Looking into a move

[Dinky]

Hello one and all,

Am brand spanking new to this forum and looking for some info from you all please.

Have read previous threads on working in the US and have done some searches on the internet with regard to visas but what I was wondering is, what are your personal experiences of the whole visa process.

We would be reliant on qualifying for an H1B visa. Hubby has 12 years exp and BA hons degree. Working in IT as software developer (Oracle/SQL/VB and some others!) Now I know its not easy but am hoping not impossible either

Also, cost of living - we've visited the US numerous times and particularly like Florida but its so hard to know if our standard of living would be any better.

Any help or advice would be appreciated

[gkloken]

Dinky, I can only use my own experience as point of reference.
Visas should not be a big problem.
Your greencard/workpermit application could take anywhere from two weeks to sometimes two years!
Living costs - depending on where you are from- I found very reasonable. In general, my experience is that you work much harder and longer periods/hours than the others countries I lived in.
A nice country, nice people and you can have a good quality lifestyle in the USA.
Like in many countries it could take you a while to be accepted in the community though.

[Dinky]

Thanks for getting back so quick. Nice to know it can be done

[synthia]

Welcome to the forum, dinky. A few years ago there were extra visa slots for people with IT skills, and it probably would have been easy to get sponsorship, but that law expired. I live in Florida, and the quality of life depends, as it always does, on what part of the state you live in and whether you can get work that will support you adequately. The state is huge (nearly 1000 miles, or 1700 k, from Pensacola at the end of the panhandle to Key West). It can be very rural or very urban.

Whether your standard of living would be better also depends on where you are from and how you live now. Sometimes even personal taste can make a big difference. People who like the outdoors and don't care much about fine dining would be happy in one town and miserable in another.

[gkloken]

Well said Synthia!

[Dinky]

Synthia -thanks for responding.

So does that mean that its highly unlikely that we'd find sponsorship or just that its not real easy to come by?

We currently live in Central London and are buying a new build 2 bed apt and are looking for a more outdoors lifestyle in which to bring up our little boy.

At the moment we're trying to get a feel for what kind of lifestyle we could afford. We're very into doing things as a family and we love getting out and about.

We have looked at house prices in Florida and Ive used city data to get some info but we saw Sicko last night and it frightened the heebie jeebies out of us Is the healthcare system in America really bad? We kind of got the impression from watching it that even with health insurance if you get sick then it doesnt necessarily mean that you'll be treated - is that really the case?

[synthia]

It is very, very difficult to get a work permit. Sponsorship is expensive and time-consuming and is only undertaken by companies that can't find help in the US. To get you a work permit the company must prove that they have been unable to hire an American for the position. Companies that have international operations can bring people in more easily, as it is sort of regarded as training and the corresponding offices abroad often bring in Americans. Usually these jobs go to people who have been with the company for a while.

Hospitals are required by law to treat emergencies. Some hospitals and doctors don't accept certain insurance policies, so if you go to one that doesn't take your insurance, you will be treated and then transferred to a participating hospital.

However, coverage doesn't make things free. There are deductibles, and co-payments, and things that aren't covered. For instance, when I broke my ankle, I required a special van to take me in my wheelchair to doctor's appointments. I had to pay for that, as my insurance didn't cover it.

I haven't seen Sicko, but I think Mickael Moore hits real problems but gets a bit carried away and exaggerates or get his facts wrong sometimes. What is true is that we rank somewhere around 47th in infant mortality and have shorter lifespans than many European countries.

[Dinky]

Synthia -again, thanks for the insight.

It was pretty frightening and I agree that he does touch on subjects that are of interest. Its very difficult to get a true picture when you basically have no idea how a system works in another country!

[chris1]

Hi I live in both MA and FL...the cost of living is a lot lower in FL...but well paying jobs are hard to come by even if you are just moving State...we have been looking at a more to FL full time for about a year...and its slow going...
In IT the Boston area is good job wise...but the cost of living can be very high...

H1Bs seem to be like gold dust nowadays...and go very quickly...the job market in IT has picked up...I would not tie myself down to one State...America is a big place...

[synthia]

The IT job market is better, but it is nothing like it was at the turn of the century. Chris1 makes a good point about not tying yourself down to one state, especially one that isn't a big technical hub. Willingness to work in a less popular place might be key to getting a visa.

Even during the big boom, I worked with someone in Florida who already had a work permit and two years experience in the US. In order to stay in the US, she had to move to Minneapolis, because that was the only job she could find that would sponsor her. Minneapolis is nice, but bitterly cold in the winter. She hated the cold, but had to take the job if she wanted to stay.

In Florida, a lot of your pay comes in the form of sunshine and beach.