Should we move to the USA?

Mamguliz I don't know if the US is as strict as Canada regarding immigration, but I would imagine it is probably more strict.

My friend - a homeowner - emigrated to Canada ten years ago when she was about 78 to be near one son living there and one son living in the US (both are chartered accountants so have good salaries). It took her about three years to jump through all the hoops for permission to live there, and she had to provide a great deal of information as to how much capital and income she had. I believe her sons also had to act as guarantors should she run out of money.

I can understand why you would want to move to be near your son and grandchildren and I suppose if it were me I would feel similarly drawn. The US would not be a country I would ideally choose because of its awful health system and gun culture but I can certainly understand the pull of wanting to be near your family.

I think the idea of visiting for several months of the year is quite a good one but I suppose you have to bear in mind that you might not always be able to do that. It is said that travel insurance is going to be very much more expensive from now on.

I wish you good luck and happiness, whatever you decide.

Why do people do that MerylStreep ask a question and for opinions then disappear.
It would be interesting to know what decision the OP came to.

I doubt very much that the OP is reading these comments as the first ( and only) comment from her was on the 5th of February.

I think Bossyrossy is right. Test the water first, rent and plan to stay there for a few months to see how it goes and what the real implications of life there will be. Good luck. That way you always have the option of coming home to the UK.

Just to add to this my husband worked in the financial sector and one of his colleagues was diagnosed with cancer – obviously he had premium healthcare insurance through the company and the treatment he received in hospital was fantastic – we visited him in hospital and I was very impressed - but when he came out he had to recuperate for about 3 months and was on medication which the insurance did not cover in full – he had to pay towards it and the cost was eye watering – fortunately he could afford it.

I notice this question is on the relationships forum which tells me it is more than just a logistics query.

Everyone is different. I would say don't go and continue to visit when you can. However if you feel desperate to go then you must do it or you will regret it.

If it is possible and you would like to live the rest of your life there then go for it.

My DS is in NZ where I believe there is a 6 month granny visa, although we won't be going except to visit and they come here when they can.
Do they have the same kind of thing in the States?

My American cousin is trying to retire here as she adores our country. Her DGP emigrated there.

Sorry to be no help at all!

Hi, my husband and I lived in New York for six years and I really loved it – going to Broadway etc, but I did miss the history and tradition of Britain (I always say we went from Greenwich to Greenwich Village) however, he was relocated there by his company and it was never a permanent move . Whilst we were over there, we travelled widely including to LA. I liked the States but I’m not sure I would want to live there. My biggest issue (as other’s have said) would be healthcare particularly as you are both in your 70s – you say you are both fit and healthy but as you get older you are going to need health care – that is a given - and when I say that I also mean social care – support at home etc everything in the US is paid for personally or more likely by insurance and health insurance won’t cover everything and you will find, because of your ages, your premiums will be real high. Also, in the US you need a car, no question. I think as other have said it would be something to try first for an extended period of time to see what it is like rather than burn your bridges.

Hondagirl their pension wouldn’t be frozen if they moved to the USA; this only applies to countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand where there are many more ex pats residing. So they would get the annual rises in state pension but of course the income would be subject to currency fluctuations.

We used to own a holiday home in Florida and did look into moving out there permanently but as others have said unless money is no object it was out of the question as healthcare is exorbitant, especially if you are over 70. You wouldn’t get a permanent visa or green card unless you invested a great deal of money into a business which employed US citizens. You would probably get visas to stay for six months, no longer, but if you do this on a regular basis you may be called in for interview by US immigration and you would certainly get questioned about your intentions when passing through immigration. I know people who have experienced such interviews and it was a very unpleasant experience.

There are income tax implications as well and you would have to look into these.

If you returned to the UK after living in the USA (I think for more than six months but you would have to check this) you wouldn’t be entitled to any benefits except your pensions and NHS care for a period of two years.

California is lovely but it is one of the more expensive states to live in.

There are forums for ex pats and you will find information on there.

Absolutely check the costs. One common issue is that many healthcare insurance companies will not cover pre-existing conditions, so if you have any health issues, you may well have to pay out of pocket for your care - and that isn't cheap. California can absolutely be very expensive, and I could be wrong, but from what I understand LA is quite spread out, so a car will be essential.

Health care costs can be substantial for many people. Given that you may not be able to get citizenship, I am not sure if you will be eligible for Medicare - you'd need to check into that. Sadly, there are people who have literally gone bankrupt because of high health care costs. You'd also need to consider the costs if you needed to move somewhere such as a care facility, eventually.

@Pattie47
One thing you need to be aware of is that your UK pension would be frozen at the rate at which you are receiving it when you leave the UK. This means you would not be given any cost of living increases which you would receive if you stayed in the UK. The same does not apply to the USA however. Very unfair I know. I live in Australia and have been receiving the same rate of UK pension that I was receiving when I left the UK years ago.

