Thread: Basic advice needed

Hi all,
My wife and I are contemplating a move to the USA in a couple of years time.
It's in it's earliest stages but we just wondered if anyone could give us some advice as to the best way to go about it and also advice regarding the health insurance.

Thanks in advance
Dave

Purple should be along soon, she might be able to help.

Hi Dave and Welcome to Britsabroad!

With respect, what you have said so far is a little sparse. A little more information from you may help us here to point you in the right direction.

There are various paths to living in the US. Are you or your spouse a US Citizen, or maybe you have parents that are?
Or are you looking for an employment based visa, or maybe an investor type?


Heath insurance is a pain in the rear, and it's even more so if you can't afford it or don't have any.
I'd suggest it may be better to wait until nearer the time you are moving to decide about that. Some companies offer it as a benefit, and some people have thir own. Right now it's all a little up in the air because nobody knows how (or if) it will be "reformed", yet.
What I can tell yo uis that right now it can be expensive, even with a high co-pay (or deductable).

Post some more information and we'll try and give you some help if we're able to.


regards

purps

I'll retire from the police as a matter of course in 2 years time(I have to after 30 years pensionable service) I shall have a decent pension. We are looking at either Florida or Virginia. I would work given the chance but it isn't a necessity. The main thing is health insurance........there are so many companies that it's a minefield. Any suggestions gratefully accepted......

I don't have a ny relatives in the US but I do have what you may call 'sponsors' ie people in law enforcement who would vouch for me. I have been offered a job with a sheriffs dept in Florida should I want to take it.

Hi Dave,

What you will really need to do is try and ascertain what kind of visa you will be eligible for in order to be able to live in the US. Unfortunately, the people you know in law enforcement won't be able to guarantee you a greencard, that's down to the USCIS, a Federal Department, and you'll have to meet their criteria before you can even apply to move to, and live in the US permanently. See this link for details on the types of visa's available USCIS Home Page

I know it's not possible or adviseable to post too many personal details here, (we discourage that) and if you want to get something more tailored to your situation then maybe an immigration lawyer familiar with US imigration will eventually be what you need.
If there are things on the USCIS website that you aren't sure about you can post any questions here and someone will probably be able to answer. It'll be in your own interests to look at what particular visa you think you may qualify for, and then do the research. Who knows, maybe you're a millionaire that will have funds to throw into an investment visa.

No sheriff's department will be able to employ you unless you have a greencard (which would allow you to work), or at least an employment authorisation while it's being processed, either. If you were doing some kind of civillian work then it may be ok, but if you wanted to become an actual deputy (or officer) in the Sheriff's dept, then you'd need to be a US Citizen too, something that can't happen for at least 5 years if you aren't married to a USC.

Having lived up around Virginia as well as Florida, I would definately recommend Virginia as a place to live. IMO it's so much nicer than Florida, but that depends on your own outlook too. Lots of people retire down here, but they've generally lived where the winters are particularly harsh up in the Northern states and somehow feel they need something different than 6 months of cold weather and snow as they get older.

As you say, health insurance is a minefield. If you were working for the Police Or Sherriff's Dept, then you'd get it as a benefit, as a private individual, it's variable. Here's a link to one of the more popular and reputable insurance companies HUMANA - Guidance when you need it most.

Hope some of this helped, let us know how you get on and we'll try and clear anything up that we can.

Good luck and all the best to you

purps

Many many thanks. I know it won't be easy but we are gonna give it a good go.

You're more than welcome. :)

Good luck with it all. You have plenty of time to look into things and get the ball rolling, so starting early like you have a is a great idea.

Nobody's saying it can't be done, because hundreds of thousands do it every year. It's just not as simple or as quick, as a lot of people originally think it may be.
You have the right idea though, just gotta start to do the research and plug away at it and things could all work out.

I retired from the UK Po-lice in 2006, a friend of mine who retired in 2000 went to florida and got a job as a civilian statment taker for a local sherrifs office.
Whilst everything Purp says is right I would recommend that if you have not already done so you join the IPA
I realise your initial response might be negative but you have to remember that all you will have to rely on once you retire is the pre-retirment networking plan you put into place now.
When I did my plan at two years to go, I was advised that I should have started doing it five years before "D" day.
(bear in mind this plan is about everything people,finances,investments etc.etc.etc)

Good luck and keep us posted.

And ......I had the chance to go to Australia in the 80's, I turned it down because my father had just died and I was tied into the pension which I couldn't take with me. I retired realising that I had burnt my briges and only have holidays down under left as an option. Sad but thems the breaks.

Thanks both......we know it isn't the quick fix some people think it is........I'll let you know how we get on.

Excellent information there, Tony. Thanks so much for posting it.
I wasn't aware of any of the retirement or IPA stuff.. the site kind of made interesting reading. Sometimes you got to be an insider to have the relevant, eh? :)

For future reference, it would be very interesting to know exactly what your friend had in the way of eligibility to allow him to reside here in Florida and work too. If there's a way "in" for ex-police officers that I'm not aware of, it would be nice to let people know about it. Would it not work for you as well? ;) I do know a couple of ex-coppers that came here and actually worked as officers in the local police force once they became US citizens, but they were both married to american women.

purps