Moving stateside

[2beautifulgirls]

Me (uk citizen, DH (US citizen) and our 2 DD are moving Stateside in approx 12 months.
We started the Visa process in January as were initially going to move before September this year as DH visa expires and need to pay £750 to renew. We then sat back and thought about it and decided to get his visa and citizenship here in the UK before moving to the US made more sense. We are also waiting for the court to look at DD1 adoption order for my husband and for that to get approved before can move.
So we have just been approved the 1st stage of the visa process, just now have to have the medicals and collect further information before we have the interviews.
It is all getting so exciting and nerve wracking at the same time.
We are moving to Portland, Oregon initially , staying with DH parents until we find our own place and get established.
What i really wanted to ask was about schools and any general information anyone has about, moving to the US, Oregon or internationally?
DD1 will be 4 this July and starting school this September in the UK. Would she be eligible to start school in the US September 2009 when she will have turned 5 in the July? How do i investigate schools in the area and what i am looking for performance wise? When would i have to make her application to attend the school?

So many questions, worries and planning to do???

[2beautifulgirls]

..

[MizZan]

Hi - we did a similar move last summer (and are now moving back to the UK, though don't let that deter you) and we're also a dual US-UK couple. Like you we stayed in the UK till I could get my citizenship.

Your dd should definitely be eligible to start Kindergarten in public school in Oregon if she's 5 before the school year starts. It is hard to research schools in the US as there isn't the kind of comprehensive rating and assessment system that OFSTED does in the UK. We don't live in Oregon but I imagine you would want to search on the website of the Dept of Education for either the city or the state to see if you can get some info about schools and catchment areas. Unlike the UK, you are normally guaranteed a place in a school if you live in that school's catchment area, and that is true even if you turn up on their doorstep on Sept. 1. So application dates is probably not something you need to worry about unless you wanted to do private school.

Also trawl around the Net for mums chat groups/boards for Portland. That is usually a good place to get some feedback on schools.

GL! Hope your ILs are more supportive than my family have been

[2beautifulgirls]

thanks MizZan.
Sorry things haven't worked out for you in the US.
Any other tips you have would be great.
There just seems so much to take in, organise and sort out. I know it is still a long way off but i will come around quickly and i like to be super organised!

[dodgykeeper]

Hi there!
We moved to Ohio last year with our two dcs (we are all british). With regards to schools, there is a website that ranks all the schools in the us on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being excellent. I cant remember what the site is at the moment but Ill have a think. Schooling is strictly by catchment area so it is v important to check this out before you buy/rent anywhere. Once you have an address appling to the schools is very simple and quick. We arrived here on a Wed, filled out forms on the Thurs and dd started school on the Monday. If you are in UK when your dd is due to start school I would recommend sending her. It helps them learn to make new friends and adjust to change and it also gives you some much-needed time to sort all the last minute stuff. Preschool here is not free or funded in any way but almost everyone sends their kids. A good preschool will be more like reception/primary 1 than a nursery; my ds gets reading books and basic homework.
A big thing to start thinking about is vaccines. The requirements are different here particularly hepB and chicken pox. The hepB is a course of injections so you need to start six months in advance if poss. Some school districts are very strict while others are more understanding but if you have the time its better to get it done.
Your dd may be given a screening appointment - this is totally normal before starting kindergarten. They are just trying to gauge the level the kids are starting at.They can recommend a child is kept back a year because they are not ready but legally they have to take them if the parents want to send them. Also worth saying that kindergarten is often only a few hours a day - a big shock when you're used to them being gone most of the day!
Ill try and remember that site for you!

[MKG]

I'm sorry this is so long.

2beautifulgirls--I'm American born and raised and have to agree about the school. Definitely look into areas first, is there anyway one of you could come and do school visits before you move? It all depends one town could have a blue ribbon school (the best there is) and the other's could be abbott schools (the government has taken control) so really do your homework, and most would welcome a visit if you are deciding on a specific neighborhood.

As far as Portland goes, I here it's beautiful but can get cold with the Northwest winds even in the summer. I know someone that bought sweatshirts for her kids to wear at the beach.

Most school cutoff for age are that the child must be 5 before the middle of October although the date varies, and they are very strict. My niece missed hers by a day and they wouldn't let her in, but if your dd is in July she will have no problems.

You don't have to apply, you just register. It's done by where you live, so once you pick your neighborhood you find out which school it is (again do your homework) and you register. Definitely bring in any materials from her current school, but for kindergarden they would probably have her do an evaluation anyway. Most schools require them for incoming kindergardners.

