Calling UK Mumsnetters in the US please

[changer22]

We are thinking about spending a year in the States with our children while DH works from home (probably not for a US employer although we might get the US office to pay him if need be).

We would need the children to attend local schools and I am trying to research if we would have to pay for this or not, how much it would be, etc. For those of you out there, how does it work for you?

Bumping for you.

Anyway around today?

Anyone...

You have to be legally resident in the school district (not a tourist).

There is often a small charge referred to as 'school fees', in the region of $100.

Thanks. I guess we would be legally resident as we would need to get visas. DH would be on a B1, the DC and I would be on a B2. It's really hard to find this information out on the net! The embassy charges a fortune for their visa advice phone line.

I'm not sure how tax would work. DH would be paying tax in the UK on his UK income, but we would be spending money and contributing to the US economy so not merely taking in terms of education.

Im not sure but I think if you are paying the local and state taxes you should be able to enroll the dcs. Most schools do ask for an annual school fee of around $100 per child but that is more to do with supplies and such like rather than paying to attend the school. You need to look into vaccines like Riven says. There is a slight legal grey area but generally schools will make it very difficult for you if dc has not had them. Most are the same as uk but you will also need HepB (a course of 3 jabs over 6 months) and either chicken pox or evidence that they have had the disease. My dcs had the first 2 HepB before we left the uk and the 3rd over here. The school were satisfied that we had done as much as we could although they were quick to chase up evidence of the 3rd at the due date! We got the HepB free at our GP although I know some people were charged a small fee. The chicken pox one is not available in the uk (although I see they are thinking if introducing it!).
Schools vary widely from place to place but we have been pretty happy with ours. Schools are assigned strictly by where you live so this will be your biggest factor when choosing where to stay. If the schools where you are looking to live are not good, seriously look at private or consider home-schooling. There is a good support network for homeschoolers and it may be a god option if you intend them to slot back into British schooling after only a year.
Come and visit us over on the other thread as there are loads of us who might be able to answer your questions!

I don't think you could use B1/B2 visas for schools.

TBH, I don't think you can do what you plan to do on B1/B2 visas. If your DH is working in the US, he really needs an H or an L visa, in my view.

Thank you for your replies. I've looked again at the visas and I think we would it would be an L visa - if we can persuade DH's company to do the paperwork involved! Thanks scienceteacher - I'd missed that one.

There are a lot of things to consider. Schooling is next after the visa. If the visa's a no then it's not going to work out. I'm ok about the vaccination side of things although one of the DC will be only be months old so I'm not sure how it will work out for him/her.

You could ask on the :iving in the US thread

I don't know the answer to your question though. I have had a B2 Visa and it doesn't allow you to do much other than exist.

dh is here on a h1b visa. there's a limited number assigned each year, and there's a date in april when applications have ot be in. there's about 3x the number of applicants as there are visas. dh's co sorted that out. dd & I then got residency visas - we just needed to phone the embassy, make an appt & spend A WHOLE DAY sitting in line at the embassy. you don't need to take dc's with you, just the reams of paperwork required. it's like waiting for your shopping at argos, but without the glamour. HUGE amounts of security checks. folloe their info on the embassy website or you'llbe turned away.

for school, we just needed to show the purchase order on our house, i guess you'd need to show rental agreement. dd started 2 days later. we didn't have proof of vacines until 3 weeks later when we moved into house & unpacked. she hasn't had chickenpox - they have taken my word she had it, or hepB, i can sign a wiver for that. so not all schools so rigid. no fees either, but everyone 'volunteers' to provide healthy snack once a month.

our visas allow dd & i to live & study, but i cannot work at all.

there's other people of different visas, so go on the latest thread & ask. atm we're discussing kettles, tea & mad babysitters

forgot to say, sctchment areas for schools is done by street, so check out schools immediately you arrive - i emailed ahead & had appts within a week.

some areas rental houses are hard to find - where you looking? you made need to find out now.