Thinking and researching a move to the USA

[paul_3rdgen]

Hello guys, in need of some advice/any info that you could give. 

 I’m contemplating moving myself and my wife and kids to Florida.  I haven’t nailed down an exact location but we want to stay alittle inland to avoid getting affected by hurricanes.   
   First, I’ve calculated that I need a job that pays 50-60k, with medical insurance.  I noticed homes are 400-600k which is totally doable since my home here in Toronto is paid for. 

I would be looking for work in construction project management, or finishing supervisor of large projects.  I’m also willing to do other jobs, and definitely willing to learn, love new challenges. 

Haven’t looked at a working visa yet or citizenships.   Wondering how difficult it is to immigrate to the US.  Is it easier to get in by opening a business in a local community?

We are just tired of the life here in Toronto, it’s become overwhelming.  All we do here is work to pay the bills, every year that passes it gets worse and a good future for our children looks tough.   

Also the cold weather for 6 months is getting annoying.  Lol


Thanks in advance! 


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[Cobranut]

Immigrants who want to come here and become a contributing member of society are always welcome. 
My wife is a naturalized citizen, and the process can be quite a challenge.

Getting a Visa by opening a business requires quite a large investment IIRC.
Probably easier to find an employer who would sponsor you.

Also, be aware that taxes and insurance on a $500k home aren't going to be insignificant, especially on a $60k salary.

Good luck, and welcome to America.

[paul_3rdgen]

I’m definitely up to working hard and becoming a contributing member of another country.   I will have to investigate more into the tax laws.  It can’t be worse then where I am currently.  I’m currently paying 30% income tax, $7k property tax per year , $1.50 per litre for gas, and 50% more for car parts then you guys do.  I lowered my salary expectations because from what I read Florida has no income tax.  That’s state, but how much is federal income tax?  Like I said, need to do more research.   



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[Venom13132]

need to take in consideration that we don't have health care included in our tax rate either.  Gotta find a job that provides good heath care or it can be super expensive out of pocket.

[freeskier7791]

I would strongly consider North Carolina as well.  You can buy an awful lot of house for 300k, lots of construction management jobs, and you can go to both the beach and the mountains for a weekend.  The Mooresville and Concord area is very good for car stuff as well.  I live in the Winston Salem area, I would say that you will get paid at least 60k if you have experience for construction management around here, but not sure how many companies would sponsor visas for you.  Schools are good, not as a good as some northeast areas but takes are stupid cheap.  In the US most companies provide a high deductible health plan that you must pay for from each pay check so factor that in. 

[digitalsolo]

I've been all over the US with work, and North Carolina (particularly Charlotte area) is one of my favorite places.   I like southern Oregon on the coast also, but Charlotte has a lot more going on/better job market.

Florida and Carolinas (either one) have some killer humidity though, haha.

Look HARD at an HSA for healthcare (health savings account).  If you're family is pretty healthy (if not... stay in Canada, our healthcare system is designed to bankrupt you...), and you make decent money, HSA is a great option and has nice tax benefits.

[MPbdy]

I like Greer/Greenville SC area a lot.  I do like NC as well.  I wouldn't go too close to the coast because of hurricanes.

I have a buddy that moved to Moorsville and loves it.  It is a beautiful part of the country.  The Carolinas are a beautiful part of the country.

[paul_3rdgen]

I will look into those options.   We have some crazy humidity here in Toronto during the summer so no big deal.   The biggest challenge from my research is finding a company to sponsor a visa. 



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[Tomo]

On the immigrant stuff, my wife is currently in the process. We looked into all possible options, she came from Brazil. The unfortunate news is, yeah you really need someone to sponsor your coming over on a VISA.

Which, for construction sounds like it could be a challenge. She is a Tattoo Artist by profession, and building enough 'credentials' for her to come for 'art' purposes, was a no-go, and a Tattoo Shop willing to submit all the paperwork and proof of all the things employers would have to do, including proving that they tried to fill the position using local US talent, was just never going to happen. So we had her come on a Fiance VISA. We didn't want to just 'assume' that was the only way, but it definitely ended up being the only reasonable way.

