emigrating to USA and need help / advice

pollypenny

I'd say carry on paying NI, you never know what's round the corner.

I am posting this from the US, where DS lives. We love it here and were going to buy a condo - thankfully we haven't yet - they are moving north!

All the best with your move!

Torndao01

Hi Tincat

I would recommend this forum if you haven't already found it https://www.britishexpats.com, I found it invaluable for before and after I moved to the US. I currently live in Las Vegas.

I would second checking the vaccinations for the kids, mine had to have 8 extra just to go to school here. The Hep B is the one that is 3 injections over 6 months, I recommend having the first one in the UK and the schools will accept that in most places. Also some states ask for the chicken pox vaccination, if your child/ren have had it. They will only accept this if you have proof from your UK doctor, otherwise your child/ren will have to have a blood test to check for antibodies and then may still need the vaccination. Check your states requirements online. I found out sorting the schooling for the kids the most stressful thing.

If you have any more questions just ask and I'll see if I can help.

lavandergirl_2

Hi Tincat,

have you sorted out your family's medical insurance?

WantToBeSE

tincat wrote: »

· Try to sell items on ebay
· Get list of stuff we’re not taking, offer to family & friends for 2 / 3 weeks, then freecycle everything else after 15th December

Would it be easier to have a 'yard sale'? Maybe invite friends/family over first, get them to go through and get what they want, then open up to the public and sell the rest that way?
You wont have to worry about postage/listing etc on ebay (apart from whats leftover and doesnt sell)?

tincat

Torndao01 wrote: »

Hi Tincat

. The Hep B is the one that is 3 injections over 6 months, I recommend having the first one in the UK and the schools will accept that in most places. Also some states ask for the chicken pox vaccination, if your child/ren have had it. They will only accept this if you have proof from your UK doctor, otherwise your child/ren will have to have a blood test to check for antibodies and then may still need the vaccination. Check your states requirements online. I found out sorting the schooling for the kids the most stressful thing.

If you have any more questions just ask and I'll see if I can help.

Thanks v. much. They had a mmr and 1st Hep B a couple of weeks ago, and are having another in another couple of weeks. The last one will only be due in April / May, so hopefully they're ok with them just having the 1st 2. There are another 4 injections to have including the last Hep B I think. Other than that they have them all.

They did have chickenpox at the same time when little so hopefully clinic kept a record.

The county schools dept have asked for their birth certs, school records, proof of us living in the area and proof of immunisations (and a registration form). We have to submit these before Christmas so that they can be registered for the 2nd jan 1st day of school.

My hubby is sorting out the house, so that should be arranged a couple of weeks beforehand (mid Dec). He's still in a hotel at the moment. We're going to rent furniture until ours gets there. The cost is about $900p/m to furnish a 3bed / 2bath, but they supply everything from dishcloths to vacuums, kettles, and shampoo. (I.e. furniture and housewares package).

tincat

lavandergirl wrote: »

Hi Tincat,

have you sorted out your family's medical insurance?

Yes, my OH's work are covering most of the cost and we pay about $100 per month for all 4 of us.

tincat

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Would it be easier to have a 'yard sale'? Maybe invite friends/family over first, get them to go through and get what they want, then open up to the public and sell the rest that way?
You wont have to worry about postage/listing etc on ebay (apart from whats leftover and doesnt sell)?

Maybe, I will google yard sales. I've never seen one in our area though? Thanks for the idea. Otherwise, the kids school have their Christmas fair coming up and I can give a lot of stuff there.

I was looking at another thread on another site about moving stuff to another continent, and someone suggested that if you are taking anything at all you might as well take everything, as houses are bigger, and even stuff like soaps, detergents, tea, dishcloths etc, reams of paper, so I will think about it.

I'm thinking along those lines at the moment, the kids have a lot of toys and stuff I thought they would have to get rid of but maybe now they can take them.

I'll go through all our electricals to see if they have the 110 voltage on the plug.

Ruby_woo

How exciting for you all.

My only tip would be to declutter like a mad woman before you leave.. You don't want to take unnecessary items x

thorsoak

My daughter lives in CT (near Stamford) and loves it there! Good public schools and a good train connection into New York (right into Grand Central Station) . It's a small town - very typical little New England town.

