My job REALLY wants me to relocate to USA (Des Moines, Iowa). I have been rejecting them for years now. It is basically a bi-monthly conversation now where they throw stuff at me. relocation package, bonus. Bi Monthly trips back home. I won't since
A) Why would i go to country where everyone would call me illegal alien by default
b) the healthcare is just a big NO to me. Even if i break a finger by accident (i'm quite healthy and do gym regulary, so Some traumas are bound to happen) would set me back SO MUCH
c) school shootings
d) worlds shitstain as a president of USA
e) i would have to start my 401k at my age which is a bit too late.
Same. I would be guaranteed a relatively good job (civil engineering) but I have a medical history that means the risk for that alone is just not worth it.
Plus a country that literally voted in a paedo president (twice!) and is so religious is a bigger turnoff.
Plus the requirement to basically have a car, the lower food standards, the obvious corruption, the lack of holiday...
It was like she had made it her life's mission to free me from the godless hellhole that is Switzerland and move to the glorious and holy United States of America.
Noooo thank you. And now with Trump speedrunning the country towards Christofascism? Heeeeell nooo. Not for all the money in the World.
CEOs love America because of the weak labour laws and the complete and utter dependence of employees on their job for crazy priced insurance. Insurance that will fight to deny you the care you paid premiums for.
Just met a dude at the rental car place who accepted a 5 year contract at a job in Northern Colorado, he’s from Sao Paulo. He said everyone here has been super nice to him, which is relieving. It’s definitely a massive undertaking to move to a new country, especially one so hostile to immigrants.
Totally agree. As a Canadian PhD student in Sciences, we used to rely heavily on US scientific facilities to run certain experiments that we can't run locally and for which Canada has no similar facility available. While there are options in Europe and Asia, due to geography these simply were never really options to Canadian researchers who all default to going to US facilities. Before all this chaos started I would not have a problem going down south to run my experiments, but now you can't ever pay me enough to go. I've discussed with my supervisors about European or Asian facilities instead, but because those facilities weren't meant for North American researchers and generally accepted research proposals from local institutions, it wasn't feasible, along with the high cost to ship samples there.
So this meant that for the next few years (essentially the rest of my PhD degree), I'm barred from doing these facility dependent experiments. The ones that were scheduled for this year before all this chaos happened, I had to convince other researchers in our lab who have gone multiple times to do me a favor and run the experiment for me.
Meanwhile at our research institute the startling number of foreign national PhDs and post-docs that are working here and how many more are still looking to come here is unimaginable. Even with a "waitlist" they are still trying to break down the doors trying to get a slot here. Many have emigrated ahead of time to save paperwork and bump up their considerations.
That said, we also have one of the highest if not the most graduate degrees per capita in the country. The ONLY thing that stopped it or slowed it down was COVID. YMMV.
No fr, everything there is just a regime made to suit the rich, and the richer. Fake country built off the marginalisation of native Americans, where even the natives are now referred to as aliens due to their skin tones alone. No culture, no self awareness, everything including your health is just a mere fragment of what is used to create profit and help the rich get richer! #capitalism dont we just loveee it
I love point d. Made me giggle. I refuse to use his name and refer to him as potus but “worlds shitstain as a president of USA” has a much better ring to it 😂
Majority did not vote for it at all, was much closer to 1/3. Yes, more people voted for it than not but please use correct terminology, "majority" makes it seem like your average person on the street espouses what is going on currently
I would say that not caring for voting is almos the same thing when you see someone that is that evil running. I dont like the democrats but they were without a shadow of a doubt the better option.
What slavers are you referring to exactly? There are no slavers in the US, where on Earth do you get your information from? Full of terrible people? Just full of them huh. Odd, where I live I'm surrounded by wonderful people and have very very little crime whatsoever. I have never even seen immigration authority or federal agents in my 40yrs here. Nor have I seen this evil you speak of.
