# Moving from Sydney to Silicon Valley



## winethinker (Mar 16, 2012)

Hi there, Love the site, really helps trying to navigate the complex world of international transfers!

I have accepted a role in Silicon Valley and would really appreciate some help around a few areas.

1. What is a good place to live near Sunny Vale..house with 4 brs to service 2 adults and 2 kids and dog?

2. What is th best way to transfer money ? Use a international bank like Citibank and have a account in Sydney and CA?

3. Is child care easy to get into or is it like sydney with a 18 month waiting list?

4. Going on an E3 visa which my wife will get as well. How long can we expect to wait for hers?

5. Any good tax breaks for Aussies living in US - "living away from home" is what UK people get in Aus, anything that I should look into before I leave.

6. Anything we should think about before we head off - very exciteid by the way and cant wait.

cheers
WT


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## hutais (Jul 2, 2010)

Hi There,

We are Aussies in NYC (from Sydney).
Your wife like me is eligible for an E3D. Does she want to work? I am (started my own business) and I had to apply for an Employment Authorization Card. She will need to wait for 3 months then apply and will also then get a social security card.If If she is also working for the same company the then she would also just get an E3. 
Your company would have to organize all that and they are all issued at the same time. The kids are also on E3D's.
Tax breaks well we have not had any? We have had to declare in our tax returns all our assets back home. Their tax system here is very different as there is 3 levels unlike back home where there is one. You are in California so could be very different to us in NY.
We have federal,state and city tax we pay.

I can't answer your other questions as life is very different over here

Good luck


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## hutais (Jul 2, 2010)

Oh make sure you negotiate good health insurance!!!! Huge shock at the cost and the health system over here . 
You just cannot be without it over here especially with kids


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## winethinker (Mar 16, 2012)

Great thanks. I will get my E3 in Australia would my wife get hers here too?


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## hutais (Jul 2, 2010)

yes sure will and the kids.She gets a E3D which is a dependent visa. You also know you have to renew every 2 years? We go down to the Dominican Republic and do ours.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

winethinker said:


> Hi there, Love the site, really helps trying to navigate the complex world of international transfers!
> 
> I have accepted a role in Silicon Valley and would really appreciate some help around a few areas.
> 
> ...


I lived in Sunnyvale in 2000. Middle of Silicon Valley. Plenty of apartments, town houses, business parks. Great for short commute. High rents when I was there.

Other places to consider; Mountain View and Cupertino (further away but more trees),


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## RealMonkey (Jun 12, 2011)

winethinker said:


> Hi there, Love the site, really helps trying to navigate the complex world of international transfers!
> 
> I have accepted a role in Silicon Valley and would really appreciate some help around a few areas.
> 
> ...


Hi, congratulations on your new job! I am based in North San Francisco, but have connections in the Silicone Valley area I could hook you up with to ask some more area specific questions relating to accommodation and child care. 
Regarding the bank account, I found just setting up an account with a bank locally in the US was the best way, and then wired funds across. The international bank accounts typically have high service fees and I found it was not necessary to have one of those.

Rachel


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## Ozzieone (Feb 17, 2012)

*Health Insurance for E3 couple*



hutais said:


> Oh make sure you negotiate good health insurance!!!! Huge shock at the cost and the health system over here .
> You just cannot be without it over here especially with kids


OK, we have E3 and spouse E3, but currently no Health Insurance. I seem to be coming across problems with not being a citizen or permanent resident. Any recommendations greatfully rec. ( There's a possibility we could get the company to arrange this as they are employing more Aussies) 
Dental recommendations would be great too. We'll be in Houston, Texas for 2 years, should be there in 3 weeks. Any other Aussies or Poms around? maybe we could have a barbie and swap vegemite suppliers.


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## hutais (Jul 2, 2010)

Insurance was part of the deal when my husband was employed? Our first 3 months here in NYC it was not however we paid close to $1200 a month to have it. We have children and have never risked being without health insurance in this country.

I recently had surgery and had I not had Insurance it would have cost $10,000 and it was only day surgery. Its ridiculous however its so strange your employer does not subsides it at least 50%??
I dont know any Aussie here in Manhattan who does not have health insurance.
If they are NOT paying for it make sure you budget and like I said ours was about $1200 a month. There are plenty of companies that provide it. 
If you are in an accident and dont have insurance chances are you will not been seen by a doctor. If they do you will get a hefty bill too in the tens of thousands!

Its a very different world over here when it come to the medical industry even friends and family that come to visit I insist they have travel insurance.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Ozzieone said:


> OK, we have E3 and spouse E3, but currently no Health Insurance. I seem to be coming across problems with not being a citizen or permanent resident. Any recommendations greatfully rec. ( There's a possibility we could get the company to arrange this as they are employing more Aussies)
> Dental recommendations would be great too. We'll be in Houston, Texas for 2 years, should be there in 3 weeks. Any other Aussies or Poms around? maybe we could have a barbie and swap vegemite suppliers.