School starts very early in the morning, and all the kids get the little yellow school bus (the sort you see in films) - but are out early. DGS and DGD are now 12 & 15 - have been out there for 6 years now.

DD has only just started work this year - she's done lots of voluntary stuff up to now - but now the kids are older they don't need to be driven here there and everywhere.

Good luck xx

BritAbroad

Definitely get copies of medical records for all of you. It will make life easier when it comes to the green card application.

Start cancelling everything as early as you can. Don't close any UK bank accounts or credit cards though. Check with your credit card provider - some won't allow you to retain the card if it's an overseas address, whilst others will.

Set up international mail redirection. That way you've got more time to sort your paperwork. Things like NI contributions can be sorted out once you're over in the US.

Create a file with all your financial info, passports, birth and marriage certificates, degree certificates etc - and store it well out of the way - you don't want to find it's been packed in your shipping container. Carry it in your hand luggage. Make sure you have all your visa paperwork to hand as well - you may be asked for it at the UK/Italian airports, and you will need it at the US port of entry. Be aware that your UK credit history counts for almost nothing over here, as does car no claims etc. Also be prepared for the horrendous costs of car, homeowner/renter insurance, medical costs etc (your premium may only be $100 a month, but you will have out-of-pocket expenses in the event of illness and they can really stack up). You'll also probably have to argue with the medical/dental insurers over virtually every claim as they are generally beyond incompetent.

Contrary to popular belief, some UK electricals will work in the US with a transformer - my kitchen mixer works beautifully. So get your hubby to order one if there's any electricals you want to take. Get him to order US power adapters for laptops etc. Amazon Prime is your friend as delivery over here takes forever. I'd also think about buying a printer and scanner over in the US and you will likely have a ton of paperwork if applying for the green card.

If this is a company move and they are paying for shipping, you don't have to worry so much about clearing out - if you ship it over and then decide you don't want it, you can donate it to charity and claim a tax write off

Stock up on UK chocolate and tea bags and other favourite eats and bring them in your luggage (but no meat products!). If you have some favourite mugs, knick-knacks or photos bring them in your luggage too - it could be quite a while before you get your container and having a few familiar bits from home helps enormously.

I would seriously think about delaying the kids starting school for a week or so if possible. For one thing, the jet lag is brutal. For another, the culture shock of moving to the US is absolutely enormous. I live in the US, and several of my expat friends have kids. Those whose kids had a couple of weeks to adjust coped better when starting school. They had some time going round their local area, saw some fun things, got their school supplies in the US etc. It meant that when they talked to their new friends they had some things in common - they'd been to the local zoo, bought that cool pen in Target, etc.

For you, I'd ask your OH if he could set up a couple of people to meet up with you who could perhaps take you around a little so you can get a feel for the place. Other expat wives of his colleagues would be my suggestion - they know what you've been through, they know the place, the company dynamic etc and can give you some pointers. It can be very, very difficult to make friends in the US (there's a lot of 'we must meet for coffee' then it never happens) and a friendly expat or two will definitely make you feel you're a lot less alone - it will also mean you can have someone to vent to about the endless US bureaucracy. They'll also be able to tell you what that thing you're looking is called in the US when you've just spent 3 hours in the supermarket trying to decipher the labels. Be aware that the standard of American food is generally awful - they put sugar in everything including bread and even milk sometimes so you have to work harder to find stuff that is palatable and healthy.

Although you'll be able to drive on a UK license, it'll probably be a few weeks before you can get your US one as you'll have to wait for your SSN first.

Undoubtedly you are incredibly busy right now, but be prepared for the 'what the h*ll am I doing here' moments which will inevitably happen when you get across the pond. Moving to the US is exciting, but it's also really, really hard and everyone I know who's made the same move has struggled with it at times.

Be prepared to hear 'I love your accent' and 'I'm English/Scottish/Irish (though never Welsh!)' 20 times a day and for it to drive you crazy within a week. Accept that American TV is awful, Netflix could be your saviour and that the politics here are generally insane.

I think another poster recommended britishexpats.com - I'd definitely recommend that site too as there's a ton of information and a very helpful and knowledgeable forum.