Moving from Germany to US. What surprises to expect?
Hello people, The clear winner from the opinion poll is to go and get my GC. https://www.teamblind.com/post/kHdspK2g?cid We decided to move to the USA to chase the GC which I left behind many years ago. 40+ 20+ yoe family + kid h1b recapture leftover time p.d. eb2 2006 skills: architecture, strategy, data, cloud, system design never leetcode. > What kind of surprises can we expect in the US? I discovered some on blind. - healthcare costs in the USA are 3-4 times higher now compared to old times - free in Germany - blind CA TC's - decent pay in Germany for seniors - not rich but low expenses - higher education costs - free college education in Germany - multiple EMIs - NONE in Germany - we rent and no car, good public transport > what else? > what should be my job search and GC strategy? - No leetcode, can't crack faang?? - Or get a job at non-faang startups with interviews focusing on problem-solving, system design, etc.,? - WITCH - experts at GC paperwork? - old school - ICC - whatever I ask them to do? - no benefits Expected move 6 months maybe - get a job, h1b premium, visa stamping when consulates open and when we are allowed to travel out of Europe. Does anyone want to share their wisdom? #insurance #medical #health #h1b #leetcode #faang #startup #relocation #germany #europe #family #kids #education #advice #strategy #tech #jobs #costs #costofliving #surprises #worklifebalance
teamblind
I'm trying to understand the motivated to get a US green card. Are you a German citizen? Germany seems nice, and a lot better standard of living in some ways (healthcare, transportation) than the US.
I am not a citizen but have a permanent settlement permit to live in Germany. Our motivation is strong family ties in the US. Also, the child is USC. The housing situation is pretty bad in the cities. Finding rental apartments is harder than finding jobs. It is hard to buy a good apartment because the savings are not enough because of high taxes. Most of the locals rent and they are happy. There is a lot of interesting things about rental contracts and it is a separate post for itself. I definitely recommend Germany to people who want a very active lifestyle, lots of vacation, unlimited sick leave, good work-life balance, great job security (no one will fire you), etc. The young population is very open-minded(especially in cities like Berlin) and you can make good friends irrespective of race or color. Families with kids have a variety of challenges. Language is a major issue and your helplessness when you cannot help your kid with the math problem because you don't speak the language. If a family with kids is thinking to move from the US to Germany, they could dm me. I know families with kids who moved from the States couldn't adjust and went back. If you plan to live in Germany, you must learn the language and integrate into the ways of living here. We could not invest our time to learn German properly.
I see, thank you for clarifying! Are you focused on moving to the Bay Area specifically? This is where the majority of high paying tech jobs are located. Your take-home pay is likely to be much better than in Germany, but finding and affording housing won't be better. In fact, it will probably be worse. (Most people here rent. To buy a house or 3-bedroom townhome would cost $2M+. Rent varies by location, but $3-4k per month for a 2-3 bedroom apartment is normal.)
I won’t recommend moving out of Germany But if you have to You will miss the food in US. Instead consider Canada where lifestyle is a mix between Europe and US.
I am of Indian origin and I don't think food is an issue. I would rather live in Germany than move to Canada. Switzerland and Netherlands are great alternatives in Europe.
“- healthcare costs in the USA are 3-4 times higher now compared to old times - free in Germany” It’s not free, you pay comparable amount from your paycheck, if not more, with the one you will pay in the U.S. working in a company providing health insurance. Germany: 350€ (employee) + 300€ (employer) per month, almost no copayment. U.S.: 200-300$ per month, max. 3000-4000$ in copayment per year in case of serious health problems of one family member.
You are right. I am paying a healthcare premium in the payroll but hardly any copays except 5 Euro per prescription. I go to the doctor's office multiple times a year for routine lab tests, go to any specialist for any consultation. I don't have to be bothered about maximum out-of-pocket expense etc. This is definitely a plus in Germany.
Useful post. Appreciate your detailed responses in the comment section, OP. I'm wondering if you'd be kind enough to answer some of my queries, please! I'm an Indian citizen (36 year old) and recently moved back to India along with my wife and son, after 10 years in the US. I'm a SWE that last worked at Microsoft in Seattle. We made good money in the US and no longer have to work for money in India. I'm now interested in living and working in Germany just for the life experience. If you could please share any advice/tips/insights on how to proceed, I'll be very grateful. I'm totally willing to put the effort to learn German. Any inputs from you on how to go about finding a software job in Germany while based in India would be appreciated. My son is only 2 years old so moving to a new country won't be hard on him. If you want me to DM you, I'll be very happy to.
Gc is the way to go. I am not software so cant comment on importance of leetcode. If you come to the bay area prepare for high housing cost and /or commute time. Good access to outdoors if you are into that. If you can join a company with healthy stock grants . Hard to compete without that. Best of luck
How flexible are the immigration lawyers in Faang or any good tech companies with filing PERM asap? I don't want to be stuck in bureaucracy when I know my EB2 P.D. is current.