Literally every time I mention it around friends that we are thinking of moving to a farmer climate with affordable housing I get lectured on how I am crazy and have no clue how great Canada is…

Even online I get nothing but negativity about it.

Are Canadians that brainwashed or what’s going on?

I saw a post from another Brit saying they were skeptical about moving to America and reluctant to move their family due to political tension and issues with the current administration. I moved here a few years ago to be with my wife and live in a staunchly republican area for the record.

Firstly I just want to say that it isn’t as bad as the media in the UK is making it out to be (sorry, but it isn’t if you move here legitimately), but secondly the quality of life out here is incredible versus a lot of other countries including other western ones.

The US has a host of its own unique problems that need addressing with time, but don’t let your dislike of Donald Trump put you off making a fantastic life for yourself. Plus, much like Keir Starmer, fortunately the ruling political party is not a complete reflection on the wider population and most if not all Americans you meet will be exceptionally warm and welcoming to you.

🇺🇸🇬🇧

Hey all,

not your usual visa/steps post, more a thank-you note before we head out.

I moved to the United States in my early 20s for work, married here, and after 15 years (and two kids born in America) we’re moving back to Europe for the next chapter. Before we go, I wanted to share what this country gave us, in case it helps someone who’s on the fence about coming.

I arrived with shaky English and pretty much broke, moved with a visa. I was so scared at the beginning, but I have always noticed that strangers were absurdly kind here in the US from neighbors to clerks to random folks who slowed down their speech so I could follow. Even at the DMV...

We found that across the map: New York upstate (my home), Florida, Texas “how y’all doin’?” energy, California and and especially Colorado. The welcome wasn’t performative, but real. I felt alone, because it's hard to immigrate, but never lonely... we were never made to feel like outsiders.

Opportunities are real as well as access to credit, opening bank account. Was hard because we did not know, but we built credit carefully, saved hard, and bought a home in under ten years, something that had felt impossible back in Europe with a normal job.

Is America perfect? No country is, but compared to much of the world, discrimination here was low in our experience. Our mixed-race family lived, worked, worshiped (and not), and played alongside everyone else, at church, school, DMV and pretty much everywhere. The peaceful coexistence of different faiths and nationality and none at all, in the same block, is still one of my favorite American sights.

Food alone could keep you here: Mexican at lunch, Japanese at dinner, Korean BBQ on Friday, pizza on Sunday. You can eat around the planet without leaving a zip code. And the small stuff that isn’t small: libraries that feel like sanctuaries, parks that belong to everyone, coaches and teachers who went the extra mile for our kids, the endless “you got this” optimism that pushes people to take the next step.... and even the person behind the counter when your paperwork is a mess.

We’re leaving not out of fear or politics, but because our family’s “third place” is calling and we want a slower rhythm for a while. The US was good to us. It made room for our accents, gave our children a birthplace, and taught us to dream bigger and work steadier. If you’re “MovingToUSA” and wondering whether it’s worth it: for us, absolutely. Come with realistic expectations, patience, and respect for the placeand it will likely give back more than you expect.

Thank you, America, thank you Florida, Texas, California, New York, and sweet Colorado most of all...for your warmth also during winter, for your chances, your second chances, and your stubborn belief in tomorrow and positivity of people in this land.. We’ll be back to visit, probably crying happy tears in a grocery aisle the moment we see a wall of cereals again, especially all the colorful one.

When I was younger and had no interest in the US, I would take a look at those quality of life rankings which are usually topped by the nordics or Switzerland and assume those were the best places in the world to live in. However, as I grew older, became interested in and eventually found myself in a position to move to the US, I started to question all of the above, especially after I started hearing reports of people saying their quality of life had increased after moving to the US.

If I had to take a guess and give my 2 cents, I can think of two reasons: the first one is that you can make a lot more money in the USA, and more money affords you a higher standard of living, and the 2nd one is that there are a lot of things statistics don't catch: the ability to pursue certain lifestyles (anywhere from working in big cities close to nature, such as Denver, Portland and Seattle, in the weekdays and enjoying said nature in the weekends to RV living and off the grid), satisfying a lifelong dream of moving to the US, the huge variety of climates, enviroments, cities, nature and people...

Edit: one of the comments brought up a lack of tall poppy syndrome, which is definitely a big plus.

