Questions for UK nurses who have made the move to the USA

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Hi Guys

As you know Im at the beggining of this long and winding process and although have done a huge amount of research and got lots of useful information from here I ahve a couple of questions well really my hubby has a couple of qyuestions he wants me too ask you guys.

He is all for up and moving to the USA but his concern is that if our quality of life will not be the same over there as here he has a very good job and is the major bread winner and I also have a good job as have managed to work my way up to sister in just 5 years.

In the USA he will not have any qualifications and will be starting from scratch as he didnt even get any GCSE's when he left school.

Was anyone else in the same situation ? How long did it take your partners to find jobs ? Was it easy ? Do they take into account any of the qualifications from England or do they want High school diplomas etc

Any advise would be hugely appreciated

Love Clare

Specializes in ICU, Haemodialysis, acute medicine and s.
In the States, a good rule of thumb is that 1/3 of your gross income (income before taxes) is the limit of affordability for housing costs.

Keep in mind if you're taking school-age children that which school you send them to usually depends on your address. You will find that housing costs reflect this, because some school districts are TERRIBLE and people will pay much more for housing in order to live in a better school district. If you look at a house and it seems like a fantastic deal for the money, double check to make sure it's in a school district you want!

Sam

Thanks Sam, that is really helpful.

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Specializes in OR.
Hi Guys

Also I was told by a Family member that when we get there my Hubby wont be allowed to work for 3 years - I presume this is untrue as I have not seen anyone else on here mention it ?

Thanks again for all your help

I'm about to advise you not to take advice from people like me, but: DON'T take advice about US immigration/work rules from family members or other people on allnurses.com. Get it in writing from somebody who really knows (e.g., the US embassy consular section; the immigration lawyer working with the company that's sponsoring you to come and work as a nurse) that in your case specifically, your husband will be able to get a work authorization.

I'm from the UK but I'm American now. I've lived the immigration saga (my wife was born in the US and so I immigrated when we married) and now I get a different perspective because my wife is a consular officer. There are so many different visa types in the US, with so many variations in work restrictions and spousal work restrictions, that there is NO WAY you can be sure that anybody else's anecdote about US immigration will apply to your case. (This is also why misinformation on the topic abounds and there are so many bitter visa applicants!)

The fact that many other nurses have taken spouses to the US and they've been able to work is grounds to be optimistic. But it's your and your husband's responsibility to make sure he can work legally once he gets there.

Sorry for the strident tone, but I would hate to see you or anyone else get into a situation where you're unexpectedly denied work authorization. It's happened to me.

Sam

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If you apply to get a work related visa as a nurse in the USA you and your married partner and all your children under 21yrs will get a green card once you have been through visa screen and CAN work in the USA this is DEFO!!!

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

Mrs OG you need to phone me as your Number was on my old phone lol

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

Life is very difficult at first when you emigrate for the majority of people and until you start to make friends and become familiar then you will struggle. There are one or two people who dont have a problem but trust me I know lots of people from the UK who dont settle as quick as you would like.

If anything goes wrong like an illness then believe me you will never feel as lonely in all your life.

Once you get through the first year or so things really improve. But it is important to remember things are not greener on the other side.

You will encounter some predudice which will infuriate you, but again once you settle you realise that it is a ignorance of life in the UK. News of oversea's current events is limited so unless you have an interest in another country then you will never hear about them.

People are really friendly but they are not your friends-at home people are only really friendly with you because they want to be your friend, that is not neccessary the case here-people are just nice they dont want to be your friend. I dunno if this makes sense or not.

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Specializes in OR.
Life is very difficult at first when you emigrate for the majority of people and until you start to make friends and become familiar then you will struggle. There are one or two people who dont have a problem but trust me I know lots of people from the UK who dont settle as quick as you would like.

If anything goes wrong like an illness then believe me you will never feel as lonely in all your life.

Once you get through the first year or so things really improve. But it is important to remember things are not greener on the other side.

You will encounter some predudice which will infuriate you, but again once you settle you realise that it is a ignorance of life in the UK. News of oversea's current events is limited so unless you have an interest in another country then you will never hear about them.