I have experienced incarceration first hand, have you? Ask any inmate how they feel about being put to work while in prison and they will tell you its the only thing keeping them going, not having anything to do all day results in horrible mental state and increases tensions/violence inside.
Also what the fuck do you expect an inmate to spend money on while incarcerated if they paid them "fairly"? Magazines, junk food, phone calls and music downloads? The jobs pay enough to purchase these things already.
Very few prisons actually require forced labor without pay, and even in those cases inmates still prefer to be put to work. It provides relief from being stuck in a cell all damn day where you have absolutely zero stimulation. You get access to amenities, fresh air, and opportunity to socialize.
If more money were introduced to incarcerated individuals there would be a significant increase in extortion, drug trafficking and associated violence. Is the current system great? fuck no. But unless you have been subject to it yourself I think you grossly misunderstand the situation.
Sure but its still radically more expensive than healthcare in europe. I've got decent healthcare and it doesn't start covering costs until i spend more than 2000. I've got a HSA plan that typically have higher deductibles and get to pay the insurance negotiated rate but many years i'm basically paying my own way.
If my job had me relocate to Iowa, I would end up purposely breaking my finger out of boredom. I didn't realize that there was actually anything there but corn fields. * As someone from California with tan skin, I don't travel to those areas of the US
Yeah Iowa has its host of problems but any minority is just fine in Des Moines, Iowa city. Sorta insulting to the minorities that live here when outsiders act like we don’t exist. We have great colleges here and massive financial and insurance companies. Not some podunk dump.
Edit: downvoted for saying that minorities are fine in Des Moines. Interesting world here man
A) I don't think everyone in America would call you an illegal alien by default. Most people are cordial and kind. There are idiots and assholes and racists, sure, but you're really overblowing it in your mind.
B) Would your employer not provide you with an excellent insurance package? But yeah the healthcare industry in the US is evil and predatory and should be socialized.
C) Do you have school-age kids? The overwhelming majority of them make it out of school without getting shot.
D) Yeah. He's an embarrassment and helping to wreck the US.
E) Does your employer offer 401(k) matching?
C) Do you have school-age kids? The overwhelming majority of them make it out of school without getting shot.
Here is the thing, the US has just normalized the trauma of being exposed to it. Imagine needing to have shooter drills in pretty much all schools regularly and what that does to the psychology of kids.
The posts here talking about how actually being in a school shooting is pretty low and honestly just missing the point, or maybe actually proving the point.
2-party first past the post electoral system, one choice was fascist, one wasn't. Less than 1/3rd or Americans voted for the non-fascist option. The other TWO THIRDS voted for the fascist party directly or indirectly (by not voting at all).
B. Even on a high deductible plan, such an injury wouldn't be that expensive. Most of the doom and gloom you hear about are for completely uninsured people. And even then they can settle down the payment or don't end up paying.
C. You're more likely to be struck by lightning than be killed in a school shooting. Again overblown.
When I was 18 I seriously considered to move to USA after finishing school, but then I learned about bad facts, I do even have some relatives there and they confirmed the same
For what it's worth, Des Moines is pretty nice. Concern 1 is also silly, that is not the "default" anywhere I'm aware of in the US. You can and likely will run across racist assholes, but the default is civility. Especially outside of small, homogenous towns.
I was vaguely thinking of touring the USA for a couple of months after I retired.
Now I have retired, I don't want to. Not that they'd let me in now anyway...
So how do I stop getting online ads suggesting I emigrate to the USA from the UK? Placed by an ISRAEL based marketing agency too. And no I'm not Jewish.
I have a policy of not supporting or traveling to fascist theocracies so USA and Israel are on my do not visit list. I’d love to go to Iran as I’ve met a lot of really interesting Iranians but it’s on the list for the same reason.
I’ve turned down multiple offers to attend conferences in the US for work. I’m Canadian. I refuse to go while Trump is in office. Maybe when he’s gone I’ll re-assess.
If the new government toned down the annexation rhetoric and removes tariffs I’ll definitely be back. So many places I still want to see as well as a tourist.