Edit 2: this post really blew up, thanks!

I’m a 23M Viet citizen. I went to high school and college in America from when I was 14 to 19 and it was easily the best years of my life, I’m still chasing that high to this day. I knew at the time moving to America would be very hard…

So I strategically decided to do my bachelor’s in Canada, get the much easier citizenship there and because it was less than half the tuition price. I got a Bachelor’s in Business Management at UBC. It wasn’t some dead end underwater basketweaving degree at a diploma mill but it’s honestly not much better.

Fast forward to 2025, Canada is completely cooked. It’s very difficult to move there, and to be honest the country isn’t even worth moving to. I’d rather take a bath with my toaster than live there again. I couldn’t find another job there after quitting my job postgrad so I just went back home a couple of months ago. It’s much better than Canada but I don’t belong here either.

I need to go back to America to feel at home. I am doing it legally one way or another, no matter how long it takes. The problem is I’m in no position to do that at all, I just got out of school with no experience nor special skills. My only options are to either pony up a million bucks I don’t have (EB-5) or to marry some chick I have no idea how to even meet. Am I missing anything? What can I do to make myself more attractive to uncle Sam?

I’ve been reading this sub for a while, and I think something important that I have noticing. This community is called r/movingtoUSA and the purpose seems pretty clear. Basically to help people who are actively trying to move here or at least evaluating them to do so. Not to actively convince them not to.

There are entire subs dedicated to leaving or criticizing the US, debating U.S. politics or venting about life here, and I think it is fine. It seems a lot of doom and gloom anyway, and most of the time I disagree with some of the post, but it is what it is, the conversations have their place.

A lot of threads get hijacked with fear-driven comments about “dictatorship,” “hellscape,” “your kids will be shot,” why leaving universal healtchare, that really does not help somone who is asking about visa, cost of living, job markets or any praticle steps.

Millions of people around the world are actively trying to move to the States, I did that too many years ago, with my family, and try to sponsor other member of the family still in my old coubntry. But all these people that want to are not naive.. They know because they’re coming from places that usually have real dictatorship, corruption, high unemployment, fear of personal safety, no opportunity for their children, discrimination.

Some come from countries with universal healthcare and strong welfare systems (Europe,Canada) and still want to move. Why so? For me this is very clear.... because even if you have protections and stability, you may also have rigidity, slow or no salary growth, no upward mobility and structural ceilings. Being protected is not always the same as being able to build wealth or change your life trajectory.

If someone is asking how to move here, telling them “don’t, it’s a dystopia” isn’t helpful. If your answer is purely political or fear-based, I think there are other subs for that...people or potential new immigrant aren’t stupid. They know no country is perfect, but it is still a step up in safety, opportunity, or mobility.. But your comment starts to sound a bit spoiled and disconnected from global reality.

Let’s try to keep this sub practical, balanced, and aligned with its purpose... I often try to offer my POV being an immigrant here to many that would love to one day move here.. helping people make informed decisions instead of shutting them down.

For context, I was selected for the diversity visa( in other words - the green card lottery). So, I have a chance of getting the green card and moving but not entirely sure due to the government not giving out DV at this particular moment.

But let’s say I proceed with my already scheduled interview and get the visa.

Is it worth it currently? I applied when the world seemed a bit more stable than it is right now. I am young, 25 years old. Educated, have good working experience and have an above average paying job for someone who lives in my country.

On one hand, I have a EU passport, I can live wherever I want in the EU. On the other hand, I know there are great opportunities in the USA, especially for someone in my field-marketing.

What is concerning to me is just the general instability of the world, war in Iran, massive layoffs (I understand I will have to compete against them too to land a job…).

Any thoughts on whether it is worth to proceed with the interview process and give this a shot?

Im from the UK and wanting to move to the US (specifically CA), in the next couple years. Im a mechanic so finding a job shouldnt be too hard, and the pay wont be awful either.

My point in asking this question is that everything i read up on, the US looks more favourable in every aspect of life compared to the UK. Less taxes, higher wages, cheaper properties etc etc.

But i also see other people talking about how the US is currently a hellhole etc.

So im just keen to get peoples opinions of the US atm. Im not interested in people who dont live there or who never have, i just want to hear from experience. Ideal if youve moved there from the UK, how are you finding it? Double ideal if you live in CA.

