Well, after nearly seven years in the USA, I'm extremely happy and extremely sad to say I'll be moving back to the UK later this year.
Why?
Well firstly there's the small matter of not being able to find work. I've had my work permit for five years now, and since getting it I've applied for literally thousands upon thousands of jobs and never got so much as a single interview or a call back. I joined four separate employment agencies, aced all their aptitude tests then never heard from them again.
I've spent five years setting my sights progressively lower and lower, until I realized I can't even get hired as a shelf-stacker at K-mart or as a cashier at the gas station. Even McDonalds didn't acknowledge my application.
Secondly, I have diabetes which I simply can't afford to have in America. No-one will hire me, so I can't get insurance and because I'm not a citizen, I can't get any kind of financial help either. When my current prescription runs out, I can't afford another doctor's visit or the tests I need, which means I don't get any more meds, which means I fall into a coma and die. That doesn't leave me much choice.
The final straw was a couple of days ago when Sunny came within a gnats wing of losing her job, which really highlighted just how precarious our situation is. With me not working, and no indication that this is going to change any time soon, we're literally one missed paycheck away from being homeless.
We talked it over and decided. Moving to England just makes the most sense.
The sad thing is, for all its problems, I love America. I love living here and I'm going to be really sad to leave it behind. In a perfect world, I'd get a job offer, Sunny and I could move to a nicer place and we could live out our lives here like we'd planned. However, after nearly seven years of living here and looking for work, it's just time to face reality.
7 comments:
Give me a call when you see this message.....Sunny's got my number. This is something Toby and I have been talking about too, and I wondered if we could compare notes on how it's all meant to happen.....
Sorry Kelly, can't help you.
It'll be a different process for both of us. Because Sunny and I have been married for more than four years, we do everything in one go. You'll have more to do and I only researched the process for me and Sunny.
You see that's where I was wanting to talk to you because I looked at both and there's only one difference....if you have been married over 4 years, you qualify (as the USC) for immediate 'ILR - Indefinite Leave to Remain. If you have been married less than 4 years a the time of moving, you qualify (again as the USC) for 2 years conditional ILR.
My questions were more pertaining the the fact that in so far as I can gather, the UKC would have to either go back first and secure a job in order to prove the ability to support the USC, or you would have to obtain a sponsor from the UK who would be willing to take financial responsibility for Sunny until such time as you were to get a job.
You see now hat I wanted to talk about?
Bummer!
I'm going to make a guess here, and say you've submitted applications not for just in SC, but other places, too? (the logic behind this question is that if you'd be willing to move back across the pond, moving to another state wouldn't have been a problem, either.)
Good luck with that!
Maybe when (if) the economy picks up here, you can try it again in a few years.
But this means you can post some pics from over there... ;)
Scratch
Wow!
Is Sunny going with you?
Are you going to change the name of your blog?
I always wondered why you guys didn't start off in the UK and it makes sense to move here.
It has been an adventure for me living in the UK, sometimes awesome, sometimes hard and our house is currently waiting for a buyer so we can get to the US.
My hubby already has a health insurance plan lined up so that part is covered for us.
If you need any help, I've been through it all. Just research where you want to live because some areas are really hard hit with this recession and my hubby has been out of work for a year, only temping for about 3 months during that time.
I'm sure your blog will get even funnier during the process. And I can say going US to UK is MUCH easier than UK to US!
~WAHS
Wow! I'm behind on my blog reading. I've been wondering why you hadn't done this a long time ago, since the UK seems a much better place.
Congrats!
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