People are really friendly but they are not your friends-at home people are only really friendly with you because they want to be your friend, that is not neccessary the case here-people are just nice they dont want to be your friend. I dunno if this makes sense or not.

I think this is exactly right! Americans tend to think the British are very withdrawn and reserved because they don't behave in a friendly way unless they want to be friends. The British can find it rather uncomfortable when Americans seem very friendly almost as soon as they know you.

And it's easy to think that because you speak the same language, the culture is the same in both countries. It really isn't. So it's a very common experience to like everything for the first month or two, then find it a bit depressing to be away from home for several months - even a year. On balance though, most people I've met who have crossed the Atlantic in either direction are really glad they did.

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Specializes in ICU, midwifery, Nurse Practitioner.
I think this is exactly right! Americans tend to think the British are very withdrawn and reserved because they don't behave in a friendly way unless they want to be friends. The British can find it rather uncomfortable when Americans seem very friendly almost as soon as they know you.

Its funny how things are seen differently. My husband is American and has lived here in the UK for just over 2 years now. He said the same thing about the English at first, that people dont seem quite as friendly. Now his opinion has done a major turnaround. He likes the English reserve enormously. He sees it as very refreshing. His slant on it is that in the US Americans tend to be overly friendly to everyone, thats the culture, especially within the service industry etc, and that a lot of it is fake. When you turn your back they ***** about you. Here however, he says people are just as they are. You get a stroppy Tesco checkout girl and he loves it! So refreshing he says! :chuckle

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Hi Clair,Get across to OZ they are desperate for Toolmakers and Nurses, Having researched both countries OZ has more to offer both Parties.

Does your bubby really want to stack shelves in WalMart for $6.00 or £3.00 per hour!!!!!.

Start taping Wanted Down Under on BBC 1 weekdays at 09.15 the program showed a toolmaker last friday somebody must have a copy.

Rhode Island may sound good but if your Hubby is on that kind of ££ whats he gonna feel like??.

Toolmaker and Nurse are both on the Skills Shortage List of Employees and you could be in Oz within 3-4 month not 3-4 yrs.

Cheryl x

I watch 'wanted down under' and I am set on going to the us (florida) but this programme did make me think.

I mentioned it to dh but he is not impressed it's us all the way.

He is a teacher here in Liverpool and he again doesn't want to teach when he gets to florida, but reading your post's he couldn't do anything else!!:madface:

Does anyone know if teaching pays well in the us?

Ang x:monkeydance:

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.

not sure about wages but i think there would be a problem with translation of qualifications into USA recognised ones

visit www,britishexpats.com there are a few teachers on the USA part of the site who have made the move to the USA system.

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not sure about wages but i think there would be a problem with translation of qualifications into USA recognised ones

visit www,britishexpats.com there are a few teachers on the USA part of the site who have made the move to the USA system.

Thanks english nurse,

I will look on this site

Ang x:coollook:

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Specializes in CT-ICU.

Insa,

I really appreciate your reply, and I've never heard a more true statement in my life: Just because the Americans and the British both speak the same language, you think the culture is the same.

That fact surprised and shocked me, and it's something you never really get over. I always felt different to everyone, like I just didn't get it sometimes!

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Specializes in OR.
I watch 'wanted down under' and I am set on going to the us (florida) but this programme did make me think.

I mentioned it to dh but he is not impressed it's us all the way.

He is a teacher here in Liverpool and he again doesn't want to teach when he gets to florida, but reading your post's he couldn't do anything else!!:madface:

Does anyone know if teaching pays well in the us?

Ang x:monkeydance:

It's hard to get used to, but remember anything to do with government in the US is far more decentralized than in Britain. What this means for teacher wages is that it depends on which state you're in, or even which school district. Some big-city districts may pay well but would be an awful shock for any teacher experienced in a decent-quality British school. On the other hand, a wealthy suburban district may pay well and have (mostly) delightful pupils -- but watch out for awful demanding parents who will accuse you of not doing enough to help their wonder-children self-actualize their extensive innate gifts!

There may be a tiny bit of difficulty translating credentials, but I suspect in most parts of the US, teaching is a bit like nursing: for a variety of reasons, labor supply very rarely catches up with demand.

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