BunnyGirl

Following on from Hoffage's thread (didn't want to hijack) - when did people tell their work they were moving to the US?

I was doing some contract work with the NHS that ended in October last year, tried to find more contract work but could only find a permanent role. Not knowing how long our K1 process would take, I took the job as I need to work.

I didn't tell them at the interview that I was planning on moving to the US as I didn't want to jeopardise anything. Now it looks like our I-129F will be approved in the next few weeks and I'm not sure when to tell them that I'm going, what did everyone else do? Just work their notice or give them a bit of warning?

rebs

I moved to the US on my husband's L1 visa rather than a marriage visa. I told my employer when we had the visas in our passports, which was about 3 months before we moved. At that point I verbally told my boss the situation and then put my written notice in once we had done our house hunting trip, which was a month before we moved.

Obviously my husband's employer knew about the process the whole way through

Guindalf

I didn't have this problem as I was made redundant long before everything was approved and spent the last eight months before I moved delivering chinese food!

However, I would wait until you have a date and give the required notice at that point or you risk them saying "go now!" and you're screwed. Two things can happen at that point. Either they let you go without working your notice or they will make you work until the end. Either way you get paid.

Speedwell

Give them a couple weeks (or the length of time specified in your hiring documentation). But don't tell them a thing until your paperwork is fully approved and you have made your arrangements to travel. You don't know what delays might happen even this late in the process, or what will happen in immigration interviews (though you are overwhelmingly likely to be approved in good order).

BunnyGirl

See, this is what my fiance says! My boss keeps talking about projects for next year that he wants me to help with (so of course I have to agree) and I guess there's just a part of me inside saying 'but you're LYING!'

Speedwell

You're not lying, you're telling him what you intend to do until your arrangements are made and you are ready to act on them. You'd hardly tell him you're trying for a baby until you actually get pregnant, right? You wouldn't tell him you'd been looking for another, better job before you actually landed one, right?

Does that seem harsh or improper? It's just the way we do business here. No US employer will hold it against you that you gave a minimal notice period so long as you didn't just F off without any notice or violate your hiring agreement. When they hire you, they expect that you could leave unexpectedly and they build that into their policies and practices. (It can be even harsher; Texas is a "right to work" state, which means you are not legally obligated to give any notice, and they are not legally obligated to give you any severance period if they fire you, either.) Just adhere to your contractual agreement and make sure that you keep your work in an organized state so you can hand it off in an orderly way when you go. That will keep them as happy as possible and increase your chances of a good reference (you can always ask for a letter of reference as well, why not?).

My husband and I want to move "back home" in a year or two. My boss is talking to me about projects and plans that far out. Am I lying by agreeing to work on them and even making plans with her? No! I don't know what our plans are until they're set in stone! The plans we're making at work are no more solid at this point than our plans to move. For all I know, I could finally get that transfer they promised and still work for her!

Pulaski

This. I wouldn't give them more than a couple of days more than your contractual notice period. There is absolutely no benefit to you to giving more notice, and often a lot of downside risk.

hoffage123

I agree with Speedwell if your employer is the kind that is likely to take grudges, then give them the minimum notice possible. You can always say 'it has just recently been approved' (be vague).

I gave my employer loads of notice because it is a public sector organisation, and I get on very well with my line-manager; they've known of my wanting to leave the company for a while (as my current job is not in the field I am trained in, the job I actually want is to work full-time as a journalist). So that was a slightly different scenario. But you can bet if it had been the kind of employer that could just fire me, I would have been more cautious.

Hoffage

Mr Weeze

View it as the position you are in rather than you. So if the person in the job role you are in would be involved in the projects, there is still value to planning like that.

BunnyGirl

That's true. They'll definitely replace me when I go, I'm already snowed under and they're talking about employing another project manager as well.

I don't think they'll be too difficult (I work for a charity with c. 4k employees so there's a big HR department etc.) I guess I just don't like feeling like I'm letting people down!

Ok, good point! And, btw, I'm moving to TX But the whole 'right to work' does sound quite scary to a Brit who's worked predominantly in public sector for the last 15 years!

Speedwell

Hmm, I'm working in the PMO for a large international corporation. Wanna trade?

hoffage123

I'm an 8 year public sector bod too ... I have joked that I may have become institutionalised like the Shawshank Redemption movie with Tim Burton ...

"I don't know if I can make it on the outside now, Andy. I'm an institutional man now"

I am moving to NY State - one of the aforementioned 'at-will' states. Aaargh lol

Hoffage

BunnyGirl

Sounds good, count me in

You'd love it here, our kitchen's even called the 'Tea Point'

Guindalf

No, that was Tim Robbins. Tim Burton directed Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride nd many other movies, often featuring Johnny Depp!

BunnyGirl

Yep, that's me!