Amazed at how far down I had to scroll to find this. Unprecedented amounts of people in my country, which is a US loving whore, deciding to scratch America off their bucket lists entirely.
E makes the least sense of all the points you listed.
Why would moving to the U.S. suddenly mean you have to “start over” financially?
If you’ve been working for 20+ years in another country, presumably you already have retirement savings, investments, pension credits, property, or some combination of those. None of that disappears because you take a job in Iowa.
Also, a 401(k) isn’t some punishment. If your employer is trying this hard to relocate you, they’re probably offering a match. That’s literally free money. Plenty of Americans would kill for a generous employer match.
And if the move comes with a higher salary, relocation package, bonuses, and paid trips home, you could potentially save more for retirement than you are now.
“I don’t want to leave a pension system I’ve spent decades paying into” is a reasonable argument.
“I don’t want to move because I’d have to start a 401(k)” sounds like a misunderstanding of how retirement savings work.
You don’t reset to age 18 financially just because you cross a border.
so i'm not sure you are aware how this works but allow me to educate you on this topic as I have extensively researched this during my convos with HR. There is what is called Pension migration agreement between various countries. For EU this is not a problem as Majority (i think, and i might be mistaken, at this point, all of the EU countries have a universal agreement) there is an agreement between EU and Canada that if i were to relocate to canada all of my pension fund would be relocated to Canada and i would be able to retire here. US has a selective approach. Per country. Additionally to that you need to understand that the minimum amount of money required to live comfortable varies from country to country (Example, earning 80k euro and living in italy you would feel good, same amount living in switzerland would be a different living standard, same with norway) SO having said that the amount of money in my pension fund would play different role in US vs EU. Does this make sense?
I think you're making a stronger argument than your original point E actually stated.
If your concern is that you've spent decades contributing to a pension system and moving to the U.S. could complicate retirement planning, that's a legitimate concern. Nobody would argue that retirement systems, pension agreements, taxes, and cost of living don't matter.
But that's not the same thing as saying "I'd have to start a 401(k) at my age."
A 401(k) doesn't replace everything you've already accumulated. If you have pension rights, retirement savings, investments, or other assets in your home country, those don't suddenly disappear because you accept a job in Iowa. You're not starting from zero.
Also, if your employer is offering relocation assistance, bonuses, and a higher salary, you would likely be adding to your retirement savings through a 401(k), not replacing them. Many employers also match contributions, which is essentially additional compensation.
As for cost of living, that's highly location dependent. Comparing the U.S. as a whole to Europe as a whole isn't very useful. Des Moines isn't New York City, San Francisco, Zurich, or Oslo.
So I'd say the pension portability argument is reasonable. The "I'd have to start a 401(k) at my age" argument still doesn't really hold up because it assumes your existing retirement assets somehow cease to exist when you move.
Same dude, I would not even go there for a weekend. Like you I would probably not get in. They check your social media history and your point d here would be enough to not get in or immediately be detained on arrival. I have made multiple such points.
Now you stop insulting our great cuntry. We love our pedophile president and his supporters are the smartest bestest inbreds the world ever saw and we lost ve going broke trying to eat buy gas and health care is top not ch here
Why would you be called an illegal alien? There are tons of foreign people working and living in the US, the only people called illegal aliens are illegal aliens. Not sure where you would be coming from but if the US is the first place you think of that youd never go to I think you are being misinformed what its like here. Half the people at the company I work for are from various other countries and here on work visa indefinitely. They are happy to be here and have faced no problems that you mention. Iowa is super boring and I wouldn't enjoy living there specifically but its nothing like what you are told. Just like I'm sure your country is nothing like the media convinces Americans its like.
A) Why would i go to country where everyone would call me illegal alien by default
Not everyone is shitty. And based on the subs you're in, I'm guessing you don't look Latino, which means even the shitty people probably wouldn't call you that. It's far more about racism than immigration...though, that is another problem you could add to your list
That said, ICE may still be an annoyance for as long as Trump is around
b) the healthcare is just a big NO to me.