[Exidous]

First start as USCIS.gov if you have not already.

My wife is an Aussie and me being from the US makes for a very difficult but still manageable amount of effort to get her a conditional green card. Then petition to have the conditional status removed. After that you can move onto citizenship. With neither of you being from the US, a work visa is pretty much the best way to go. You're also looking at probably 10k USD plus just to get to conditional green card.

Do you have a PMP cert? Project Management Professional. If you have a PMP, a lot Project Manager based jobs will open up for you. Once you can get to the citizenship status(if that's your goal) there are a TON of well paying GS(General Schedule) government jobs all over the US and abroad that have fantastic retirement plans in addition to any 401k you may want to do. Being from Canada originally makes government jobs a little easier as they are apart of the 5i's. Intelligence sharing. US, Canada, UK, Auz and NZ. The NSA didn't even care that my then girlfriend was Aussie.

The property taxes vary pretty wildly from state to state. Hawaii of all places is extremely low at about .35% where the "great" state of Taxes(Texas) is 2-3%. Illinois being the worst in the union for taxes across the board.

Skip Cali and the west coast all together. Amazingly gorgeous landscapes being ruined by hippies. Probably similar to your issues with Toronto. Arkansas is very cheap and the Smoky Mountains are amazing. (Tail of the Dragon). Not amazing schools but not terrible. Minnesota is Beautiful. The people are friendly. The taxes are middle of the road. Ton of big companies like Kraft, General Mills, Honeywell and 3M there. But the winters aren't much better that Toronto. Florida seems to be hick town or hurricane alley. I avoid living in places prone to natural disaster.

For your first 5 years or so you will be tied to the location your sponsor job puts you. Once you've received non conditional status your life is up to you.

I hope that isn't too much rambling. If you have any question, please feel free to ask. I've been stationed all over and have a pretty balanced (I hope) view of what places have to offer. Was stationed in New Jersey (when you and I met, I bought your FD trans is 2005 or so) and it's surprisingly nice, south of Trenton. North is garbage.

[blacksi]

I will look into those options.   We have some crazy humidity here in Toronto during the summer so no big deal.   The biggest challenge from my research is finding a company to sponsor a visa. 



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Ha ha, trust me a day or so of your humidity is a dream compared to the couple of months in FL where after 7 AM you can walk outside without dripping in sweat.  But I would take that over the COld you guys get.  I saw the snow you all had the week before last, crazy! 

Good luck on the hunt.

[wickedrx7]

Some thoughts:

Florida - This is one of the last places I would ever live unless I was retiring, and then I probably still wouldn't.  The trades in Florida generally don't pay well and the work mentality is slower.  I have a friend who is trying to move his business to Tampa and he has had a hell of a hard time getting people to do work.  He has caught an HVAC guy sleeping, lots of no-shows and just general flakiness.   One benefit is, if you are a good worker, you should be able to find a job because good workers are hard to find. 

North Carolina - Great place, especially Charlotte.  It is a good sized city but has small city feel.  I think the job market is pretty good, not sure on wages though.

South Carolina - Haven't spent a lot of time but have also heard good things. 

I would think about Austin Texas too.  Weather is nice and has a good general vibe to it.  We have friends who moved from Chicago and love it.  Might be a good contrast to Toronto but not as different as Florida will be.... 

[paul_3rdgen]

I’m looking and trying to get all the info I can.  Weighing all my options, as a parent the big decision is future for my kids. 

  As for work, I’m not scared of hard work, and I tend to believe my hard work and good attitude got me where I am today.  I just need the opportunity to prove it! 

I’m definitely going to look into NC and SC.  Sounds like it’s a great place!  I can see Florida as being very layed back as it’s more of a vacation/retirement community.   


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[Exidous]

Austin is a pretty nice town. Great food and city life. Plenty of land and work. It's still a bit warm for my taste but it's south enough to avoid the tornado's and inland enough to skip most the Gulf weather.

[paul_3rdgen]

I’ll look into it.  I’m not a fan or want to be in an area that is prone to natural disasters.  Lol


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