Living in America 2014

[rootypig]

Shiny new thread. After an epic visa fuck up we are starting out (again!) in LA in a few weeks. I am English, DH is American (from southern California), DD is 21mo. I am going back to work after several unintentional years out and terrified. No clue what I want to do, which doesn't help.

Come chat about all things American!

Oh and can I drive on my British licence?!

Hi Dharma, welcome! is your move going to be permanent?

You can drive on your British licence initially, though not indefinitely (New Jersey says if you are a tourist visiting for not more than a year - whether that means a permanent resident effectively has a year's grace period is not clear). I would just get on with it and get your US licence, it will make your insurance easier and cheaper, and is generally easier to do here than in the UK.

www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/LicensesNon-Citizens.htm

Yes, I think it will be permanent. Thanks for the information...I will look into a us driving licence. Only just passed my uk test a year ago so not looking forward to that one

I took my test out here (no UK driver's licence) and it was really straightforward, I promise. Learning to read the 90 zillion road signs that mark each intersection, and decode the 76 rules that govern each parking space in LA, a little more difficult

Good news on the test front then! Thanks! Husband has just bought ( in my view at least!) the biggest car ever!!! It's probably going to be tiny in comparison to the others there though!

Hello all, can i join? I've been in LA for a year. My husband is on an 01 Visa for 3 years. I have 2 boys 6 and nearly 4. Would like to join in the supermarket bashing!! i miss Marks and Spencers and boots.......

Hello ladies

I've been lurking on this thread. Glad to see it revived! Coming up to two years since we moved from London...and DC3 is going to make his/her appearance next month so I feel like we're officially rooted here now!

dharma am also married to an American and living in NJ! The only hassle with the drivers license is the ID you need. It's all on the website. I didn't even have to take a practical test - just spend hours at the dmv standing in various lines and taking a theory test. Do the practice questions and you'll be fine! It's a breeze compared to the UK test! And yes, we started on a honda civic, which felt huge after our little golf in London but is like a teenager/college student car here! With no 3 on the way we've joined the mini van ranks with a honda odyssey...and I love it!

Oh and preschool wise, where we are you tend to apply in Jan for the following Sept. But check them out in Middletown. There's bound to be some with vacancies in their current 4s/prek programme who may let you join mid-year. I've found schools to be experienced with people moving out from NYC mid-year.

Speaking of which, I am glad it's back to school time! My 4 year old will be 5 mornings a week and my 2.5 year old girl will be 2 mornings a week. Entertaining them all summer was tiring! I feel like I'll get a couple of weeks break before the baby arrives...

Hi gracie, hi Flip, welcome!

gracie where is LA are you? ATB and I are a few minutes away from each other in Mar Vista. We should have an LA MN meet up.

*where in

Hi Gracie and Flip!

Gracie - I miss those shops too! And Sainsbury's and John Lewis. I think I go to four supermarkets here to make up roughly what I got from Sainsbury's back home! Saying that, M&S often do free delivery to the US if you spend so much, and JL had free delivery if you spent over £100 when I looked yesterday. Also, Target sell some Boots toiletries, including No7 and Botanics ranges, and all the Protect and Perfect range (cheaper than UK) so it's not all bad!

We are heading home for a visit next month and so far my shopping list for the UK comprises:

Christmas cards that say Merry Christmas and not Happy Holidays

Mince pies/Xmas pudding/various other food bits that are hard to come by here

Toiletries from Wilkinsons - gonna stock up on tampons and STs as find them really expensive here by comparison - $8.99 for a pack of 40 tampons the other day, used to be 2 for £5 in Boots IIRC!

Baby clothes from TU/JL/M&S

Children's shoes - can't wait for a good choice that aren't either from a Clarks outlet or Stride Rite rubbish.

And finally, a huge order from The Book People

Have I missed anything???

Thanks flip!
Have started to look into pre-schools for a late application...
however just been scuppered with our planning today after a phone call with our visa lawyer. We were leaving in 2 weeks with a plan that I would leave and then re-enter the usa within a 90 day period as I still don't have my green card. I've now been advised not to re-enter the USA until I've had my visa interview at the very least!! Argh!! Does anyone have any experience of this?

By the way if anyone wants any supplies from m&s/waitrose/sains, etc then let me know and I'll pop it in our container!! Not food/drink obvs!

My visa experience was painful. I won't scare you with the details, my circumstances probably won't apply to you.

Have you filed in London? Can you not enter on 90 day visa and apply for adjustment of status?

We came over twice on the visa waiver with the view of staying just under the 90 days, it was fine the first time, a bit of a grilling at border control but not bad. The second time was a nightmare. We were brought down to a room and interrogated. It was horrendous and I really thought that they were going to send us straight back to the UK. We had a toddler and a baby with us and also our dog too. We eventually got cleared to leave but I vowed never to do anything like that again. I got to our hotel room at the airport and was literally sick. What I don't understand is the visa waiver program is supposedly for business purposes too but border control are really weird about it.

