Calling all UK MNers who live in USA, advice on emigrating needed

[PavlovtheWitchesCat]

DH is american by birth, has a lapsed US passport, apparantly getting it renewed is no hassle.

We have family in California, and for a while now we have kept going back to the idea of moving there, for a while.

DH's brother has offered him some work there (events management). Details, pay, terms etc etc etc to be worked out but likely that DH will only want to take this on for say 6 months, and then use those 6 months to source his own work. IF it works out with DB then all is good and that won't happen, but it will not be relied on (family, keep your distance at work right?!).

Anyway, this vague idea has slowly slowly become more of a reality. His other DB in NY has indicated he would move to California, and his mother in New Mexico the same. Which means for the first time, EVER, all the family will be in the same place (also have DHs aunts and some cousins in California). DD has two cousins within 6 months of her age and two older ones, would be fab to spend some time with each other.

Not to mention. Er. The weather .

I can get a sabbatical from work for up to a year. So we thought, do a year, if we want to come home, I will have a job to return to, and we will have a home too. If we like it there and want to stay a bit longer we can see what our options are (DH said, we will be coming back to UK though, just in case I fall in love with the place!)

So, two areas I would like to get advice on, English and US side of things.

English (easy)
How long can I, if any time at all, continue to claim CTC/CB when out of the country?
Should we rent out our flat as a formal deal with the mortgage co involved or just through an agent without telling them?
If we do it officially, how much more would the cost be, 5 wise? As it stands we can cover the mortgage and a bit more if we rent it at a reasonable price.
What happens with DDs schooling if we take her out of the country when she is due in school, or if this crosses over with her starting school over here? Will she be required to go to school in USA? Who do we need to tell she is abroad if this coincides.

Anything else I need to think of? VISA side, I think I understand, but anything else that might help?

US side:
What, roughly would be a minimum wage we should expect to earn in California to be able to afford to live (Bay/Nappa Valley area)?
How much would we expect to pay on a house? Or on a nice apartment?
How much would we expect to pay in insurances? (two adults, one child, potentially another child before we go)
What happens if I have a baby there? Is this covered by health insurance?
How easy is it for me to get part time work? I am qualified in criminal justice work, and it has been indicated that I could get work there, but not sure of part time hours?

What other things should we consider before making the decision to move? What have we not yet thought about?

Oh and schooling in US? Would DD be able to go to school there for a year? (if we stay longer than one year, she may well be of school age). Would we want her to go to school there? If so would we have to pay private fees? And how much would that be?

Oh and when I say, minimum wage to live, I mean comfortably without working our balls off, with money to enjoy our time there. Not loaded, but not struggling to make ends meet, otherwise no point doing it.

You would need to get am immigrant visa - IR1, which requires DH to file an I-130 petition for you (and DCs if they are not American - they should be if he has lived for more than 5 years there). It takes several months for the petition to be approved, and then another couple for you to get a visa.

The important part of the visa app is the Affidavit of Support, which says there are funds to support you, through DH's job or capital. If he has a job offer, then he should be fine.

For CB, I just told them I had moved and htey stopped it.

We rented out our hosue through an agent. We didn't have to tell our mortgage company. We had to keep up the buildings insurance. We took all of our furniture, which would probably wouldn't want to do if you are just going a short time and paying yourself. There are tax implications of renting out (ie you have income in the UK), but you offset your mortgage and all the costs. We never actually made a profit on ours, so were fine.

If you don't live here, there is nothing to do with UK schooling. She will have to go in the US once she reaches compulsory school age (unless you homeschool). This is 6 rather than 5. She can go to preschool there though. You simply register her in the school district where you live.

Having a baby in the US is generally covered by insurance. You have to check your specific policy.

where in california? where in nm? have family in both....

good choice

The OP should arrive with an immigrant visa (green card) which would allow her to work.

Squeaky - I think getting a visa to work would be ok. I have both a US husband and skills that are currently sought by Arnie (probation in both countries/states have done exchanges of staff before, do research together etc), of course that is not given, and we are going to allow plenty of time to prepare for things like Visas etc before making the move.

Likihood is that DH and I will move in with his family for the first few weeks? Maybe, he does not want to, but would make sense, get over there, get working, then sort things out from there, I am not a good remote worker!

Califrau - MIL is currently in Santa Fe - she has just sold a house in Albequerque (thank the lord! Not made a loss either, although no profit). She has looked at buying in California, just come back but said it is too much, and she will I think continue to rent there if she moves.

In California - my Aunt in law - Walnut Creek, although they just moved about an hour away (it was too old people for them, even though they are old!) My BIL lives in Modesto, my DH was born at Stamford Hosp, and have relatives also in Paulo Alto.

So in terms of where to live...I can probably live without a hottub if I have to, so lets say £2000. OK, not stupidly more than over here..I would LOVE the Bay area, but think it might be a touch further out towards Modesto, for DH to work with his bro...although I have heard the 'in-between' Bay and Modesto is not so good?

