Where to start?!
 

Hi everyone!
My husband has made no secret of his wanting to move to the states - told me on our first date 10 years ago. At the time it never looked like a possibility but since then his career has changed direction and currently we have an offer of employment which includes a stateside move within the next year and half! Eeek!
We've toyed with a New England state and more recently considered Florida (nearer the coast than Orlando).
I'm now in a frenzy of trying to decide which part of the humongous country to move our family too! (We can chose any state with the relocation package). What happens with registering for schools? I have a 6yr, 4yr and 8 months old. What about my dog? Would she cope in the heat of Florida if we went there? Would I cope with the harsh winters of the north?
It's all exciting yet scary at the same time!
Sorry for all my waffle and I'm currently searching this forum for hints and tips.
C X x

Re: Where to start?!
 

Where to start? ..... Tell us a little more about the job and the visa - specifically, has he been offered a new job, or a transfer with his existing employer?

If he has been offered a new job, is the employer applying for a visa for him, or has he been told that he needs to arrange a visa for himself?

If it is a new job and the employer is going to apply for a visa, has he been told what type of visa (the specific letter-number combination of the visa) they are going to apply for?

Without a visa much other planning or discussion is largely irrelevant, and without the information above much of what anyone here on BE says is going to be not much more than guesswork.

FYI We see a number people come here to BE each year, all excited about planning their move to the US, only to discover that despite the "job offer", they have absolutely no route to a visa, and their excitement and planning was premature.

Re: Where to start?!
 

Hi

He's been offered a new job but will be required to work in Dubai at first (around 6 months I think) and then transferred to the US. L1 visa? I think I've heard him mention.
I know I can't "plan" much at the moment but it's more of looking and finding out as much info as possible so when the time comes I feel more ready (well as I can be!) and more clued up!

Excuse my ignorance but I thought I'd best try and grab as much info as possible as early as possible really. It took me a year of reserch before I brought my dog! And that didn't change my life too much in grand scheme of things compared to this! � ����
Cx

Re: Where to start?!
 

OK, that's a workable plan, more or less. He will have to work for the company outside the US for a minimum of 12 months plus any time he spends in the US. So if he visits the US for 4 weeks during his first year, he would only potentially qualify for an L-1x (x= A or B) about 13 months after he started working for the company.

Sorry to have such basic questions, but now you have explained a viable route to the US you are likely to get a lot more advice and information. We get quite a few dreamers coming to BE who want to plan the minutiae of a move to the US without having a hope in hëłł of getting a visa.

I think you may find this recent thread useful, both for the information contains AND the sorts of questions to ask. :)

Re: Where to start?!
 

Does that mean that your husband will be working from home? Will he have to travel around the country? To any specific places? Just trying to narrow it down by seeing if he needs to be handy for anywhere in particular.

You say that he has always wanted to move to the US -- was there a particular feature of the country that triggered this? Did he want to ride horses in the Midwest, ski in the Rockies, spent hours in art museums in NYC or LA, enjoy water sports year-round in the south? Or was this just a vague vision of the country as a whole? It is very hard to suggest one place out of this massive country when everyone's likes and dislikes are so different -- I wouldn't consider moving somewhere just because someone on a forum suggested it!

Re: Where to start?!
 

Like the above poster said, you have to decide what is important to you. I would consider Florida ONLY if year round warm weather was at the top of your list. Constant summer gets old, even here in Tennessee I am usually glad when cold weather comes and get a break from the very hot summers. Another important point is big city or more rural setting. An hour drive from a big city is as close as I want to be but others want downtown highrise. Overall I would suggest picking a place and renting for the first year or two while you explore the rest of the country looking for that perfect spot. Pay close attention to local taxes, like property, sales, and state income tax. In Tennessee we have low property, no income tax but a very high 9.5 percent sales tax. Overall fairly low taxes, and I like the climate with long summers, nice spring and fall with a short mild winter. I run as a hobby and have noted that I can run in shorts and Tee shirt at least one day every month of the year. You really couldn't go wrong starting out in Tennessee.

Re: Where to start?!
 

Yes, Tennessee is one of the few remaining US states that do not impose a state tax on income. You still have to pay income tax, however, on the federal level. A lack of state income tax in any of those states means a higher real property tax and retail tax.

Frankly, having family who live in Florida, I can say it is a lovely state with lots to do outside in the cooler months and if you enjoy very, very hot weather and high humidity four months out of the year, then it is the state for you. But it too, is a state that does not impose a state tax on your income and therefore your property and retail taxes are higher. Also Florida is NOT noted for having a very good school reputation. As parents of very young children, this is something you should certainly pay attention to.

IOMO, but why would you want to live somewhere that you have never even visited? This is a life changing move and to go into it blind with a young family can spell disaster.

Some states you have not mentioned that have coastal cities are also great places to live as a family and offer good schooling, variances of weather with the changes being 180 and they would be North or South Carolina, Georgia or the Gulf state of Texas.

Re: Where to start?!
 

Hi and thank you for your replies X

Yes my hubby will be able to work from home. The companies main HO is in Minnesota but I can't see me enjoying the winters (I hate snow with a passion!). The warm climate of Florida "sounds" nice but I know it would get boring very quickly (I remember asking an old work colleague why she came back from Oz and she said 'sun gets very boring and after 10 years I missed the winter').
I too enjoy running and hadn't really thought that it would be too hot to run outdoors in Florida?! As a full time mummy I need the escapism! Hahah!
We woulfny want to be in a city centre or too far out in the sticks. We currently live in Derby so not too fast pace lifestyle. As long as we are close to an international airport (an hours drive max).
We would defo want to rent to begin with but obviously with school age kiddies Id hate to keep moving round so I would like to try and get the area pretty much ok to begin with - rose tinted glasses I know!

Re: Where to start?!
 

I will tell from experience, having to take two or more flights to reach your final destination sucks big time. In South Carolina you have Charlotte which is a hub airport. Georgia has Atlanta which is a hub as well. Texas has Dallas.

Re: Where to start?!
 

Have you looked into coastal California? In the north you'll get amazing summers and mild winters. In the south it's year round perfect weather with a bit of a chill around xmas (and not horrifically humid like Florida will be).

I moved to SoCal and thought I'd miss the rain too but I very, very quickly got used to never having to prepare 2 or 3 outfits and to always being able to be outside. Your dog will adapt to whatever climate its put in as long as it has plenty of water and a shady spot to lie in.

Re: Where to start?!
 

I wouldn't run at mid day but I see plenty of people running early morning or evening. I tend to do long walks in the evening and swim at lunch time if I get the chance. Florida in general does have a bad reputation for schools but I actually find the elementary schools here in Bradenton better than the ones we used in the UK.

Re: Where to start?!
 

Definitely need to narrow it down at least a little bit first :D It's such an enormous country and there are such huge variations in terms of climate, topography, politics and so many other things... it just depends entirely on what's important to you and your family. Personally I wouldn't touch Florida with a barge pole, because I cannot bear high humidity and I like to have proper seasons, but some people love it. Horses for courses!

This may sound a little frivolous, but why not try doing some of the online quizzes? If you did a few and kept getting the same answers, it might help you narrow it down somewhat. Just google 'which state should I live in' and you'll get a bunch of results.

Re: Where to start?!
 

Charlotte is in North Carolina not South Carolina. School statewide are very poor in national ranking-- it is usually SC or Mississippi that is 50th in ranking each year. Best of luck to you wherever you settle. ☺