[basilmabraham]

Originally Posted by Kiterunner

2) Yes, thinking about Australia and PTE

This can be easily done by going into skillselect website and calculating your points. You can get 10 points extra from PTE, I got full marks there, not very difficult. Check out your total points, if you are above the cut off, chances of an invite is huge. Once invited, is just customary processes to get the visa. Much quicker too, I got mine done in exactly 90 days.

All the best.

[kopakabana]

Hi Saurav9385, welcome to UK. What type of VISA do you have right now? You can check if it can be extended or not.

And yes, for Indefinite Leave to Remain (PR in UK) one has to spend 5 years in UK.

OT- where are you in UK? I am in Glasgow.

[Kiterunner]

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

This can be easily done by going into skillselect website and calculating your points. You can get 10 points extra from PTE, I got full marks there, not very difficult. Check out your total points, if you are above the cut off, chances of an invite is huge. Once invited, is just customary processes to get the visa. Much quicker too, I got mine done in exactly 90 days.

All the best.

Thanks for the tip.

Yes, I am meeting the cutoff score of 60. I have started working on PTE. Hopefully, will be able to give the test soon.

Regards,
KIterunner

[JoseVijay]

Originally Posted by Kiterunner

Thanks for the tip.

Yes, I am meeting the cutoff score of 60. I have started working on PTE. Hopefully, will be able to give the test soon.

Regards,
KIterunner

Please do check your eligibility before you take the plunge.

[Kiterunner]

Originally Posted by JoseVijay

Please do check your eligibility before you take the plunge.

Sorry, I did not quite understand your post

What 'eligibility' are you referring to?

Regards,
Anup

[racer_ash]

Originally Posted by sourav9385

Writing this post from the U.K.

Been here less than a week, and I already adore this place! People are so nice, facilities are marvelous, and every thing is absolutely amazing. I so want to immigrate to the UK but sadly my VISA is valid just for 3 years :(

Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but I need to stay here for a minimum of 5 years to be eligible to apply for the PR, yes? I'd give anything to settle down here for life. Nothing could be more perfect.

Depends on your Visa type. If you with Tier 2 ICT, then forget about it, you have a chance if you have a Tier-2 General. But from what I have seen, even with this Visa, things are pretty difficult now and not worth the chance (as per me). Not to discourage you in any way, but there are countries that are more welcoming w.r.t immigration and with facilities at par.

Looking at the number of BHPians in UK, I think a UK BHPian meet is due now.

[sourav9385]

Originally Posted by kopakabana

Hi Saurav9385, welcome to UK. What type of VISA do you have right now? You can check if it can be extended or not.

And yes, for Indefinite Leave to Remain (PR in UK) one has to spend 5 years in UK.

OT- where are you in UK? I am in Glasgow.

It's a Tier 2 I.C.T. Valid for 3 years till 2020. Though I'm not sure if my company will let me stay here for that long

Originally Posted by racer_ash

Depends on your Visa type. If you with Tier 2 ICT, then forget about it, you have a chance if you have a Tier-2 General. But from what I have seen, even with this Visa, things are pretty difficult now and not worth the chance (as per me). Not to discourage you in any way, but there are countries that are more welcoming w.r.t immigration and with facilities at par.

Looking at the number of BHPians in UK, I think a UK BHPian meet is due now.

Hmm, my wife wants to know if it's possible to get a dependent visa converted into a general visa. Is that even possible these days?

So basically what you guys are saying is there's a snowballs chance in hell of staying in the U.K? What exactly do I need to be in order to consider settling here? IIT, IIM grad earning 6 figures pound sterling annually?

And if U.K isn't the best option, what other countries are there as of now? U.S.A is out of contention, what with Donald running the show. Canada takes a very long time as far as I've been told, though my sister-in-law might get her P.R later this year and then she might be able to sponsor my wife. So here's looking forward to that. Still don't know how long it will take to go through the immigration process. If it takes more than a year then it's quite pointless tbh.

What about Australia? How quick is the immigration process there? Another country we are keenly considering is Ireland. Any ideas about that?

[kopakabana]

Originally Posted by racer_ash

Looking at the number of BHPians in UK, I think a UK BHPian meet is due now.

I totally agree. Lets arrange a BHPian meet.

Originally Posted by sourav9385

Hmm, my wife wants to know if it's possible to get a dependent visa converted into a general visa. Is that even possible these days?

So basically what you guys are saying is there's a snowballs chance in hell of staying in the U.K? What exactly do I need to be in order to consider settling here? IIT, IIM grad earning 6 figures pound sterling annually?

Sourav, as pointed out by racer_ash, with Tier 2 ICT you won't be able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). What you can do is try and switch to Tier 2 General category. While you are in UK, keep looking for opportunities where the company is ready to provide certificate of sponsorship. If you are lucky you might get one. If your job is included in the shortest occupation list, you have slightly better chance. With Tier 2 General, you can apply for ILR after 5 years.

AFAIK, your wife can't switch to General category.

The minimum salary for Tier 2 (General) varies for different jobs. However, for ILR, you need to earn min 35000 pounds annually. IIM, IIT doesn't matter at all.