Hpefully, I will be able to come over and sip some wine in that hot tub of yours Calirau!!!

ALso - one more bit of advice please Squeaky. DH has lived in US for around 10 years of his life, on and off. His passport expired, but he can renew it in England if done within the next year, or else he has to go place in USA to renew it.

As DH has never had a valid passport, DD is not registered American citizen but we really want to get her registered. How do we do it? How easy is it? Is there an age limit for her to be registered? It has seemed so daunting we have not done it yet...would it help moving abroad if she was registered US citizen?

I moved to CT six months ago, although it is permanent. My DH is American, so it is a similar situation.
The first thing I would say is you are choosing to live in one of the most expensive areas in the US (altho probably slightly less expensive than CT!!) Everyone told me that it was cheaper to live in the US than the UK but that has not been my experience. Your income tax burden may well be higher, despite the fact that the highest tax rate is lower than the UK one. You will have to pay federal, state and possibly city income tax. YOu will also have to pay social security (broadly the equivalent of national insurance). Then once you get your net income, you will have to pay for, eg. medical insurance (even if you have company medical insurance, you will still have to pay a proportion of it, we have to pay $350 a month). Property tax (equivalent to council tax) for us is FIVE times what it was in the UK. There is no child benefit here and little or no help with preschool fees. When we left, our UK child benefit obviously stopped, although I'm not sure what happens if you are not leaving permanently.
If you currently live in your flat, then you should discuss it with your mortgage company as you presumably don't have a buy to let mortgage on it. I'm not sure what cost effect it would have, but as interest rates are falling it could work out well. Also, let the Inland Revenue know as they will classify you as an overseas landlord and will not tax your income at source (they'll do it later instead!)
I don't want to sound negative, but I came here at least in part on the basis that it would all be wonderful and cheap and we would have a better lifestyle and it has not been the case at all. However, if you're not planning to come permanently, you can always go back if you're not as happy as you thought. But do also think of the effect on your child(ren), it will have a big effect on them. Move to the US and then move back again in a year if you like, but you will need to make a decision on the soonish side about where you want to live permanently.
Best of luck - there are lots of great things about living here and it will be a fantastic experience! I'm probably just a bit jealous that you get to go back in a year...

Ihave an american husabnd and the whole I-130 petition for the permanent resident visa still took 6 months and cost a fortune. And they insist on vaccinations unless you apply for a waiver.

Get your dd registered as a US citizen then you don't need a visa (and vaccinations for her). The US embassy has a form for your DH to do it. Its possible he will have to go to London in person, I cant remember.

If your DH is a US citizen and he has the means to support you, you should have no problem getting a green card. This will allow you to live there forever and work as soon as you have your social security number.

It is not based on your skills or work prospects.

Your DH should be able to renew his passport at the US embassy in London. It's usually done by post, but it may be different with an expired passport - the website will confirm.

For you DD's citizenship, your DH needs to have spent at least 2 years in the US over the age of 14 for her to qualify. She needs a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, which you apply for in person at the Embassy. You need to have a long form British birth certificate for this.

Once you have the birth report, you can apply for a passport. For a child, this has to be done in person (both parents and the child) at the Embassy. Hopefully you can do both the birth report and passport together.

The website www.usembassy.org.uk is very helpful.

Howdoo - thank you, a realistic post, which is what I wanted.

I am under no illuisions that California will be cheap. I am not intending to make a fortine, but, not many people have family who live in a place like that, or who get the chance to move there, and have cousins play together from across the continents.

I feel that we would be foolish to not at least go for a year. BUT we want to do it with our eyes open so there are no surprises, so I appreciate your honesty

DH has told me in no uncertain terms that we will not be residing there permanently. I think he is worried, as his parents, his uncles and aunts all said the same and never returned to live in Europe again . He has made that a clause of going, that we WILL return home again. I think that the future will be as it will be, he might not want to return himself!!!

my dh didn't want to come back so I said ok, have fun and me and the kids are off.
I am a bit bossy

Needmorecoffee - Did he stay there without you then?

Needmorecoffee - Did he stay there without you then?

Re passports, get her a US and UK one - UK is just applying as normal, go on the website. US one, DH did it, we had to go to the US embassy for it, but that will prepare you for the terror of going there when you go for your visa interview! (Not to mention the visa medical, which was one of the more bizarre hours of my life - I had to have the MMR, and, despite the fact that I have two DCs, the doctor had me take my pants off so I could prove to him I was a woman! Or maybe I just got the perv dr...)

OK that sounds relatively straightforward regarding the renewall of his passport. I beleive he has to go in person for a lapsed passport, although can do it in England. He has lived in US for probably about 4 years. with his parents. How on earth would he prove that? will they have a record of school? He did not work there, school then he came back to UK as he hated it there as a teenager!!!

nah, he found a job back in the UK and moved back about 7 weeks after me and the kids (I had to fly by a certain date cos was preg so came back noot knowing if he'd be successful at finding a job!)

