
Ask HN: Moving to US from the UK - iqonik
I&#x27;m wondering if anyone has done this before and can share any tips? What to look out for? What expenses would I have that differs to the UK?<p>I&#x27;m currently living and working in London, have a wife and child. My company has an office in Newport Beach and is looking to relocate me there; so this is less about VISA, but more about lifestyle, tax etc.<p>Appreciate your help as always
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dudul
Pretty open ended question. My main advice: make sure you get a big raise
between your UK salary and your US salary. In the US salaries are usually
higher, but you'll have more expenses.

I'm originally from Europe (not the UK), and I like to say (even though it's
not completely accurate) that most countries in Europe are "all-inclusive":
high taxes/contributions, but you get good services for free (good schools,
day care, health insurance, etc). The US is more "a la carte": lower taxes,
but you have to be responsible and pay for the services that matter to you.

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mtmail
After you get a US bank account you'll be surprised that you can't qualify for
a credit card because you don't have a credit history yet. Be prepared to pay
500 USD into a separate account which gives you a credit card with 500
USD/month limit. So you'll likely pay with your UK credit cards for a while
and the exchange rate is a cost.

Your L1 visa (I assume) should be not problem, getting a US driver license is
easy. In the first week setup an appointment with the social security office
to get a social security number, it's amazing how often one needs that number.

