Does anyone live in NYC? DP and I are about to move

[AllThatGlitters111]

Hi,

My DP and I (not married) are moving to NYC in December. He’s been offered a fabulous opportunity.

I will be leaving my job in the U.K. to join him - I know finding a job to sponsor me will be hard but going to try and if there is no luck after a few months then we will consider marriage (literally just for the piece of paper).

In the meantime, we will be relying on his salary to support the both of us. He will be earning $10,000 a month after tax roughly.

It sounds like a ridiculous question, but does this sound like enough to live on? Rents are insanely high there as well as just the general cost of everything.

I have been looking at areas such as Dumbo in Brooklyn, Williamsburg etc. I think Manhattan will be out of the question!

if anyone has any experience living in NYC or lives there now then I would be really grateful for any advise!

Thank you :)

If you marry then you will able to apply for your visa off the back of his visa OP. It may take several months though for your visa to be approved and issued. So if you're going to get married, you should get on and do it.

Okay, an L1 is an intra-company transfer visa. It just means your DP is being transferred from the London office to the NY office.

It’s not me, it’s my DP. I don’t have any communication with this person, I have barely seen my DP this week since he works late pretty much every evening and I have only just found out tonight because I asked him as he came in the door - he’s just checked his emails and showed me so I can see the communications and the type of visa we would be on if married vs unmarried. He literally just had confirmation of this today.

Your tone does come across as rude.

As I said, we only just recently found out that this was happening. We are both still learning and trying to work this all out. It’s a massive life change and we don’t know everything right away.

Immigration also told him that visas are going through pretty fast today - much quicker than they have done in the past. So hopefully it wouldn’t be held up too long!

We have no mortgage here, no financial ties at all so I think re tax we should be about spot on. This figure was given to him by a financial advisor at his company so hopefully should be about right!

Regardless of the visa stuff, I’ve no idea why people are saying $10K/month after tax for a couple is not enough to live on. Sure, rents are high are but $4K would get you somewhere ok. That leaves $6K/month, or $1500/week to play with. Costs will come in around the same as the UK for other bills, just cut differently, so more for telecoms, cellphone contract etc. but less for utilities. If you have a UK Amex, you’ll be able to get a US Amex Fedexed to you asap you arrive. This will help as it can be hard to get credit otherwise if you’ve newly arrived.

I didn’t catch that the 10k was estimated as after tax. I initially read that as before which would be very tight. After tax should be ok. It’s not flush, but it’s perfectly reasonable.

To give you an idea op, the 40x rule means that to be approved for a rental that costs 4k a month, he will need to have an annual salary of at least 4000*40=160,000.

As I said I believe L2 visas now automatically include the right to work without having to apply separately a process which took nine months the last time I did it, but double check with your lawyer.
You have to renew L1/2 visas every three years but could apply for a Green Card from them. Again your lawyer can advise.

The immigration system is complicated and I still don't understand it all after five years so don't stress about that too much OP.

I’ve lived in one of the Brooklyn neighborhoods you’ve listed for 15 years. Came on a L2 visa then applied for permanent residence.

$10k/mo post tax for just the two of you is fine. You’ll get something nice for that (although post-pandemic rents are crazy high unfortunately).

Practically, I think you will be fine. You have bigger issues, I think. Being the trailing spouse, getting into fashion (assuming that’s what it is) at your age here without a solid book already, your future generally. I don’t think the reality of your life - no fixed plans for/against marriage and kids, career where it is, ambivalent about moving - necessarily matches the reality of being 29 and making this life-changing decision whether it’s staying or going. I’m almost 20 years older than you and have plenty of mom friends who did what you did and lead very cushy, happy lives here. It’s by no means difficult or not been done a hundred times over. But in all cases it was either always the plan (spoken or not) or a long process of adjustment. Just think about it unromantically and co wider things like friendships and family back home.

@Ponderingwindow thank you! Yes I was reading about this - it looks like we could get something for max 4500 pcm.

Obviously if/when I get a job it could be more - but I would love some some disposable for travelling around the US :) as long as it is nice, clean and I can make it homely and in a nice enough area then it’s all good with us!

It sounds like a ridiculous question, but does this sound like enough to live on? Rents are insanely high there as well as just the general cost of everything.
It's not a ridiculous question.

You really need to look very much further into the health insurance situation which you describe as 'covered' but surely that doesn't mean his company are going to pay 100% of everything medical for both of you on top of his salary.

I think people who have only ever lived in a country with the NHS are astounded when they have to pay the equivalent of £200 for their smear test.

Thank you, yes. He is being sent a handbook with all the cover that we are going to go over this weekend and work it all out.

From his understanding so far, things like eye tests aren’t covered, but dental is, for example.

I think you're at the key stage of your relationship. Entering your thirties often brings big changes. That aside, if you're happy together, I'd say why not? You'd be changing your living situation anyway in the UK if he left. Finding a job again, in. Industry seems very easily possible. You're unhappy with salary. If you did have to come back, at least it would force a change. Which would be a good thing. So it seems win-win to me. The opportunity to live overseas, explore. Its definitely do it. And if it doesn't work, come back (or go somewhere else)!.

