Tell me to wise up - immigration

[dubletrub]

One of the Ubers we got on our last visit was driven by an English guy. He was married to a US wife but they both worked full time and he had to drive on his time off to survive. He said health care was crippling them and they where looking to sell up and come back to the UK. He said the grass definitely wasn't greener the older you get, he was early 50s. Amazing the chats you can have stuck in traffic on th I4.
Holidays are great but you really have to do your research beforehand

[novocastrian]

get a job here working 6 days a week with 10 holiday a year max , pay private medical / dental insurance for a year for yourself & family.

then see if its still as appealing to do the same thing in a hot sweaty swamp...

harsh but thats the reality

[JLH]

my sister moved to the states years ago as she was head hunted and as a result got her green card fairly easily . She does earn very good money and can 'buy' holiday time off from work so is better of than most but still intends coming home when retirement age comes. She likes it there but it has its downsides, of course the health care side, food wise its not cheap (she gets amazed at the prices we pay when she comes home) and just the general help we get here that they dont is so much different. she was made redundant from her first job that head hunted her - no redundancy pay and certainly no job seekers allowances. Luckily as she had her green card she could find another job in same industry but had to relocate to Boston where things were even more expensive. I always thought I would love to move out to Florida but if I had the money I would just buy a holiday house and stay here .

[kingstefan21]

Think this info is what I needed. Think the fact I’ve to save all year just for two weeks of a reasonable life style over there should be enough to tell me it would be tough and that’s without all the health and living expenses thrown in. The green card process in itself appears to be near impossible to obtain.

[Themousefamily]

I know how you feel - I always struggle to settle back when we come home from Florida. Not sure the answer, but my hope in the future is to go twice a year and see if that satisfies me 😂

[EssexSue]

Maybe look at your home situation. I love to travel but I'm always glad to get back to my house, my things and my bed!

[Stella_11]

Florida is a great place to live if you are healthy and wealthy. Other than that it's a great place to go on holiday.

[Moorlandman]

Originally Posted by kingstefan21

Can someone tell me I’m mad and it’s just a fairytale 2 weeks per year that I should just enjoy and move on please!

See more...

Outside of the Disney bubble, daily murders and shootings make London look safe😮

[sky13]

My general opinion of the USA (including Florida) is that it's a nice and fun place to visit... but not somewhere I would want to live in.

Some of the things that I'm fairly sure I wouldn't like about living in the USA
- The car dependent culture and lack of public transport. It's not very friendly to pedestrians either, with lack of sidewalks and crossings in some areas.
- Healthcare expenditure - I find it horrifying that people will defer seeking medical treatment for urgent/critical illnesses due to cost.
- Safety - I run a lot and I always get slightly shocked when I see people on running forums discussing what sort of deterrent they carry on runs (like pepper spray) or how to avoid unpleasant encounters while running.
- Very little holiday time.

[BevS97]

We lived in the states when I was a teenager. It’s definitely not an easy life.

There is a strong work ethic. To the point that work takes over your life. They work long hours. Get very little holiday (I got 5 days in my first job ). If you have any medical issues you could find you can’t change your job as your health insurance is tied to your job. Maternity leave is very limited and not statutory.

On the other hand. I think the community spirit is good. Schools are great with lots of activities on offer. Homes are often larger and the weather is better.

But you have to really think about how you feel about your work / life balance and if you are happy to work for that nicer lifestyle.