Moving from UK to Boston MA

[tannerian]

Hi
This is the first time that i have used this forum, and im looking for some advice - obviously!

My Wife and I with our 2 kids (5 & 2 yrs) could be about to relocate to Boston MA from the East Midlands in the UK due to my wife's work.
As far as we know, if this goes ahead, then all moving hassles (& expenses!) will be covered by her company, but i just wondered if anyone has any advice on moving to Boston, or the USA in general - any advice is welcome, as we are a little naiive over this move at the moment !!

We will be provided with a house for 3 - 6 months whilst we find a property to buy and I will not be working to start with - i will eventually get a job - im a qualified Development Designer, so i should find something when i want to start work!! My understanding is that my wife's company (a huge international company) will sponsor me, as i believe that i will need this in order to get a green card - does this sound feasable??

Thanks in advance for your guidance

Ian

[Bevdeforges]

Hi there - and welcome to the forum. Boston is my old stomping ground back in the US, so I hope your relocation goes well.

As to the visa situation, I guess anything is possible with those big international companies. Normally, for a company to sponsor you means that they are giving you a job - and getting you a working visa (normally an H1-B, which is a non-immigrant visa). The trailing spouse comes over on a dependent visa, and generally doesn't have working privileges.

A green card is an immigrant (i.e. permanent) visa - harder to get, but with working privileges right from the get-go. If that's what's on offer, it's a great deal - but do check first to make sure what sort of visas they are arranging.

[tannerian]

Many thanks for your reply - i really appreciate it.

Are there any areas in particular to avoid or look out for, for houses and schools? I suppose as a budget, we would be looking to spend in the region of $400k - $500k on a property - is this sufficient for a nice 4 bed with a garden?? Are most houses timber in construction?

I told you that im a real newbie at this!!

[Bevdeforges]

Boston is a big metropolitan area - sort of like London. It kind of depends on where your wife will be working and what options you prefer for commuting. (How close do you want to be to the city? And do you want to hold out for public transport?)

With the current real estate situation in the US, I'd take full advantage of that 3 to 6 months to scout out the area and see what housing prices are doing once you get there. Depends a bit on where exactly your wife will be working and what sorts of facilities you want where you'll be living.

Housing is expensive in the Boston area - but there are lots of indications that prices are coming down lately. You can read the Boston Globe online Boston.com and can even start looking through the real estate adverts. Take a look at the regional sections to get a feel for some of the suburban areas.

[synthia]

Boston is a fantastic area to live in. Both the city and the surrounding suburbs are full of history and museums and parks. You have access to the beach and the mountains, and the area is culturally rich. And they have the most amazing 4th of July fireworks I have ever seen. Good food, too.

When you consider commuting, remember that in addition to your normal commuting time, in the winter you have to allow time to dig out the car or driveway, and allow for a very slow trip to work. Traffic is bad anyway. They have had several snows already this year, so it looks as if it may be a hard winter. I've been told that winters aren't as bad as when I lived there, but they will probably be much colder than you are used to. I remember temperatures of -5F and -10F (-20.5C and -23.3C).