Im sorry that you lost your son. My advice is to not move. You could spread your time between the two countries. We moved to be closer to our son and its all gone wrong. DIL wont share the grandkids. Her mother lives with them and she has caused trouble too. Our son wanted us to move too. We are stuck living here now with no friends and its hard to make new friends especially as I got diagnosed with a serious illness and aren't well enough to socialize. They have also talked about relocating overseas which wasn't the plan. The thought that I wont see my grandson if they move because I cant travel and will they ever return. Just test the waters before you make that giant leap.

Just a warning. You say you are fit seventies. My DH and I were fit seventies and our health turned on a sixpence and we are both having very expensive and good treatment on the NHS. I read horror stories about insurance companies refusing such treatment in the US.
A good idea to split your time.

A real dilemma. Check the actual costs of health care, food, insurance etc before you make a decision. Maybe an extended break in a rental would give you a better idea of what it would be like in reality. My son is in NY and there is no way we could afford this on a U.K. pension.

Me in hospital a while ago getting appendix done. Chatting to neighbour bed person. American. In for gall bladder. Said she’d come to UK cos of health problems. Made bankrupt there....?

I agree with Bossy Rossy. Rent a place nearby for 6 months each year and keep your home here . I know a couple who do that
I also know a couple who , at the request of their son and family, moved 200 miles north to be near them. They had 2 years of seeing their grandsons , taking them about for fun days out . Then the son got the offer of a job in Australia and they moved . Now couple feel uprooted from home of 40 years for nothing really .

Does anyone have any advice if it would be possible for us (aged 65 & 69) to go to live in Canada with our son & family? We would never get citizenship as we are retired. How much might health insurance be? I know we can now visit for 6 months in a year & think there was a Grandparenting Visa available but that would mean us keeping a property in the UK. Has anyone had any experiences of moving to Canada as an elderly couple?

I second Bluecat's advice - if either of you face medical problems in the future, which, in view of your ages seems fairly likely, there is a serious risk that you could be crippled financially by health care costs. It would be far wiser to go to the US once or twice a year, possibly having let your home, without permanently cutting your UK ties.
We have friends from the USA living nearby here in France (they came here for cancer treatment for the husband) and they have, so they say, had to pay one third of the cost of treatment in the US. They also added that under no circumstances should you EVER spend time in hospital under intensive care as even medical cover is rarely adequate to cover this. They also say that the cost of medicine in the US is usually some 5 times that of the UK or France. My sister, who lives in Virginia, confirms this.

Be very, very careful. My daughter and family live in Wisconsin and they have found it very expensive. Luckily, they have a very good income and comprehensive insurance but they still find the costs eye-watering. Even the best insurance doesn't cover everything, and the cost of living is high. Property tax, for a start, takes a big chunk. Unless you are very well off, or your kids can support you, think very carefully about what you are doing.

If it’s doable, do it! We moved 12,000 miles from the UK to Australia, best thing we ever did.

It is the medical side that would worry me the most. Any pre existing conditions are horrendous to insure. My late husband had an electrical problem with his heart, would need $1 million insurance every time he went for work. When he got brake fluid in his eye, a $400 bill was sent home and that was in the 90's. Have you got Skype or WhatsApp as I speak to my family every week and they live in England x

We have neighbours who spend the cold months in Texas and the warm ones here in the UK, renting out each property in turn. But it's easy for them as one of them is American, one British. I'm not sure it's that easy simply to move there just because you want to - immigration is a tough business and the US can be very unwelcoming, legally-speaking. But good luck with whatever you decide!

My best friend and her husband moved to NZ for the exact same reasons as you describe, hoping to live out their 'golden years' exactly how they wanted. 5 years down the line, they're now thinking of downsizing their home because they're practically skint from couging up everything from rent, cars, downpayments on mortgages for their chidren to nannies for their grandchildren, not to mention always being available in every emergency that arises, including childcare on a regular basis. My friend, who loves her children and grandchildren immeasurably, is miserable, knackered constantly, can never organise anything for herself and now suffering from mental health issues because of their situation. I'm not saying this will happen to you but make sure you're doing it for all the right reasons.

How about 6 months here, 6 months there? Perhaps eventually you would decide where you would rather be. Also will your son always live in LA? If he moves where would that leave you?

If it were me, I would stay put (but of course, it's not me!). As others have said, you can take extended holidays. People in general are very poor at imagining their lives in the future (there is research evidence of this). The big thing is health. Your health can turn on a sixpence, and then the costs incurred in the USA are massive. Furthermore, you do not have the back-up you probably have here, both formally and informally. This would put a huge burdon on your son and his family. The other biggie for me is the shared cultural heritage thing. Think carefully and good luck, whatever you decide.

I moved to the UK (from Maryland) at age 47 in 1999. I was a nurse and my grandparents had come from England, so moving here was a fulfilling my life's dream. Working in the NHS and receiving care from this amazing institution was absolutely eye-opening. I am now retired, and have small grandchildren (and my lovely DD and SIL) in New York but I would never in a million years move back to the States. The healthcare would be my main concern, but also gun crime, the way they waste energy without a care, judgmental people who think they are entitled to ask everyone the most personal of questions. My current situation is to go and stay with my DD once or twice a year for a month. My dream would be to go twice a year for two or three months. This is just my opinion.