Question for the Europeans: why choose the US over Europe?

[millefleur 5,035]

Hi everyone,

I think reasons for moving from a country like Russia (our situation!) or any other "developing countries" to the US has rather obvious pluses. What I'm wondering about is why anyone from Western/Central Europe would move to the USA?

My sister (USC) is living in Austria now and she really wants to move back to the USA. She says Austria is a very close minded place and she feels unwelcomed as an outsider. So I understand that, I mean, she'll never "fit in" there. She has lived there for almost five years and she basically never wants to go back. It's been really hard for her there.

But what I'm wondering about is why Europeans would want to live their lives in the US. Western/Central Europe does have a lot of pluses (the health care, the cheaper education, the good public transport, the lack of violent crime, the lack of any major drug problems, the ability to travel easily and cheaply, the government is more or less as "free" as the US, etc...) and I'm honestly wondering what the motivation factor is for Europeans to go to the US.

Enlighten me! It's very interesting to me, as an American...maybe you'll make me see things in my home country that I don't see.

[JFH 12,189]

For some of us, the restrictions on bringing our spouses into our home countries are such that it is not possible.

We initially filed a spouse visa for my husband to live here in the UK but it was denied with no possibility of appeal because he spent 2 years in prison in the USA over 20 years ago. Also, the UK has a minimum income requirement for people to bring spouses in but no co-sponsors are permitted. Many people here work on zero hours contracts or on sales commissions and these don't count for the income requirement. In fact, the income requirement is higher than the average adult earns here (a lot higher than the 125% of the poverty level that the USA requires and the USA also permits co-sponsors).

It's actually easier for me to get into the US than it is for my husband to get into the UK.

So for us it's plan B. I don't think my life will be "better" there. Different, but not better. Not necessarily worse, either. I am certain we will be poorer than we would have been here. But we will be together, finally, after 4 years of paperwork and waiting. We are keen bird watchers and nature lovers so that for me is the biggest excitement apart from being with my husband at last.

Certainly even in the western world there are people who want the American Dream. Many of them know very little about life there. When I told people at work that my husband had been denied a visa for the UK and we were now going to start the process for me to move to the USA, many were shocked that we didn't do it this way in the first place. To them "America" is Disney World, warm weather, cheap food, cheap gasoline and 24-hour Wal-marts. They have no clue about the politics, cost of health care, access to public services (or lack thereof), and so on, like we do.

[Sara_1982 17]

I'm from Sweden and why we chose the US was because he has a 7 year old son. They both would have amazing opportunities for a great life in Sweden but his sons mom didn't like the idea of her son moving across the world, which is very understandable. The transition would also be easier for me since I know the language. Even though most swedes know English, it's quite hard to find a job and to fit in to our society without speaking Swedish.

Maybe later on in life we will move to Sweden. Only time will tell...

[millefleur 5,035]

I'm from Sweden and why we chose the US was because he has a 7 year old son. They both would have amazing opportunities for a great life in Sweden but his sons mom didn't like the idea of her son moving across the world, which is very understandable. The transition would also be easier for me since I know the language. Even though most swedes know English, it's quite hard to find a job and to fit in to our society without speaking Swedish.

Maybe later on in life we will move to Sweden. Only time will tell...

That's a good point. It IS harder for Americans to learn foreign languages. My sister even knows French and German (fluently) and she still can't get a job in Austria because they want her to have a degree from an Austrian university... So, sometimes even knowing the local language fluent is no help in Europe. Maybe you'll have a chance in the future though....Sweden looks great, planning to visit there soon for my honeymoon!

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

We first had my USC husband move to Ireland, because I had the better paying job and it was easier to immigrate that way. But he never really adjusted to liberal Europe (Republican Southern Baptist), and had difficulty finding a job with his strong Southern accent, which was depressing for him. So once we had the twins, and no family in Ireland, we decided to move to the USA to be closer to his family (that was a mistake, but too late now...), and because Arkansas, where we now live, is definitely more family friendly than Dublin city. Plus we were able to buy a 4 bedroom home with a large yard for half the price of out 1 bedroom apartment in Dublin.

[millefleur 5,035]

For some of us, the restrictions on bringing our spouses into our home countries are such that it is not possible.

We initially filed a spouse visa for my husband to live here in the UK but it was denied with no possibility of appeal because he spent 2 years in prison in the USA over 20 years ago. Also, the UK has a minimum income requirement for people to bring spouses in but no co-sponsors are permitted. Many people here work on zero hours contracts or on sales commissions and these don't count for the income requirement. In fact, the income requirement is higher than the average adult earns here (a lot higher than the 125% of the poverty level that the USA requires and the USA also permits co-sponsors).

Frustrating. Really, I had no idea that it was so strict in some countries. Well, I hope the US will have good things to offer you. I don't know about being poorer, the US isn't that expensive, is it? We Americans have the impression that it's a lot pricier to live in the UK. Maybe we're wrong.