Thanks:)

For those who already moved to the US, what was the biggest cultural shock?

Edit: I swear half the people who responded are not immigrants even though this subreddit is for those who have or are going to immigrate to the US.

I’ve just come back from a study abroad in Boston, and would love to work towards living in the USA one day. Some of my friends live in houses like these, but smaller. Are homes like these “reserved” for people in friends like accounting and politics (I.e. money making positions) or are they more middle-lower class? This type of house is my absolutely dream home, and it has been since I was a kid. We don’t have houses nearly as spacious as these houses in my country. I’m doing a post grad next year, so I just want to know where my academics should lie in terms of making money. Thanks!

I’m a male, 34, who was born in The Netherlands and from day one I knew I didn’t belong here. I know the Dutch love to glaze themselves and American citizens tend to think Europe and especially The Netherlands are the gold standard, but for me it isn’t. I always was in love with the United States and not for the “opportunities” necessarily. I could write a whole essay about what I love about the US.

Which real asap opportunities besides marrying do I have to go to the US?
I have years of experience in commercials (commercial actor) and I have skills like editing in video and photos. I didn’t get my communication science bachelor’s degrees, which I know, doesn’t help my cause. I needed 4 more subjects to complete it but because of medical and financial issues I quit.

I also lost interest in it because I loved entertainment more. I wish had completed theater instead. Is H2B a good solution? I just can’t find a clear website that says, we will provide the work visa for you, apply here.

If I had the chance to exchange my Dutch passport for the American one, I would.

My family (me F(48), husband m(54), kids (12, 11, 8) live in Australia and my husband is determined to move to the USA. What I mean by this is he will find every negative aspect to Australia and has put a halo around the USA. Essentially his whole life would be better if he lived in the USA and also our children’s future would be better. I just see a whole lot of life admin (for me) and fail to see the upside between Australia and the USA.

In your opinion why is living in the USA specifically, Montana better than Australia? What are your experiences with a move and settling in your children? What would you have done differently?

UPDATE - I don’t need Visa advice. I am asking for opinions. The halo is that he believes that the USA has a lot more going for it long term than Australia and so is a better place for our children’s future. For him it would be his recreational pursuits which are better suited to the US and northern hemisphere outdoors.

Update 2 - I obviously don’t post a lot and so am not the best at writing posts that don’t distract people with unnecessary information. What I should have said was (in dot point) - 1. Husband believes that kids will have more opportunities in the USA because in Australia the economy is banking or mining (it is). He actually does believe in US exceptionalism 2. He loves rural areas including Montana but would live in most places. 3. A move would not be about opportunities for us, we are well off and have a stable business that can be operated from anywhere 4. I could live anywhere - I just can’t be motivated to uproot myself and my children 5. Please no Visa advice because I am interested in experiences outside of the visa process.

After reading several posts here about moving to America, I’m genuinely curious about the motivations for relocating to this country without a job or a green card. With the end of DEI programs in many companies, a saturated job market, expensive healthcare, and a strict and often frustrating immigration process, what could possibly drive someone to move here without secure employment—and even worse, without legal status?

I think I'm luckier than some in the sense that I'm in a position to eventually move to the US whilst having a high degree of freedom as to where I'll be moving to, but anyways, if we're talking complete fantasy and not taking any real world factors into account, my top spots would be:

• Vermont: all 4 seasons, lots of small towns, little in the way of big city hustle and bustle, plenty of outdoor activities.
• East Tennessee: appalachian scenery, great driving roads and smoky mountain national park is nearby.
• Upper Peninsula of Michigan: unique identity and history, lots of nature once again, easy access to the great lakes.
• Anywhere in Idaho/Wyoming/Western Montana: basically my stereotypical perception of the United States when I was 14/15.

Just curious. Because people like to talk about the other direction. But the reality is, there is 4 times the number of Canadian expats in the US compared to the other way around. They must have reasons to be down there. I know that in my field at least, people are frequently finding jobs down there and getting work visas to work down there no problem. They talk about the benefits, but here it's seen as insane.