Schools here are funded by tax dollars so the reality is that where the most expensive houses are, the better schools are there. The better teachers are usually there because they'll get paid more etc, etc. It isn't true for everywhere but where I live in NJ the school in my town is a blue ribbon school and literally 5 minutes down the road the school is falling apart.

Hope this helps

[UnderRated]

at Portland, Oregon.

[2beautifulgirls]

Thanks for the advice Dodgykeeper and MKG

Definately helped me gain a little insight into the school system.

Why UnderRated

Any other advice anyone has in general about making the move as smooth as possible for me and the children would be greatly appreciated.

As i say, we will be living with the IL until we have got established, from my understanding and research they live in quite a nice area just a little out of portland towards mount hood.

One more question for you all, i am really nervous about driving over there, i have been driving for 9 years here, but i had a major car crash last year which has really shaken me up. Try not to drive unless i have to here and hate driving on the motorway now
How much different is driving in the US and how is the test?

[SummatAndNowt]

The test was ridiculously easy where I lived. I went from non-driver -> 4 hours of lessons in two weeks -> pass test (15 multiple choice and a drive around the block). But probably harder in a bigger city!

If you're not in these places already:

britishexpats.com/forum/ has a wealth of info on it in archives, I would say it can be a bit cutting, but if you can handle mumsnet you can handle anything ;)

forum.diveintoamerica.com/ is a slow place but very suited to UK/US couples with regards to visa info.

[UnderRated]

Portland is lovely.

Driving in the US is ok - it varies a lot from area to area. It takes a bit of getting used to but it's not too terrible.

[UnderRated]

US thread - come join us

The highways are appalling here too. As are the other drivers. There are rules of the road but it's really a free-for-all. And the trucks are big. I do not have SatNav.

[suedonim]

Good luck with the test, Califrau! Ds said it was easy-peasy. Which satnav do you have? We're planning on coming to SF this summer (a year later than intended....) and want to hire a car with satnav. Some folks on the Longhaul threads wouldn't recommend NeverLost - do you have an opinion?

[ScienceTeacher]

The problem is definitely the other drivers, lol. The roads, apart from potholes, are fine, and parking spaces are humungous.

Traffic lights are a pest.

You need to check out your state's driving regulations. Typically, you get about a month to get a license. The driving test is easy (it's a stop-sign test), and you can gen up on the theory test before you even move there.

[ScienceTeacher]

Sue,
We took our Tom Tom to New England last summer and it never let us down, even in Boston.

[suedonim]

We don't have our own satnav, Scienceteacher, as we live in Nigeria atm, that's why we're looking at hiring in the US.

[dodgykeeper]

I was terrified driving the first few weeks I was here but that was more to do with having an automatic for the first time and not knowing my way around. Drivers are def. less courteous - no thank you waves or letting people into a lane. You can actually drive for a year on your uk licence although insurance can be much more expensive. I am planning to do my practical test in the summer but dh has done it and it was very simple; drive round the block, drive forward to a stop sign then reverse back. The theory was really easy too. Ohio puts example questions on their website and all ten example questions were in the test.

[ScienceTeacher]

You can't drive for a year if you are are living there.

The year rule is for tourists (it's an international thing).

If you have moved to the US to live, then you need to get a license within the time limits for each state. Even if you are on a non-immigrant visa, such as a K1, your intention is to live there (by setting up home, enrolling children in schools etc), so you need a proper license.

A lot of people think they can cheat the system by saying they are non-resident until they get paperwork from the BCIS, but it is a false economy. They will be paying through the nose for insurance, and if they ever need to make a claim, the won't benefit because the insurance company will decide that they are resident. They will also make it difficult for themselves wrt having a photo ID. The DL is a license to live, not a license to drive.

The state rules are actually very clear. If you are setting up home, you need to get your license within 2 weeks/one month/three months depending on the individual state.

It doesn't even get easier to wait. Best thing is to get it over and done with.

[ScienceTeacher]

You can't drive for a year if you are are living there.

The year rule is for tourists (it's an international thing).

If you have moved to the US to live, then you need to get a license within the time limits for each state. Even if you are on a non-immigrant visa, such as a K1, your intention is to live there (by setting up home, enrolling children in schools etc), so you need a proper license.

A lot of people think they can cheat the system by saying they are non-resident until they get paperwork from the BCIS, but it is a false economy. They will be paying through the nose for insurance, and if they ever need to make a claim, the won't benefit because the insurance company will decide that they are resident. They will also make it difficult for themselves wrt having a photo ID. The DL is a license to live, not a license to drive.

The state rules are actually very clear. If you are setting up home, you need to get your license within 2 weeks/one month/three months depending on the individual state.

It doesn't even get easier to wait. Best thing is to get it over and done with.