[sourav9385]

Originally Posted by kopakabana

...What you can do is try and switch to Tier 2 General category. While you are in UK, keep looking for opportunities where the company is ready to provide certificate of sponsorship. If you are lucky you might get one. If your job is included in the shortest occupation list, you have slightly better chance. With Tier 2 General, you can apply for ILR after 5 years.

AFAIK, your wife can't switch to General category.

The minimum salary for Tier 2 (General) varies for different jobs. However, for ILR, you need to earn min 35000 pounds annually. IIM, IIT doesn't matter at all.

hey thanks for replying!

So my wife can't switch to the Tier 2 General category if she's on the PBS Dependent Leave to Enter permit? But I can?

[baludharmarajan]

It is possible to switch visa however most companies doesn't do it. I know a couple of people who fought with the HR team however they never got it changed. Since you have ICT visa maximum permitted stay is 5 years. You have to leave country after that and can apply once you have stayed out of country for a period of 1 year.

[HorsPwr]

I will be moving to the US on L1A and my company has offered me a base pay of 80K, but as per estimates my take home per month is only going to be $3800. Where does the rest of the money go and will $3800 suffice to take care of myself and my family. I plan to live in NJ. Please advise.

[prasadee]

Originally Posted by HorsPwr

I will be moving to the US on L1A and my company has offered me a base pay of 80K, but as per estimates my take home per month is only going to be $3800. Where does the rest of the money go and will $3800 suffice to take care of myself and my family. I plan to live in NJ. Please advise.

Not sure what you used to estimate. The calculator that does the estimate should also give you a breakdown of the taxes and other deductions at source. Use an online Payroll tax calculator to understand where the money goes. http://www.paycheckcity.com/calculator/salary/

Will it suffice is a tough question to answer without insight into the kind of choices you make and your personal situation. There are those who sleep on a sleeping bag for years, and there are those who need a $5000 bed on day one. I wish there was an international cost of living calculator. Generally speaking, food/groceries are very inexpensive in US cities. Same deal with clothes you need for survival. Personal transportation is inexpensive as well. Public schools are free, & no uniforms. Look at the work location, and potential apartment rentals to get an idea of housing costs. This will be your biggest expense. Second will be auto insurance. If you buy an inexpensive car, with liability insurance, you may be able to alleviate some of this expense.

There are other costs to live a stress free life. And that is the cost of various insurances you need to buy. Health, Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, Auto, and Renters insurance. Hopefully your employer will cover most of these, and you will only need Auto & Renters insurance. That said, if you have nothing in your rental apartment, you don't need Renters insurance either. If you have long term objectives of living in the US, then you would need to put some away in 401K as well.

The good part is that inflation is very low. When I came to the US some 20 years back starting income of sw engineers was very close to the number you have. So it only gets better as your income increases year on year.

[nitrous]

Originally Posted by sourav9385

And if U.K isn't the best option, what other countries are there as of now? Canada takes a very long time as far as I've been told, though my sister-in-law might get her P.R later this year and then she might be able to sponsor my wife. So here's looking forward to that. Still don't know how long it will take to go through the immigration process. If it takes more than a year then it's quite pointless tbh.

What about Australia? How quick is the immigration process there? Another country we are keenly considering is Ireland. Any ideas about that?

Your chances at migrating to Canada and Australia get better if you apply as a UK resident. Make the application from the UK.
T&C: Depends on the visa application category.

[HorsPwr]

Originally Posted by prasadee

Not sure what you used to estimate.

These estimates have been provided by my employer and I fail to understand the numbers. Can you please check and let me know if these sound accurate and make sense to you ?


Base Pay
$ 80,000
FUTA/SUTA
$ 7,040
FICA
$ 6,120
401K Employer cont.
$ 3,200
Medical Insurance
$ 8,000
CTC
$ 1,04,360
Take home Calculation

Annual Base Salary
$ 80,000
Fed Tax
$ 22,400
State Tax
$ 5,600
Fica Tax
$ 6,120
Other
$ -
Take home
$ 45,880
Per month
$ 3,823
Per pay period
$ 1,912
401K
$ 1,600
Final
$ 47,480

[prasadee]

Originally Posted by HorsPwr

These estimates have been provided by my employer and I fail to understand the numbers. Can you please check and let me know if these sound accurate and make sense to you ?

I notice this 401K = $ 1,600 (assuming per pay period)
This number does not make sense though. 401K max per year for people under 49 is $18k.
If you are on L1 for a few years, you need not contribute to your 401K account. You can keep the PF account in India going. This will increase your take home.

Everyone needs to pay Fed, State, and FICA taxes. The exact amounts for taxes depends on your tax status or the number of tax with holding. Married, and number of dependents. If you are married you can increase the take home by filing a W4 for the increased number of deductions. The first year you file taxes in the US, you get a pass. From the second year you need to make sure you have paid 90% of the taxes by end of Dec. Your employer may be telling you default tax with holding. I have not seen any of my employers provide such info as this can be misleading. Most people use online paycheck calculators.