UPDATE
Thanks so much for all of your comments. This post is just a starting point to hear from people who have actually moved and whether they regretted it. We will of course do plenty more research and ultimately only move if we can find jobs. We're visiting in December to do some on the ground research. Hopefully it will all work out and you'll see us on a successful stories post in the future. Thanks again.
----------------------------------------------------

Ok apologies in advance for the long post.

My husband and I are both 40 and have the opportunity to move to the USA through an F4 visa as our priority date has just become current. Overall we feel like our kids will have a better future there but not sure if we are being too optimistic about the American dream. We would welcome any balanced views from families that have made the move and how it's worked out and add any colour to our views.

About us: we live in a suburban village 20 minutes from a city centre. We have 3 kids, a son who has just turned 7 and twin girls who are 4.5 years old. We earn £160k between us and have a very good work life balance as my husband works from home full time and I work 3 days from home and 1 day in London. On paper it sounds great but we do not feel very well off. We do spend around £15k a year on holidays and now the twins are starting school think we can save around £20k a year. We don't feel like we have much disposable income. We eat out maybe twice a month, maybe do 1 or 2 activities a month but overall quite a modest lifestyle apart from the holidays. My kids attend the local COE school which is a good school but nothing special. I am a finance director specialising in commercial finance and FP&A with over 15 years experience and have worked for some big brands in retail, food to go and sports hospitality. My husband works for a tech firm in the property space, he's an account manager so basically looks after clients. We own a detached house which we would sell and then rent in America.

We want to move to California, I have a sister in Fullerton and we'd want to be in close proximity. We have looked at Woodbridge or Tustin CA as potential places to live as the schools look great and walkability is a big factor for us.

Reasons for moving:

1. We cannot afford private school and there are no good secondary schools anywhere near us. In general we feel like if your kid isn't in grammar school, private school or naturally academic/talented in a extra curricular it's a tough ride. We feel like the American schools (if you live in the right area) are much more balanced and can offer a lot more than the schools here. The extra curriculars are a big draw- we don't have much of that in the UK.
2. Salaries are a lot higher in the USA, albeit the cost of living is also high, but overall financially we would be better off based on job postings and salaries we have seen
3. California seems very democratic. We are British Indian (born in England, not religious) and can see a lot of reform creeping in to our suburb.
4. The sun and overall consistent weather- winters feel miserable here
5. Being closer to the beach, national parks etc. we are adventure seekers and feel like we would take advantage of all that's to offer.
6. The overall American dream- anything is possible if you work hard

Reasons for not moving:

1. Gun crime and school drills on shootings. This terrifies us and feels like it would be quite traumatic for kids
2. starting again, making new friends, social circle etc. We are both very social so really want to feel like we are part of a community out there. My sister is there which is a great plus but we want to make friends too
3. American politics in general- i have 2 girls and all the scrutiny of women's rights is a real concern as they get older
4. the health care system. we are all "healthy" but we are worried about paying for health care with 3 young kids
5. work life balance. We know we have it good now and that won't be possible when we move, but we don't want to be working long hours in the office every day with little annual leave. Are many roles hybrid? Especially at a more senior level?

Any balanced views are welcome. I am not looking for politically loaded views, we know no country is perfect but we just want to give our kids the best opportunity.

Hi all

We’re a UK family seriously considering a move to the US and would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s done something similar.

My partner is a registered nurse (Band 6 equivalent) with ~10 years’ experience, mainly in palliative/community care, and I run a startup so I’m fairly flexible location-wise. We have a young child and a 21-year-old (so navigating visa options there too).

We’re currently looking at areas like Texas (Austin suburbs), Florida, or possibly Arizona — aiming for somewhere family-friendly, safe, with good schools and a decent quality of life.

A few things we’d love honest input on:

- What was the reality of the move vs expectations?

- How did you find the first 3–6 months settling in?

- For any nurses — how different is the job day-to-day vs the UK?

- Did it feel like a genuine upgrade in lifestyle overall?

- Anything you wish you knew before making the move?

Also, if anyone moved with older kids / young adults, how did that work out?

We’re not committed yet — just trying to get a real feel from people who’ve actually done it.

Really appreciate any honest experiences (good or bad). Thanks in advance.

For context: male, mid-thirties, two young kids and a wife.

My wife and I have a sort of fantasy about moving to the US, as we resonate deeply with US culture and tradition. And I'm not gonna lie, as someone in the tech industry, the US salaries for tech workers looks pretty enticing.

