Moving to US - H-4 Visa, Tax, Health Insurance, etc....

FlashAnderson

Hi all,

I'm in the lucky situation of having been just offered a job in the US (wohoo!!).

My employer is arranging and covering the cost of the H-1b Visa. However, I have a wife and my Employer will not cover her Visa. My understanding is she is entitled to a H-4 Visa attached to my H-1b but we have to sort this ourselves. Does anyone have any experience of this?

I've also been given a contract with some benefits.

I'm trying to figure out what this means in terms of myself and my wife living on the one wage. Firstly - how much tax do people pay in the States. I've tried various different online tax calculators and they all give different estimates - ranging from paying 50% of my paycheck to barely paying anything (less than 10%). If anyone could point me in the right direction to estimate what my actual take-home pay would be I would greatly appreciate it.

I've also been told I can participate in a group health insurance scheme. Its not clear yet if I have to contribute anything or if my employer will cover it all. I'm wondering what would be standard for employment in the US. Apparently the Company overs a good 'complete' package. What would this usually entail? It is also not apparent if my wife is covered. Any thoughts or experience on this front would be greatly appreciated. If its a case that health insurance is not covered for my wife - how much does health insurance cost typically?

Finally - I'm hearing the cost of living is significantly lower in the US than in Ireland. Would it be fair to say that (for example) 50,000 Euro in Ireland would go as far as 50,000 Dollars in the States (accounting for tax differences & cost of living)? from a Quality of Life perspective

And one last question - does rental accommodation come furnished? Or should I ship everything I own?

Thanks in advance for all you help,

I havent signed on the dotted line just yet (I probably will) but it would really help if I could get a better idea of what my wife and I are signing up for.

InTheTrees

Congratulations!

What state will you be moving to?

Every state has a different level (Some are 0%) of State Income Tax in addition to Federal Tax so that's a variable.

As regards insurance. It can also vary but (very) generally your employer should cover you for little to no expense to you and your spouse should be covered by a contribution from you. (My employer charges us $350 a month for a spouse, considerably cheaper than getting it yourself).

Yes, apartments are rented empty. You could search under "Vacation rentals" for somewhere short term and furnished to start you out while you look.

Shipping can be expensive and/or take a long time. Consider starting fresh and buying what you need here?

You'll probably also need a car. And Bank account.

InTheTrees

Craigslist for the area you're going to is the best place to look for accommodation.

ProudDUB

Re accommodation, yes rental accommodation will come unfurnished. The kitchen will have major appliances such as cooker, fridge and dishwasher, but nothing else. Don't ship your stuff from here unless your company will pay you a moving allowance, or what you own here is so incredibly valuable and precious and you can't possibly live without it. Furniture and household items are way cheaper over there than they are here. Just replace them when you get over there. It will be way cheaper to replace them than to ship them from here, as shipping companies charge by weight.

Rates of income taxation are much lower than they are here, but it does vary from state to state so impossible to say with any accuracy what you'll be paying without more info. You will pay two taxes, a federal tax that goes to the US government and a state tax that stays in the state that you live in. Some states (Florida for example) don't have a state income tax, but most of them do. Where ever you are living, I'd be very shocked if you are paying as much as 50% income tax, unless you are earning mega millions per year.

Health insurance - if the company is providing it, you'll have to pay a very small amount towards it (like twenty quid per pay period kind of thing) but that is about it. You'll have the option to add on dependents such as a spouse or kids, for not very much more per month. Deffo add your wife, as if she were to go out and try and buy a policy by herself, it would be insanely expensive.

Re how far will your 50,000 go? Again impossible to say. It depends on what state you will be in. The cost of living in California or New York and the big north eastern mega cities, is generally quite a bit higher than it is in the Mid West, South West, or Deep South. But in general, I find Ireland to be a much, much more expensive country to live in than the US, so it will go further over there than it will here. How much further depends on what state you'll be in.

iusedtoknow

As others have said, it really depends where you are.

In the San Francisco, our costs are roughly this a month

Rent: 2540
Electric/gas : 50-70 a month (in bay area we haven't had to have heating on in the last month)
Cable/Net: 80
Car loan/Insurance: 300
Gas: 40 every 2 weeks (we both are able to get shuttles to work, use the car for tootling around at weekends)

Health care is covered by our company, we have the top tier and it costs us 90 a month from my paycheck, dental around 20 a month

You will need to figure on losing around 1/3 of your salary to taxes/social security - depending on your situation this can be recouped when you file your taxes the next year.

I would suggest going to city-data.com and plug in the city you will be moving to - it will give you an idea of the median incomes and there is a discussion forum there with people you can talk to about your specifics.

FlashAnderson

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies and tips. I'll be sure to check out those websites.

I'm moving to Connecticut. I'll be about half way between Boston and New York - great for family and friends who want to come over and visit I reckon...

Not sure what the tax system is like - but I've a few more months before the move so I'll have a bit of time to figure it out...

Thanks again