Hello!

I’ve seen a few posts praising the US and I can’t deny that I’ve also had a very concrete goal of moving permanently to the US eventually. I’m from the EU so the “reality” that I have of the US comes mainly from the media. With this being said, I’d like the brutally honest opinions of those that experienced the US first-hand, whether you’re American, have always lived in the US and absolutely hate it, or if you moved from the EU to the US and are loving the experience.

  • As expats, I think we’re all running from something from our home country (work conditions, family situations, etc). What made you move to/out of the US?
  • Do you feel your QoL (quality of life) has improved with your move to/out of the US?
    • If so, would you attribute this to working conditions/salary? Or living conditions such as more free time, good pension/retirement, etc
  • Do you plan on going back to your home country? If so, what is the main driver of that decision?

Last, but not least, for those living in the US, do you believe that the pros of having more/better career opportunities (at least for skilled labor/PhD level) in the US outweigh the cons of living there, namely:

  • poor/expensive healthcare
  • extremely high tuition fees for colleges
  • high crime rates (naturally highly dependent on the place you live)
  • small amount of time for maternity leave (I don’t mind the small amount for paternity leave, but in Scandinavian countries mothers can have up to a year of maternity leave which I believe is very beneficial for the kids. I do value countries that value and protect the family structure)
  • … and a general low work-life balance? (This last bullet point is not as important to me as I do like and appreciate the hustle culture of the US which makes effort/skills be more appreciated and compensated)

Thank you all! Apologies in advance if this has been asked multiple times before, but I’d like to condensate different perspectives in a single thread if possible as it might be helpful for others as well! :)

  • Redwolfdc@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I think the thing that sucks about the US is your health insurance is tied very much to your employment. And you need insurance no matter what your health situation is because the risk of having to pay out of pocket for something can be immense.

    You can have excellent healthcare plan in the US if you work a skilled career full time for a mega corporation. But it can be difficult to navigate otherwise. Those who are self-employed, retired early, or in any situation outside of a normal W2 FT job have to get creative to have access to decent insurance.

    • wheatendoggo@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Yep, I’m an independent contractor, mostly healthy in my 30s and pay $750 month for my plan, which doesn’t include my $90 a month inhaler. But I chose it because in the event there is a major issue, I won’t get screwed by massive unexpected expenses (lower out of pocket max; and really good coverage out of network). It’s not an ideal situation .

    • notthegoatseguy@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      your health insurance is tied very much to your employment.

      For nearly half of Americans on Medicaid and Medicare, it isn’t,

      That doesn’t really apply for a foreigner looking to immigrate. But its still worth noting that there is a lot of government involvement in health insurance.

      • Redwolfdc@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        There is but you have to qualify for those. Medicaid is not that great from what I’ve seen and many doctors don’t want to take it. Medicare is very decent insurance but only generally available to those 65+, along with some other exceptions of course.