[millefleur 5,035]

We first had my USC husband move to Ireland, because I had the better paying job and it was easier to immigrate that way. But he never really adjusted to liberal Europe (Republican Southern Baptist), and had difficulty finding a job with his strong Southern accent, which was depressing for him. So once we had the twins, and no family in Ireland, we decided to move to the USA to be closer to his family (that was a mistake, but too late now...), and because Arkansas, where we now live, is definitely more family friendly than Dublin city. Plus we were able to buy a 4 bedroom home with a large yard for half the price of out 1 bedroom apartment in Dublin.

Makes sense. So it wasn't hard for you to adjust to life in the US? People are friendly? Nobody cares that you have an accent and are "different"? I hope my fellow Americans are welcoming to everyone. I grew up in the South and living there I rarely met any Europeans. Maybe it's changing now.

[gregcrs2 1,777]

I have lived in the southern USA many times in my life, including currently. I can say that my experience is that southerners in general are more friendly than Northerners. Lots of Europeans in the south now. Every week I can hear someone speaking Russian or Ukrainian.

[Georgia16 2,858]

He can't move because of the job he has and since we want to be together we moved here.

I like it here BUT I miss Denmark very much and would love to go back! But we can't right now so we (my son and I) moved here.

He knows I miss home so he is so sweet and buy danish food and stuff for us so we can get that, it really helps.

Other then that Denmark is extremely hard to immigrate to so I doubt we will be able to move back.

They have demand on the house size, what kind of house, salary requirement and then the dane has to pay $10,000 for the immigrant to learn how to speak danish which the person has to pass courses. and a lot of other rules.

Then as in the person in Sweden you just can't really get a job an all that if you don't speak danish which is a hard language to learn.

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

Makes sense. So it wasn't hard for you to adjust to life in the US? People are friendly? Nobody cares that you have an accent and are "different"? I hope my fellow Americans are welcoming to everyone. I grew up in the South and living there I rarely met any Europeans. Maybe it's changing now.

I admit I had total culture shock; I went from being the far most conservative of my friends in Ireland to being called a "liberal hippy" here Having young children, and then another here in the USA, helped because it was easier to make mummy friends on the playground. The South is definitely very welcoming and friendly, once you get over the fact that everyone invites you to their church once they realise you don't have a :church family" yet. It also helps that we live a couple of towns over from Walmart's Global HQ and near a university town, so there are more foreign vendors and students here than in an average small town.

[Unidentified 2,930]

About 2 years ago when we decided to go the K1 route our decision to be in the US was because my now husband can't find a similar job in Sweden and he really loves his job. Now 2 years later I don't see us ever moving to Sweden because from what I see on Facebook and in the Swedish media tells me I can't feel safe in Sweden anymore.

[JFH 12,189]

Frustrating. Really, I had no idea that it was so strict in some countries. Well, I hope the US will have good things to offer you. I don't know about being poorer, the US isn't that expensive, is it? We Americans have the impression that it's a lot pricier to live in the UK. Maybe we're wrong.

Not so much the cost of living but the salary that my line of work commands in Europe is much higher than the US. Although it's all relative, of course. Also I have epilepsy and have had a brain haemorrhage which has left other disabilities. Over here I don't have to pay make any out-of-pocket payments for healthcare. Even my prescription charges are covered by taxation. I am always reluctant to say we have "free" healthcare in the UK.

[Georgia16 2,858]

About 2 years ago when we decided to go the K1 route our decision to be in the US was because my now husband can't find a similar job in Sweden and he really loves his job. Now 2 years later I don't see us ever moving to Sweden because from what I see on Facebook and in the Swedish media tells me I can't feel safe in Sweden anymore.

Oh the same with Denmark! SO crazy how lovely countries can be ruin so fast by others!

[Unidentified 2,930]

Oh the same with Denmark! SO crazy how lovely countries can be ruin so fast by others!

Yes it is scary!

[NikLR 13,220]

Frustrating. Really, I had no idea that it was so strict in some countries. Well, I hope the US will have good things to offer you. I don't know about being poorer, the US isn't that expensive, is it? We Americans have the impression that it's a lot pricier to live in the UK. Maybe we're wrong.

Depends on where you live.

People from California were moving to Colorado in droves and buying houses for cash because their homes sold for 2-3x what they were selling for here. Now our homes are more expensive than they were 2-3 years ago. In New York you could get a 1 bedroom apartment for cost of my house and I'm pretty sure gas and other items (even bread) cost more there. But in Oklahoma or Alabama, we'd have a huge 2500+sqft house with a couple of acres, instead of 1600sq ft and an average yard.

My realtor saved 3k by buying his Mercedes in Chicago vs Denver. It was worth the flight and drive back for him to do it.

The USA is so big it's like comparing the cost of living in Spain vs Switzerland vs the UK vs Finland.