US to Scotland
Posted by MaleficentTailor6985@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 18 comments
We are seriously considering a move to scotland. I know we need Visas to get in. My wife has her passport and our child and I are getting ours. We know it will take time if we can do this and we are planning to do this in 2-3 years. My wife works for an international company with a strong presence in the UK. We are prepared for me to stay behind and join later if need be. She is already planning the move with her company to see if they will allow it. If they do they will sponsor her. She will be making the same amount here. I know cost of living is lower, and how low depends on housing costs and the tax band. My main question is how accurate is the tax calculator on the UK website. We are trying to figure out a budget and would like to get an idea of what her net income will be. Her income will remain the same.
IRUL-UBLOW-7128@reddit
We love Scotland, in the summertime. The weather is absolutely shite in the winter. You should visit during winter before you commit to this unless you're from northern Canada.
MaleficentTailor6985@reddit (OP)
How many days at or below freezing? We are used to ice or several inches of snow during the winter, along with at least a month of temps at or below freezing.
missesthecrux@reddit
It’s the lack of sunlight, the wind, the constant clouds and drizzle more than the raw temperature. In February this year Glasgow had a total of 22 hours of sunshine. That’s less than an hour a day where the sun was visible. In practice that meant a few days with a few patchy hours of sunshine (and it was extremely windy for much of the month so it was just clouds not sticking around), then days on end where the sun was not visible.
MaleficentTailor6985@reddit (OP)
I'll take that over crazy hot temps
a_toad_or_so@reddit
You will never be hot here thats for sure. Thats the haar here here til September 🌫️
Academic-Balance6999@reddit
I think it’s the darkness more than the cold. We visited Edinburgh in December and the sun rose— meaning when the sun peeped just a bit over horizon, it was still quite dark— at 8:30, and then sun set at 3:30. We were only there for a few days but it was STARTLING. It’s about ten degrees north of Maine— the same latitude as Juneau.
IRUL-UBLOW-7128@reddit
You might be okay then. I asked a taxi driver once about Scotland and he replied the winners were absolutely brutal because they're cold, dark and rainy. He hated them, but didn't want to move South with the English.
russ_1uk@reddit
Honestly, I'd think twice about coming anywhere near the UK. Scotland is beautiful, no doubt. But Maine is better if you like that sort of thing.
Pay here is far less than the United States (so I don't know if your wife's company will make her $100k per year (lets say) into £100k - cos that'd be more than decent). However, the cost of living is rising all the time and tax will continue to rise as our excuse for a government continually tries to tax everyone to oblivion.
Anyone that can is getting out, from what I've read.
Productivity is through the floor and successive governments have been relying on migration so GDP doesn't look like it's as shit as it actually is. Our economic policies aren't sustainable. Public services are really, really frayed. Our inner cities (in England) are becoming increasingly ghettoized. And our government seems hellbent on destroying the country. I thought the last lot were shit, but this shower of feckless morons is far, far worse.
Honestly - I think it's a bad, bad idea. Sure, if you were compelled by work for a few years - great, cos there's a way out, but voluntarily coming here is like rowing your lifeboat back to the Titanic.
Think long and hard would be my advice.
MaleficentTailor6985@reddit (OP)
She will be getting the same pay (roughly £60000 after estimated taxes). She wouldn't be taking a job away from anyone in the UK as she has had this same position at the same international company for years. Also her position deals with DEI (big no no here), she has brown skin (another no no), has been subjected to multiple accounts of racism over the last couple months (something she hasn't had to deal with for the last 30+ years), and she has a visible tattoo she now keeps hidden after that one guy was deported for being in a gang as evidenced by his autism awareness tattoo. Between that and the fact that a 10 year old American citizen with cancer was deported and Americans are being detained based solely on the color of their skin, I'd like to say NO to any suggestion to stay anyplace in the US. We are even nervous about visiting ahead of our eventually move just on the off chance she gets detained or worse on our return home due to racist BS here.
madpiratebippy@reddit
Your reasons all make sense to me and it’s part of why we’re moving. I’ve noticed some people just deeply believe America is the best at everything and can’t see how that’s just not true for other people.
You have a kid. I’d move sooner if possible honestly.
MaleficentTailor6985@reddit (OP)
I still need to get my passport, and we all need to get visas. I'm also looking at other places just in case. It really bowls down to how much it will cost since only my wife will have a job when we move.
madpiratebippy@reddit
That does make it hard and having to wait for your visa to get work also makes it more difficult. I’m Cheering for you mate! With any luck in 2-4 months my wife and I will be in Portugal. We were considering the uk but not everyone in our household could get there.
MaleficentTailor6985@reddit (OP)
Mynwofes boss considered prtugal until their company said no. I told my wife we could naive in acotland until we retire and the kiddo goes off to achool and we would retire somewhere cheap and warm.
missesthecrux@reddit
Why do you seem certain that she will be paid the same when she doesn’t have it confirmed? If her job is DEI then that kind of salary post tax is more than probably the person running the entire office.
MaleficentTailor6985@reddit (OP)
Her company bases pay on location at time of hire. This has been confirmed by HR, her immediately boss, his boss, and every single coworker that has relocated to another country voluntarily. The only time pay is adjusted is when the move is required. Her DRI projects are for the companies US locations. The rest of her duties mainly deal with international law with some dealing with specific issues in the EU and Asia. We would look at moving to the EU but the place to move would be Germany. It's too expensive and her work schedule wouldn't work for us.
Catladylove99@reddit
Are you sure about Germany? I live there and have been to Scotland, and it’s definitely cheaper here, though of course I suppose that depends on your exact location in each place. Also, Germany has some of the strongest labor protections in all of Europe, a healthcare system that’s doing better than the NHS, and now offers dual citizenship, opening the door to getting the right to live and work anywhere in the EU without having to renounce your US citizenship.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d 100% still take Scotland over the US. It’s lovely there. The winters are dark, yes, but not cold. If you live somewhere where the winter days are short and cloudy already, it won’t feel too different.
MaleficentTailor6985@reddit (OP)
I'm not opposed to Germany, but she has her mind made up. But we do have 2-3 years before we go. I'll definitely look into Germany. Always good to have a plan b
1Angel17@reddit
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