The software industry in America

[jamesbrown]

The standard of living, the weather, the work opportunities, the education system, the opportunities, the bigger cars, the bigger houses, more money, better work, it's where Software Development is based.

Clientco is presently paying $230000 for a particular technical stack (Java, Javascript & load of other stuff I don't do :-) )plus benefits, plus shares.

As someone said, It's the American deam innit.

Yep, definitely a lot of positives. I started missing the British culture a lot after 6 years in DC though. Great for a few years, I'd say.

[BlasterBates]

British Culture = Scrabble on a wet Sunday afternoon, warm beer, soggy chips, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore wearing macs, Morris dancing and Brighton Beach in the Summer

American Culture = Rockabilly, Bluegrass, New Orleans Jazz/Blues, Rodeos, Diners with big burgers and milkshakes etc etc

[minestrone]

I worked for a start up that grew fairly quickly and one of the directors was sent over to open an office in the states with his wife. After a few months his wife had left him for a married man.

When he found out he cancelled the family visa and moved back home, as neither of the new couple could get divorced quick enough to remarry she got kicked out the country, where at which point he got a new visa for himself and moved back.

Always liked that story.

[fullyautomatix]

The normal route to get in is via the H1 visa. I think H1 visa works like a work permit. Some consultancy files it on your behalf, you land there with a H1 visa, attend an interview and the consultancy gets a cut of your rate.

[TheFaQQer]

American companies don't view contractors like a British company does.

If you are a decent contractor, then an American company might reward you with an offer of permanent employment with them.

If I was permie, then I'd quite like a stint in America - my parents did it twice when my dad was working. A friend of mine has just got his green card, and my uncle has lived in Colorado for 30+ years. I'd love the chance to go, but it's not going to happen.

The question really is why America? What are you hoping to get from being there? Do you have any links?

As others have said, visa requirements are pretty strict as well. We looked at Canada a few years back and were set to go, and then there were no jobs. Canada is great for visa requirements - as long as you meet the points and are in a sought after role, then you don't need a job before you get the visa, and it's a permanent residency card rather than something that you have to renew.

[IR35FanClub]

I looked into relocating to the states back in 1997, but things haven't changed that much....

There are two routes (forget the third)
1) Get an intercompany transfer VISA as a manager of your own company starting up an international branch. You might find this gets refused as it's just you.
2) Start a new company with an investment. It used to be $150,000 dollars but not sure these days.
3) Move to Mexico and try and sneak across the border.

If anyone mentions green cards, punch them. A lot of peopel mistake a work VISA with a Greencard. It's actually a lottery run by the US as part of their diversity programme. They already have enough English speaking people of British backgrounds so you won't be eligible. (Unless you are from elsewhere originally).

There are however things you need to consider if you see america as land of the free...
1) Holiday is typically 10 days per year. If you want to travel around to see america - your best doing it now before you move there!
2) working hours are longer. 40 hours is a minimum.
3) It gets hot and humid in a lot of places and its a nightmare. Imagine sweating your ass off just walking from the air conditioned car to your air conditioned office.
4) People have guns and are generally stupid and willing to use them. There were over 50,000 hand gun murders per year when I was considering it. That doesn't include machines guns, knives, cars used as a weapon, suicuide bombers or anything else you may encounter. Compared to the total 600-700 UK murders that's a bit risky. In fact more so than a lot of unstable African countries.
5) There are over 50,000 road fatalaties per year. With a population of 450 million VS UK 60 million thats shameful compares to our 3,500 deaths.
6) You have no NHS. So becuase of 4 and 5 above a) You need lots of insuarnce b) its expensive.
7) Car insurance is expensive. When getting some car quotes. I remember thinking FFS how much. You have to remember that in the US - if you look badly at a pedestrian they'll fall on the ground holidng their knee and sue you. One benefit is they insure you as the driver - rather than your vehicle. Writing off a $50,000 car is nothing compared to the bill for breaking someone's toe.
8) If you have no work you are screwed. there is no benefits system. Plan on putting aside 50% of everything you earn into savings. I bet lots of Americans who had good jobs were cuaght with their pants down after 2008.
9) There is no state pension. You will have to save in your IRA or you will face the same problems as 8.

All things considered it's like the UK with good weather and lower taxes. But a lot of people who will kill you to get your money. Or kill you by accident.

I decided to stay in the UK and buy a North Face jacket. Much cheaper. And each town is different - though slowly becoming the same. The US is a bit of a cultureless void. there a big road three lanes each way with a Wendy's, McDs, KFC and Denny's, Target, and some other of the usual brands. As there's no town centre as such, the pubs are all spread out so drinking and driving is mandatory. Probably the cause of 5.

Thought it does have some epic scenery. But as I pointed out earlier - you can take a flight from the UK and see more of it than if you were living there.

[edit] PS Try Canada. They have guns but are intelligent and dont use them as often. They have nice weather in summer and F'ing cold winters. So cold they build properly insulated houses. And snow is much more fun than wet slushy nonsense we get for a few days if we are lucky. Plus you can pop over the border to have a drive around. I beleive they also have some sort of social welfare and NHS - hence why they don't have to shoot each other to get a meal.

[MarillionFan]

I have a discussion in a couple of weeks about converting from contract to permanent & then kicking off my visa application. Either way H1/L1 it wouldn't be until October 2013.

Just spoken to a colleague who tells me he pays no more than 20/25% of his salary in Tax, but on checking he pay be right for Texas, but in CA it included an additional state tax which it appears Texas doesn't have(!)

[bless 'em all]

an additional state tax which it appears Texas doesn't have(!)

And to top it off their equivalent of VAT is a total maximum combined rate of 8.25%.

Guns and ammunition are exempt from this tax is some counties.

[d000hg]

Unless you have some very, very specific skills (or a LOT of money for business investment in the US), I'd say your chances of relocating to the USA at present are nil (or close to nil.)

I'm not sure about that, top-notch developers are always sought after. Obviously that's focused on being a permie but companies like Google et al are always aggressively recruiting globally for good people. Of course 'good' might be out of most of our leagues, I don't really know.

[MarillionFan]

I'm not sure about that, top-notch developers are always sought after. Obviously that's focused on being a permie but companies like Google et al are always aggressively recruiting globally for good people. Of course 'good' might be out of most of our leagues, I don't really know.

Trust me. It's out of our leagues. The engineers in these companies are way way out of our intellectual levels. They are of course all said geeky virgins though. :-)