Anyway that is just my experience, probably not relevant to your circumstances.

Oh gosh eissac and rooty! Sounds horrendous! The lawyer has advised me only to go once within the visa waiver programme for fear of the same happening to me. We're not sure whether to delay our departure now or not as I don't think I could bear living away from DH for months! How long did everyone's visas take? I'm just doing the I-130 spousal visa.

Sorry Dharma, I'm no immigration lawyer, but I'm not clear why you're not filing for adjustment of status. This is available if your DH is American. You enter the US on your tourist visa, and then you file (concurrently) a petition for AOS and a petition for permanent residence (immediate relative).

www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/adjustment-status

Hi again

Im in Laurel Canyon. Kind of near West Hollywood. I do order my knickers from M&S still!! its amazing they deliver so quickly. I have found World Market pretty good for Brit food. They do beans, cream crackers, Branston, kitkats and sometimes Robinsons Barley water. They don't do squash do they? Its all just sweet juice. I use 3 different supermarkets because i cant find what i want in one! School is kind of different! preschools / nurseries don't seem to be as good.

Next boys clothes, although you can order to be delivered but seem expensive. Oh and solphadine plus to cure a hangover..........

Thank you rooty!!!!! Not an immigration lawyer either ( clearly!). I thought that's what we were paying them for!!! I will call them tmrw and see why we are not doing this instead! Thanks so much!!!

By the way, this thread is great. Thanks! Now trying to think what I'm going to miss so I can bring it on the container. Tampons seem a must!!

Another relocating to NYC from UK but would really appreciate advice.
(Title of my thread)

Hello all ,
So sorry to be person lurking at the back of the party but could really do with some advice . Above is the title of my thread - so ignore me , but if anyone could bung over to my thread and give me some advice I would be gibberingly grateful. Sorry to butt in and I offer you and and indeed

PB

Dharma if you have young kids and use nappy sacks I would bring some and kids toothpaste if you don't want to use tooty frooty bubble gum flavour

Hello - long time lurker on this, de-lurking to ask how those of you who got free delivery from M&S didn't get slammed with a great big customs bill? I bought last year's xmas gifts and DD's winter tights (impossible finding non-opaque, cotton ones here) from them last year, received delivery two days after I placed the order, then got a $50odd customs bill through the mail! Grrrr.

Also, totally belatedly, I have only ever had allergic reactions to foodstuffs in this country. I think that the EU (bureaucrats that they are) actually keep a tight reign on things like pesticides and fertilisers entering the human food chain, which the USDA just doesn't. It's cripplingly expensive here in NYC, but all my meat, dairy, fish, fruit and veg comes from Whole Foods, I have a bread machine, and only eat out at places where I can be sure they're not using non-organic/farm fresh stuff (so about 5 times a year). It's the only way I can avoid rashes and sore throats!

Dharma how long are you going to be in Hoboken? They have a free preschool for 3 and 4 year olds which DD starts tomorrow. The school day is 8.30am-2.30pm with wrap around care at $680/month (7.30am-5.30pm) and $120 extra if you need care until 6pm. As long as you live in hoboken you qualify. If 2-3 months I would def call them and try to get your child in.

I have no idea about Middletown preschool options. My friend grew up in that town and was telling me she was shocked to learn that the town is in the middle of managing a herion problem in the under 25 population.

Crimea I have found that a lot of the food in Manhattan is mouldy and less so in NJ. I ate an apple once and my mouth blew up. I went to an urgent care center with the apple and they told me I was highly allergic to mould. Have you tried buying from fresh direct or doing a food box from the catskills or PA? To get around the problem I have ended up eating a lot of frozen fruit and veg. Far cheaper and 'fresher'.

No worries Dharma, it may be that you're excluded for some reason, but I'm not sure why you would be. I would encourage you to read up on the State Dept website, you can glean a lot of knowledge for yourself. And that would be my advice - familiarise yourself with the rules and the forms. Then you can make your own decisions.

Re what to put in the container - tea! Sainsburys earl grey for me. Cheese and butter here is vile, you can buy Kerrygold for some inflated price, but I usually bring 6 or 8 blocks back with me on the plane and freeze them. My DBro is coming in Dec and I am already writing my list. Chocolate biscuits and cheddar! all high contraband.

Can we talk bread maker recommendations? and does yoghurt turn out in the yoghurt one? Trader Joe's 'european' plain yoghurt is anything but. How do they get everything so sweet?

Cracks me up that every American I meet makes sympathetic faces about british food. Er.... yeah.