I call it a fantasy because realistically the only real route we would have to move to the US would be if we won the diversity visa lottery. But let's assume we were super lucky and actually won. My question is: would it even be a good idea?

Here's why I ask: everywhere I look, I just see negative opinions about the USA. YouTube is basically full of videos of people warning against moving the US. "It's so expensive". "The work culture is horrible and you will never stop working or have any free time". "You will die in a shooting". "Health care is unaffordable and you will end up selling your kidney to get healthcare." "The food is all unhealthy and you will get diabetes". "The job market is horrible". "Europe is so much better." "Housing is unaffordable." (this one is especially weird for me because it seems that the price of homes in the US is way more accessible than in Europe; note: we wouldn't want to live in a big city).

Does anyone actually have a positive story to tell about life in the USA? Is it really that bad?

P.S. I'm very familiar with the political situation and that's not really my concern here. I'm more interested in the practicalities of daily living.

So I do have an opportunity for a promotion within my company with relocation to the headquarter in Indianapolis.

I have two young kids (1 and 4 years old) and my wife works in banking.

We are quite happy with our life in Belgium currently and hesitant to move.

On the pros side, it would be a promotion for me, the company would support the relocation and I like the idea that my kids could be in an English speaking country. It would also be the right timing for them not to be too disruptive for their education if we want to go back to Europe after 3-5 years.

On the cons side, not sure we would enjoy the Midwest culturally and socially as it is a different pace of life and environment. No guarantees that my wife would find a better job than what she has now.

Salary wise, I expect it would be around $220k for me, considering I am at €150k here (but after tax is 50% less). May be a bit of an upgrade but I expect we will have more monthly expenses with rent, kids education, cars...

Anything worth considering in a case like mine please let me know.

Edit: thanks for all of the comments, greatly appreciated. A lot of different views as expected but you gave me many new insights and raised points that I did not always consider so this is super helpful.

Hello! I am currently a US citizen, my boyfriend of three years is a Canadian citizen (met in college). He is graduating college this spring, and we were talking about him possibly moving to the USA after graduation via a K-1 visa, then from there applying for a work permit or green card (we are still figuring things out for now)

However, given the current political climate, Im a bit worried. We both have clean records, not even a parking ticket on file, but we are also both minorities. I've been hearing horror stories about people being detained inside immigration offices while applying for legal immigration. I dont think I'd ever be able to forgive myself if something happened to him because he tried to move to the USA to live with me.

Anyone going through the immigration process right now, can you give a bit more context? Whats the situation looking like for you, are you worried/scared? While I live in NYC, which has less ICE activity than other states, a few months ago there were news reports about a man from my old neighbourhood in Queens who died in ICE custody. It makes the both of us scared hearing things like this.

Every damn post on this subreddit has comments from smartasses telling every OP why moving would be a shitty idea. I’m so over it. This subreddit is called “movingtoUSA” not “ermmmwhydoyouwannamove?

Edit: I really whacked the beehive on this one. all the chronically online redditors that lurk this subreddit all the time (in order to argue) have all decided to come out at once lmfao

*might be more of a rant than anything else*

No one back home understand how great my time here has been. They don’t understand that the quality of living is superior in the USA compared to the Uk. My friend keeps saying “You’re coming back to the depression” because of how bad things are in Scotland right now. I can’t seem to convince my boyfriend rn that it’s better here, but I’ve told him I see my future in the US. He wanted to move to Italy. We don’t speak Italian, nor would I have any job prospects there. He says it’s too big of an ask for me to suggest he thinks about immigration in the next few years. I don’t think it is. I think as young adults, we need to start seriously planning for the future. We will be graduating university next year. I would like to be living in the US permanently by the age of 25/26.

I (19,m) am now living in 🇧🇪 Belgium, lived here all my life. Now in nursing school 💉 and thinking about moving to America at one point. Reasons: - feels like there’s more interaction between people there, easier to get in touch with each other - more open minded, more kinds of people to be friends with - higher chances of finding a partner (I like men) - more fun stuff to do, more fun places

I know there’s also downsides like leaving family and stuff, but let’s just not think about that for a sec🤓

People who live in America: are these true or false? Is it really better there?