Oh yeah, the visa medical

Love Santa Fe! Have family there and it's fab! Taos is lovely.

Both parents don't have to attend the Embassy, but there is a form you fill in if one can't attend. Dreadful place....

they are rude and obnoxious at the US Embassy. Never had an experience quite like it apart from actually entering the US with my visa where you get detained by the INS for bloody hours while they check everything. wankers.

needmore, I'm sorry, but the scariest one at the US Embassy is one of the consular officers. Apparently even the Ambassador is scared of her.

Check your mortgage - we had to inform ours that we were planning to lease the house (they were very helpful and it was very straightforward).

You need to get landlord insurance - there are specific providers.

There are various things you need to get to be able to lease out - gas & boiler certs, PAT testing etc. Easy but a fiddle - allow plenty of time to do all the admin.

It pays to have a proper lease.

Best to do all the above by the book just in case anything goes wrong...

OK so, it seems then that before we go any further we do the following:

1. DH renews his passport - he might or might not have to go the London for this. To be checked out.
2. We get DD registered as a US citizen, in two stages (1 register of birth abroad, 2 passport application, may or may not be done at the same time).

Then, I am now confused.

IF, DD is a US citizen, do I apply for a visa? How would I get a green card? (BILs wife has a green card, but she already lived in US with a working visa prior to marriage). Would I get a green card just by marriage? or by marriage and a US child? Don't I have to live in US for a period of time before I get a green card?

If not, I get a VISA. How long will that be for? Will it start immediately, ie I get visa on 1 Jan, therefore my time abroad starts from there whether i go later or not?

You know I said I thought I knew about visas. I clearly do not.

So, before we look into actual moving abroad, we shall get above sorted. It needs doing anyway.

Then,

Once I have VISA/Green Card/Whatever. I get searched at the airport? I go to peices when I go into USA anyway they are so militant about everything! They make me feel like a crimnal just standing there! They grill DH about why he left USA, why is he coming back, how can he afford it in the job he is in!!!

Before I go I need to
Cancel CTC, or at least notify them, let them do wehatever it is they do
Change mortgage (if honest) / rent out / house insurance etc etc, make sure I don't make profit on rent income.
Buy ticket for trip!

Once there I need to consider:
Income tax ?% Is there a tax band for married couples ie do I pay less tax/more tax as a married woman to DH?
Social security payments ?%
Health insurance
Property tax - does this apply if only renting? How is this worked out?
Rental of accommodation - do this usually include heating etc etc or do we pay for that seperately?
Childcare for kindergarten/pre-school
Car purchase / fuel costs (cheap) can I drive on UK licence?
Wine - cheap and lovely eh?
Food - groceries. Sounds daft, but is it actually possibly to buy non-battery chickens/eggs/meat and organic anything? Is it really really expensive?

From everything, that is what I have come up with. It can't be that straightforward. What have i missed out. Apart from an actual income of course.

PHEW

as a spouse your dh has to file the I-130 on your behalf to get what is called a 'permanent resident' visa or 'green card'
You can't enter the US until he has done this. Its a normous form where he proves he is a US citizen, proves you and he are married and they will ask - I was asked for bank statements going back years to prove it was a genuine marriage and I hadn't done it for a visa. 3 kids being above and beyond the call of duty I reckon! And he proves he can support you in the US.
Whole process takes about 6 months if they are quick (this was before sept 11th though. They might be more paranoid)
After they have dicked about with your application for an eternity you get a date for an interview at the Embassy in London and you have to be there at 8am. Everybody does regardless of how inconvenient this is. Then you wait. You are then interviewed with all your documentation and asked questions like 'are you planning to commit acts of terrosism in the US' or' have you ever been a communist'.
Then you toddle over to the clinic where the medical thingies are done. Get the paperwork from there and take it back to the embassy (get the photos done at a place outside the embassy cos they know the stupidly exacting standards). Where you wait again.
You will then be called and either granted a visa or refused (we were refused cos me and the kids are unvaccinated)
The visa (you pay more to have it actually handed to you) you give to the INS on entry to the US and they stamp your passport with a temp entry visa. 300 years later your Green card (permanent resident card) will arrive but you can get your social security number and start work with your passport stamp.
If your green card gets lost in post, which is common there is a whole rigmarole that you don't want to hear about
So your DH needs to secure a job, then you start the process which will take 6 months or so.....

at the airport on entry they take you into an INS office and go through your paperwork (which you carry with you) then fingerprint you, stamp your passport and off you go. Took about 4 hours at DC airport. Take snacks. And a book

we paid an immigration lawyer to fill in the forms cos they are a farking nightmare and if you get one tiddly bit wrong the whole lot comes back and you start again. It really is worth the money to pay someone to do the filling and filing for you. I can't stress that enough! It is a terrible form and the whole experience was very stressful.
Especially whne we got turned down.