You're being employed by a US company based in Houston and you don't have company (Group) insurance!

That should have been one of the main discussions regarding your benefits in moving to Houston. I don't know of anyone who has moved to the US with a company who has not had the option of GROUP insurance.

Health care is very expensive in the US. Getting an Individual health care plan is both very very expensive and sometimes very difficult if you have any form of pre-condition. 

I can understand why you are having difficulties trying to get a policy from outside the US (you say you won't be arriving for three weeks), because the insurance companies want Social Security numbers, permanent addresses, company information before issuing a policy.

I would suggest you have a serious talk with your new company and try to get onto their Group insurance.


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## hutais (Jul 2, 2010)

Actually I should clarify we had some sort of interim Insurance for the first 3 months.


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## Ozzieone (Feb 17, 2012)

*medical insurance*



hutais said:


> Actually I should clarify we had some sort of interim Insurance for the first 3 months.


Thanks Hutais - Hopefully you never have to use it, but I would really appreciate if you - or anyother experienced expats - could steer me in the right direction regarding medical insurance- mature couple - no kids to cover - just want to be sure that we're adequately covered so if ever the worst happened we wouldn't be spending our time fighting insurance co. 

And if I'm not pushing my luck, whats your experience with dental?


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## Ozzieone (Feb 17, 2012)

hutais said:


> Hi There,
> 
> We are Aussies in NYC (from Sydney).
> Your wife like me is eligible for an E3D. Does she want to work? I am (started my own business) and I had to apply for an Employment Authorization Card. She will need to wait for 3 months then apply and will also then get a social security card.If If she is also working for the same company the then she would also just get an E3.
> ...


G'day y'all! 
I have a 'spouse' E3 visa too. Was just wondering what kind of business you started? 

:focus:Re the Spouse Visa enquiry 
The spouse WILL need to apply for the E3 (spouse) visa too - don't miss this step - it can be a little ambiguous, apply at the same time, from OUTSIDE the US - yes - separate application, so 2 sets of fees. Then once you're in the US apply for the Employment Authorisation Card and social security number. These two didn't take as long as I expected (around 21 days from memory). Great advantage is that the spouse visa entitles you to work anywhere. Good Luck !


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## hutais (Jul 2, 2010)

Ozzieone- A Travel Service and if you want I will send you the website  I am sure I am not suppose to post it in here.
It works well as I work around the kids and I was a Travel Agent many years ago. I am home based and have been doing really well. I am planning on really focusing on selling Australia to Americans. Being an Aussie really helps 

With Insurance we are currently with Oxford which works well and Dental with Aetna. I believe my husbands company is changing it in May to Cigna.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Ozzieone said:


> Thanks Hutais - Hopefully you never have to use it, but I would really appreciate if you - or anyother experienced expats - could steer me in the right direction regarding medical insurance- mature couple - no kids to cover - just want to be sure that we're adequately covered so if ever the worst happened we wouldn't be spending our time fighting insurance co.
> 
> And if I'm not pushing my luck, whats your experience with dental?


If you are not getting company group health insurance then start looking at 

ehealthinsurance.com

to find out what individual policies are available in your area. Companies who are usually in most areas are Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente, Healthnet, United health care.


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## Ozzieone (Feb 17, 2012)

*medical insurance*

Much appreciated :clap2:- that's certainly given me plenty to work on.


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## Ozzieone (Feb 17, 2012)

hutais said:


> Ozzieone- A Travel Service and if you want I will send you the website  I am sure I am not suppose to post it in here.
> It works well as I work around the kids and I was a Travel Agent many years ago. I am home based and have been doing really well. I am planning on really focusing on selling Australia to Americans. Being an Aussie really helps
> 
> With Insurance we are currently with Oxford which works well and Dental with Aetna. I believe my husbands company is changing it in May to Cigna.


Thanks for the info on insurance, much appreciated :clap2:- It's a big learning curve to navigate & that really helps with the first cull. 

Wish you the very best with the Travel Service, - please do send the link - I've been in L&T and marketing for years too.


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## winethinker (Mar 16, 2012)

You might want to look at coverage back in Australia. Some friends of mine have coverge in Aus and said it was very good.

Make sure it covers repatriation to Aus if yo get somethign serious as I am sure you dont want to have to stay in the US for treatment.


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## winethinker (Mar 16, 2012)

What about Los Altos hills, - woudl it be a bike ride to Sunnyvale and a nice community?


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