have them, which is nice. :)

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

it is such a chore booking holidays in advance isn't it?

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

I don't always know where I want to go a year in advance. I might have some idea....but who knows. Plus things come up, its nice to have the freedom to book time off in shorter time frame. I suppose if you say, well I want two weeks off in July, then you've got it booked. Of course when July rolls around and you don't have a vacation booked, you just enjoy those two weeks off at home. :)

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Life isn't roses at all here. I can't wait to leave the country, and by the way, don't make climate the #1 reason for you to move out of the UK. You have better worker's rights, healthcare, and good vacation time to boot. Why throw all that away to live here?

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

:confused:

I never booked my holidays a year in advance in the UK.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Having to book your time off a year in advance? WTF are you talking about?

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Me neither, we always did the cheapy last minute deals for holidays in UK.
I agree no worry about medical in UK and much better paid vacation time off. Dh worked 18 years in the boat business (Amazing what he'd do so he can race about on boats that cost more than our house, but he loved boats), all vacation had to be taken when the shop closed for Christmas an new year, so we never had a summer holiday in 18 years :( and as the years went by they reduced his medical cover, due to rising costs, till he had to leave and go work somewhere else just for the medical cover and retirement, so now he's on year 5 of mind numbing boredom.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

I'm a newbie here, but thought I'd put in my 2 cents.......I was brought up abroad as a kiddie and ended up back in the UK to do higher & further education and hated living there as it seemed so expensive and depressing than other countries. Then finally got my dream to move to the states and lived in Northern Cal for 7 years and realized the states is not all it's cracked up to be. Even moving to PA isn't great, but it beats N Cal!!!

Every country has it's ups & downs. US is definitely cheaper to live and a better standard of living than the UK, but it doesn't have the culture or history. It doesn't have free healthcare, workers rights and a lot of things are more complicated.....taxes etc. But, we have cheap flights, cheap housing, cheap cars. It's all a trade off as far as I'm concerned.

I guess the grass is always greener. Just keep the Cadbury's choccie coming ... can't beat a good old whinge with a fellow Brit though!

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

I know a woman who spent years mucking out stalls at the veterinary schools' animal pens just so the family would have health care cover...

This is an intelligent woman without any formal qualifications, who could potentially have pursued any number of professional avenues, but since her husband ran his own small business, she did what she had to do.

In the end the university took pity on her and transferred her to a mind-numbing desk job.

Land of opportunity or what... :unsure:

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

neither does the UK.


Yours Pedantically.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

I beg to differ. I know the UK taxes allegedly cover UK "free" healthcare, but you have to compare it to the ridiculously expensive US healthcare and insurance here.

Overall I pay the same taxes & deductions from my salary here that I paid in the UK, but here I pay out of pocket for healthcare (even with good insurance) and back in the UK all I would have paid is for prescriptions. Here, I am also concerned that any prescriptions written and procedures ordered are because my doctor is being a back-hander by the drug companies and hospitals.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

differ all you want.

but generally when I "pay for" something, then I regard it as "not free"

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

:rofl:

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

That has to be the most bizarre justification ever for shorter vacation time :confused::confused:

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

YMMV, of course, but as a generalisation I would dispute this.

Unless you're just talking about accumulating tons of WalMart crap and the like, and living in a large house made of sticks but benefiting from a 2-car garage.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

I would, too, but I live in one of the most expensive parts.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Well....I'm always up for a challenge!

I've had it all, lost it all, been homeless, and started again from nothing, so I don't think there's much that the US can throw at me that will cause any great damage (except healthcare costs).

I AM prepared (mentally) for an eventual move to the US. Plenty of homework and research will be done so that I can 'integrate' successfully in my community :blink:

Anyway, it's an adventure, and I've had plenty of those!

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Both my mil and my husband's aunt have and have done it for years. My husband's aunt works for Tescos, she was not allowed to take time off for our wedding, 10 years ago because it wasn't already booked. My mil is a nurse, her holidays have to be booked a year in advance, it has been that way since I've known her, 12 years now.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Best way to approach it, you'll do well with that in mind. ;):)

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

A BBC TV North American Editor by the name of Justin Webb states:

" I think there is a kind of lazy assumption that America is like Britain, only slightly bigger. And when it turns out not to be we get annoyed with [Americans]. I think if you take America to be a truly foreign country – which it is, and hugely different culturally – and respect its right to be different and enjoy looking at the differences (and don't get so upset about them), then I think you can really enjoy America and Americans."
:)

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

I think for the housing, yes, the majority of houses in the US are not brick built, hence the cheapness. But that doesn't take away from the fact that you can get a house with more facilities (yes, like the 2/3 car garage etc) for less than in the UK, dependent on the area of course.

As I said, both countries have their good bits & bad bits. You just have to try to take advantage of the good bits where you can. And you also have to bear in mind that many of the old views of the US aren't true today...but then again, many of the things that made UK so great years ago no longer exist. Half a dozen of one & 6 of another.

For the time being I'd rather live here......whether that statement is true in 5 years time is another matter. If I'd been aware (my own fault) of a lot of things that only transpired before we moved to the states, I don't think I would have come, we would have moved somewhere else in europe instead. But then again, the beauty of hindsight is that it's 20/20. And then again, I wouldn't have experienced what I have for the past 7 years :)

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

I've seen this frequently, especially in certain sectors that need to keep key/all parts of the business running. When a minimum amount of personnel are required, there are going to be people having vacation requests rejected when that minimum number is reached.

One manufacturing company I worked for released it's vacation calendar on Jan 1st each year and the accounts offices were total chaos for a few days with everyone trying to book their whole allocation for the year. Especailly those with children, and those that wanted time off near the holidays.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

so therefore it's the norm in the UK is it?
I never had to put up with anything like that and I think overall it's pretty unusual.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

I think it's unusual, too. Even in places where there needs to be cover, people can negotiate among themselves.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Yeah I agree, I'm 20 some miles south of you and it's not super great here. I've been to Harrisburg loads of times and I don't like the area.

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Everything's relative. I happen to have 4 weeks of vacation and my husband has five ... a far cry from what many in the US have I realize. Ironically that's better than I did when my employer was French. There's always an exception to the rule ...

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

wow what job do you have with 4 weeks vacation? :D

Re: Is the US still a dream worth pursuing?
 

Not that old chestnut again. :rolleyes: I go back to the UK often and I have never, ever heard of this.