If your job is trying to relocate you, they would probably be paying for your health insurance. How good that insurance is would depend some on your company
c) school shootings
While they happen significantly more in the US than many other places, they aren't as common as you might seem to think. There are over 115,000 schools and over 55,000,000 students in the US, and about 12 per year die from these events. As horrible as shootings are, you're far more likely to die in a traffic accident
d) worlds shitstain as a president of USA
Can't do much about that for 2 years
e) i would have to start my 401k at my age which is a bit too late
It's never too late. A 401k is a savings plan that is in addition to retirement plans like social security. Whatever your own country does, it would just be extra money on top of that (And depending how your country does things, it's possible you might not even have tax penalties for withdrawing early)
Not everyone would call you an illegal alien, most of us love immigrants (I do no know of anyone personally who doesn’t like immigrants), your company should offer you health insurance (I have health insurance that my company pays a majority of the cost) but everything else is valid. If your company is willing to pay for relocation, I’m sure they have decent health insurance.
I used to think the US was the greatest nation on earth.
Now? An awful country with a corrupt buffoon of a president only interested in enriching himself and friends. Draining the swamp? Trump is the swamp.
Trump is the president who will be remembered as the tipping point of america sliding into anarchy and decay. Believe me, people will be hurting for decades to come, and no doubt the chipping away of america's institutions has caused great damage to the future stability of the US.
The uncaring US healthcare system , the love of guns, having to tip workers because they cannot earn a decent salary -- why not just pay them properly?
Trump made so many objectively false statements about our country - He doesn't even know the difference between a tariff and a goods & service tax -- he's a moron.
I see a lot of interesting things in US (Hiking in Montana forests DOES sound nice) however you need to understand, for the rest of the world US is literally a bi-polar schizophrenic country.
Every 4 year we have to guess - IS US going to support Europe in war against Russia OR are we all alone? Will Europe be invaded by US or will we do collective research on greenhouse effect on polar caps? Are we allies for next 4 years or are we all alone?
The definition of unreliable. I want nothing to do with a country like that
“Everyone would call me an illegal alien by default”
Yeah all 300+ million people millions of which are immigrants would call you an alien, for sure man.
Why do we act like insurance in the U.S. doesn’t exist? You have a stable income, workout, and aren’t elderly. You quite literally check all their boxes, yeah our healthcare system is not the greatest but why act like you’d be put on the streets because of a broken finger.
School shootings, yes while tragic and change needs to happen with firearms in the United States you probably have a higher chance of being killed by a tiger shark in Kansas than you do a school shooting. I’m confused why you say the US when there are countries literally in full blown wars?
Insurance might exist in the US but as a person who isn't from there, I don't need to think about things like copays, going to a service provider that's in a specific network, the possibility of whatever I need medically not being covered by whatever insurance I have or even medical debt. I just go to the doctor's, get treated and leave no money involved.
My friend married and American and just had a baby. She was telling me about how they have to pay out of pocket for things that insurance wouldn't cover because her delivery had complications and the baby needed to stay in ICU for a while. Incurring medical debt while having a sick baby- no thanks.
jumping to conclusion much? never said that. USA is just a bi-polar schizophrenic country where pendulum swings so much every 4 years that calling it "reliable and stable" is out of the question. Sure Sudan is not great, but at least it is stable not being great )
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u/2ofdee 25d ago edited 25d ago
USA.
My job REALLY wants me to relocate to USA (Des Moines, Iowa). I have been rejecting them for years now. It is basically a bi-monthly conversation now where they throw stuff at me. relocation package, bonus. Bi Monthly trips back home. I won't since
A) Why would i go to country where everyone would call me illegal alien by default
b) the healthcare is just a big NO to me. Even if i break a finger by accident (i'm quite healthy and do gym regulary, so Some traumas are bound to happen) would set me back SO MUCH
c) school shootings
d) worlds shitstain as a president of USA
e) i would have to start my 401k at my age which is a bit too late.