Hi all,

First of all, thanks for all of the help with my visa.

I have now got my spouse visa and have been to the US house hunting and been through Homeland Security and I'm officially an LPR I'll be making the permanent move in 2 weeks and I know I need to apply for social security and will schedule an appointment as soon as I'm in my accommodation but what do I need to do now both UK & US sides?

Do I need to inform HMRC?
How do I apply for a driving license (South Carolina if that makes a difference)?
anything else?

Thanks again

Derek

Out of idle curiosity, what did you not take care of the social security on your first trip to the States after obtaining your immigrant visa? Was that trip in the nature of what is called a “flagpole” trip?

Hi,

I was only there for a week, I flew into Detroit with my partner to visit family and couldn't get an appointment there until December 3rd, I did try when I was in South Carolina but unfortunately didn't realise that they couldn't post out of state so didn't have an address. The trip was only a short one to find a a home after narrowing down to about 10 on Zillow, we have now signed for one of them and have a rental lined up until the sale completes (held up UK side ) however I'm now back in the UK and sorting the flight out for my dog along with my permanent move. the social security office appointments are MUCH quicker in SC so I'll do that as soon as I get there.

just to add to the initial post, I believe I have paid into the NI for 35 full years and 2 part years

Most states have a very similar process for obtaining a drivers license, and for staters you can't just swap your UK licence for a local one. You will likely have to do [1] a "written test" (on a computer), and so you should download and read the SC DMV manual (local equivalent to the "Highway Code"), just Google <SC DMV>, and particularly focus on the rules for driving around school buses (when to stop for them) and rules against drink driving, as both seem to be favorite topics for the written test (generally speaking, I did my test in New York, and you only ever do the test once. If you ever move to another state you can swap any state license for another one with minimal formalities). Other things which have rules that you likely aren't familar with include railroad crossings and warning signs, which are various shapes, but always yellow - a round one is for a railroad crossing, a house-shaped one is for a school, and a penant is a no-passing zone (also marked with solid center lines on the road).

Oh, and [2] you will have to take a road test. It will probably take around 10 minutes, and you could likely pass it blindfold, and with one hand tied behind your back! Seriously, so long as you don't actually kill anyone, or even worse, pass a stopped school bus, you will pass .... there is a reason why US driving standards are so terrible.

Thanks for that, I'll download the manual now.

Are you sure you're not being sent the SSN automatically? There's a box you could have ticked on the DS-260 for that to happen, and it then usually comes about 10 days after you enter the US on your immigrant visa which saves you having to go to a SSA office and apply in person.

And yes, advise HMRC, file a P85.

Are you planning on working? With "35 full years and 2 part years" of NI, you are obviously in the later years of your career, but you should be aware that, like the UK, unless you have paid in to SS for ten years (actually "40 quarters", of which, more in a moment), you won't be eligible for any SS payments when you retire, so if you only work a few years (less than ten), the SS contributions which are mandatory, will be effectively just another tax for you (deducted from your pay with no corresponding benefit to you). Also SS is still deducted from your pay if you work beyond retirement age (unlike the UK).

The 40 quarters can be earned more quickly than at the strict rate of one quarter every three months. I don't recall the current numbers, but if you earn enough in a calendar year you can earn a full four quarters of SS eligibility in just one quarter of employment, an indeed not even a full quarter. I came to the US in mnovember 2001, and started work on November 12. By December 31 I had already earned four quarters of SS eligibility. In 2002 I continued in my job until the end of June, before leaving and not working again until 2003, but by the end of June I had earned another four quarters of SS eligibility. So I had accumulated eight quarters of SS eligibility with just 33 weeks of work.

Oh, and as you "believe I have paid into the NI for 35 full years and 2 part years", you should request a statement showing your actual position; you can make the request now, or after you arrive in the US. If your belief is correct then you are fully paid up and good to go, but if you turn out to be a few years short, which, even though you have apparently paid NI for over 35 years, is still possible if you were contracted out of SERPs for a period, you can make payments to bring your total up to 35 years to qualifiy for a "full state pension". If you request and qualify for the Class 2 rate, the cost to buy a year of contributions is peanuts and the decision is a complete no-brainer.

And if so, the OP should be aware that 40 SS credits are also required for Medicare eligibility, although one can also qualify after 5 years residency as an LPR, though the catch with that is that one needs to pay for Medicare parts A and B (part A is free with 40+ SS credits). If coming in as someone not far from retirement, I hope the OP fully understands all the nuances of medical insurance.

Yes I'm 52 and will be working from the day I arrive, I have started a role recently that is letting me continue in their US side of the business.




I did read about getting the 4 quarters earlier, I'll look into the numbers.

Thanks will call and request a statement now, the online portal suggests I've been in a contracted-out pension scheme so will check. - just called them and they've confirmed I'm fully paid up

Thanks for this, I've just checked my DS-260 and I had selected for one to be sent out.. also looking at the P85 form

Thank you, that's a good point, though as I arrived many years ahead of retirement, getting 40 quarters was never a concern for me, but yes, I also hope he is aware of the implications of arriving in the later stages of your career, and (presumably) planning to retire here.

I recall some years ago reading that good retirement planning called for having $250k saved and earmarked for medical expenses during your retirement, though I don't recall if that was per person or for a couple. Obviously few people retire with such a cash pile, but that means that careful planning of your various Medicare options is important, especially as basic Medicare coverage includes the unpleasant catch, that unlike pre-retirement medical insurance plans, there is no out-of-pocket maximum!
What address (where, not specific on the public forum, of course) did you give? It is required to be in the US.

I'm expecting to be working for closer to 15 years before retirement so hopefully all good.

My current employment offers healthcare as part of the package so will be covered from when I land

I'm assuming it will go to the same address that I used for the permanent address where my green card will be mailed too (there wasn't a specific question about SSC), if so then yes it's my in-laws in Michigan.

Thanks again

Derek

I strongly suggest that you register for an HMRC account, if you have not done so already. https://www.gov.uk/log-in-register-hmrc-online-services

Several people here have had difficulty registering but it should be good from within the UK and when the security information they ask for is fresh in your mind or easily accessible.

Good luck with your move.

Ah, perfect. You shouldn't need to do anything then, it should just come via mail fairly soon. Ours took 8 days from entry to arrive.