Start contacting companies and networking now, get your foot in the door. Maybe even land a job before arriving? Good luck!

On $10k+ a month you’ll be absolutely fine. I was a student living in Manhattan 15 years ago and though I lived in a house share, I was making about $1500-2000 a month through part time work and student loans. You can absolutely find places in Manhattan that are still affordable. In fact, the housing market in Manhattan has taken a real hit since COVID, lots of vacancies. I think it would definitely be possible to find something you could manage on your quite sizeable income.

That said, do be mindful of health insurance costs. My premiums were $600 a month for just me as a healthy person in my 20s, and on top of that, I still needed to pay for care ($50 a month for birth control, $50-200 per dr appt, $1000 if I needed a colposcopy or more for a CT scan). My sense is it’s better now do to the Affordable Care Act (haven’t lived there in nearly 15 years), but just read the small print.

Hi OP,
I was in a similar situation a few years ago. My DP (we weren't married at the time but we had been together for years and living together) was offered an internal company transfer to the west coast of the US. It was too good of an offer to pass up - both financially and quality of life - so we went for. Things I learnt:

1. DP was on an L1 visa, we decided to get married prior to moving so that I could obtain an L2 visa and work. Moving as his unmarried partner would give me zero anythings in the US - no social security card/number, no US drivers license, no work.
2. It took over 1 year from accepting the job to my DP getting his visa - it's a slow process 3)I applied for my L2 the week after we got married, booked my appointment in advance. They will ask you to bring a ton of paperwork to prove your relationship but all they asked for was my passport, marriage certificate and details on my DH job - company name, what they did, corporate office address etc. Appointment took 5 mins and my passport was sent to me 1 week later with my visa in it. 4)Even with a L1/L2 it's not permanent, the visa lasts for 5 years but you have to renew it within the first 2 years (it's literally a new stamp in your passport but you have to leave via an air border (ie you cannot cross a land border to Mexico or Canada).
3. my DH work sponsored us for a green card, our immigration lawyers started the paperwork the day we landed as it takes a long time. Within 4 years we had permanent residency

I would double check the health insurance benefits. You mentioned they would cover both of you but US health insurance only covers spouses of their employees, not unmarried partners. It might be different if your DP contributes to his premiums.

A few things on the more personal side;
I was desperate to leave London, the US gave me what I was missing. It was hard for the first few years but I love my life here now. I personally wouldn't move to New York, I needed a change of pace from London and NY is on the same level. I moved to sunshine and beaches.

I have since split from my DH but I decided to continue living here.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do but make sure you are involved every step of the way. (sorry this turned out to be an essay)!

@Ponderingwindow, I've never heard of the 40x rule. Most rental properties ask for 3 times your rent in monthly income - that's slightly less than $160,000

Why has your dp taken a pay cut that’s not normal it should be a raise.

He’s taken a rise! He alone will be on $190k.

In the U.K., combined, we are on £150k.

@AllThatGlitters111 is marriage on the cards anyway as you’ve been together so long?

id say get married asap so you can apply for visas as a married couple and you can work / build your own life. His company can pay to expedite the visas but if you’re applying from the UK, it will take a while to get an appointment at the US embassy.

apartments are at premium in NY - there’s a lot less stock and prices are higher than they were.

@hellomeownow yes - we had been talking about it, but to be honest, our goal was to buy a flat before we spent money on marrying. That’s why it was always a little way off. But DP has recently been showing me photos of engagement rings etc to gage what sort of thing I’d like…but again, this was a few years off. But yes, we do want to be married eventually it seems!

Thats a pay cut in real terms. £150 K but exchange rats are very poor at the moment
US salaries are higher but taxation varies

I think we add on about 50% for a UK to USA transfer.

About £25k rise. But you are (potentially) losing your £25k salary. So effectively you folks will be on the same income as now. Yet in a place with higher living costs. No?

@AllThatGlitters111 you will also need savings or a relocation bonus. Especially if you use a broker to find a place as they are v expensive. Everywhere comes unfurnished so ship all you have or be prepared to buy lots of furniture!

I don’t think £150k to $190k is enough of an uplift - NY is very expensive for groceries etc. Can he negotiate more?

Even the best private healthcare still comes at a cost to you - eg an excess of $3k and then you pay 10-20% of all further costs.

I think the thing that I am reserved about is divorce. Sorry to say that, but I am realistic. My parents had a very messy divorce and it’s scarred me, which made me very cautions and slow with anything to do with marriage.

However, we have no assets, children etc between us so if the worst was to happen, I think it would be a relatively clean break (although it absolutely breaks my heart to think about this!)

Relocation costs and broker costs are all paid for.

I think he’s trying to negotiate a little more.

Hes also guaranteed a 75k bonus next year, but we aren’t really counting that as that’s part of the flat deposit!