From MENA to the US... starting over

[Henia 11]

Hello everyone! And sending everyone our holiday wishes!

I posted this in Offtopic but got few replies, so here goes in MENA ... I have been out of the US for over 3 years now. Went throu the INS process with success, but didn't use the visa in the end due to various personal reasons. Now, we sit here again thinking back to our orginal plan ... going to the US.

My question is this ... 3 years out of the country ... add baby, medical problems into the mix and very little money to start with ... I am wondering what's going on in the US? How is the econmony ... I read and read (plus what friends tell me) ... not good from I read ... but is it so bad that we shouldn't bother to come back? Maybe this is funny to even ask ... but we are trying to weigh our options here.

So anyway ... here is my situation ... maybe everyone out there can give me (us) some advice ... on what to except upon our return ...

We are family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids ... one of which is baby so extra expenses)

My husband (the beneficionary) is currently the breadwinner. He has a degree in finance (but not even sure he could use it in the US) But obviously I will have to work but ideally would like to spent my time with my children if I could.

We could live with my mum for a while ... but forever obviously.

We would be moving back to Michigan, where as I am reading it's getting worse and worse. Is it?

We barely have any saving. Most of our money would go to INS and travel expenses ... little left as start up for the US.

I need medical care, that I cannot get here.

I am wondering the following ...

Am I crazy? Should we even bother? Can this work?

How much can I except to spend (on average) for family of 4? Same as 3 yrs ago or much much more? I look usually on shopping sites ... like Target, eBay ... etc everything seems to be getting cheaper, not more expensive.

How much should we save for a little start up?

How is the job market?

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

Henia, any where you go there are going to be struggles. I firmly believe your childrens futures would be better here, along with the health of you and your family. If your moving to southern michigan, lemme know, I could definitly pull strings to get Medy a job with the bank I work for. Maybe as a lender, business banker, or even in one of the branches as a manager. We are only in chicago, if you ever needed anything lemme know

[morocco4ever 63]

Henia, any where you go there are going to be struggles. I firmly believe your childrens futures would be better here, along with the health of you and your family. If your moving to southern michigan, lemme know, I could definitly pull strings to get Medy a job with the bank I work for. Maybe as a lender, business banker, or even in one of the branches as a manager. We are only in chicago, if you ever needed anything lemme know

The basic prices are bad, the gas prices are unreal, but the job market sucks. The company I work for just laid off 500 last month, and the rumor is that their will be more. People have been advised not to purchase gift certificates for Xmas presents because no one knows for sure what stores will not open their doors after Christmas. The prediction is that it will get even worse before it gets better.

On the other hand you have had some pretty scary health issues there. The medical care there sounds horrible. You could have lost both yours and your babys life!

I guess if it was me, with the issues you have, I would work on the visa, but I would prepare myself for a difficult situation once I got here.

I sure wish that you wouldn't have to struggle with so many things lately, you are a sweetheart.

[JeanneVictoria 55]

Henia,

I'm all for you and your family to come back to the states, move in with your mom and just let things fall into place. Gas prices are coming down and I think the economy will begin a comeback. Sure there are layoffs, but your hubby shouldn't have any probs finding a job. You have health issues which are very important to resolve. It will be an adjustment, but nothing is impossible!!

Wishing the very best for you and your family. Happy holidays!

[Henia 11]

Thanks so much everyone for the info ... and also for the offer Zaid's Mommy (Ye my hometown is Ann Arbor ... so planned on somewhere around Detroit Metro). Not buy Christmas presents for fear shoppes will not reopen after Christmas ####### ... man it is bad .. no wonder Walmart seems to get cheaper and cheaper (from what I see in their weekly ads they e-mail me) Waw I hope everyone out is doing OK ... not suffering too much from this bad economy!

[KHPerfectMatch 1]

Hello everyone! And sending everyone our holiday wishes!

My question is this ... 3 years out of the country ... add baby, medical problems into the mix and very little money to start with ... I am wondering what's going on in the US? How is the econmony ... I read and read (plus what friends tell me) ... not good from I read ... but is it so bad that we shouldn't bother to come back? Maybe this is funny to even ask ... but we are trying to weigh our options here.

I need medical care, that I cannot get here.

The first thing I'd do is check to see what kind of health benefits you could get for the baby in the area of Michigan where you plan to come to. I read today that the applications for Medicaid have gone through the roof with so many people unemployed. Every area of the country is different with local health programs and eligibility so I'd check with the local Dept. of Human Services where you are planning to go before you assume you'll have access to health care here for the baby.

Michigan is one of the hardest hit areas because of the auto industry crisis.. (or so I hear). Other areas are less effected. But the cost of living has gone through the roof everywhere. Food prices up 20% on average, some things more. Rental housing prices up due to people not being able to buy houses. Also big deposits.... Good you can live with your Mom.

Having a car is so important for anyone who works and doesn't have a lot of public transportation readily available. Will you have one you can use, or will you have to buy?

The cheap prices you are seeing online are the Big Chains efforts to sell something over the holidays. Many are going out of business and are cutting the price before Christmas to try to stimulate sales. But the cost of stapes truly has gone up drastically over the last year.

You might be eligible for some assistance when you arrive. Maybe food stamps... again depending on your local area's resources and requirements.

I haven't a clue what the job market is in Michigan but it's very bleak most places. Even the chain stores aren't hiring much holiday help here this year. My hubby doesn't have his EAD yet but if he did I don't know how much good it would do, except that he could work legally with my son who has his own business...

I know alot of people think it's going to get better when Obama comes into office, but they are saying even his trillion $ projects to stimulate the economy won't have a ripple effect for a year or more on job creation as the $ is fought over and divided amoung so many areas who are asking for it.

What kind of work could you do? Jobs in healthcare are still in high demand. Might be necessary for your husband to be Mr. Mom for awhile if your job skills are in more demand than his. But be prepared for him to suffer if he has to sit at home helplessly. My husband has only been sitting on his rear for 2.5 months and has almost lost it on a daily basis for the last 8 weeks... (took all of 2 weeks for him to go stir crazy).

I wish you and your family the best and when it comes to the health of your baby I'm sure any sacrifice is worth it. Just make sure you can access all the great care we have here BEFORE you come, since we still don't have a good health care system for ALL here. It still feels like looking through the window and not being able to afford to buy anything if you don't have health insurance. And many many employers are no longer providing it, or having huge premiums and huge deductibles and long waiting periods if they even offer health insurance any more..

Salaam and Best Wishes,

K

[hurriya 0]

Hello Henia,

I am actually sort of in the same situation as you. Although, I am already back in the US and came in July after living 2 1/2 years in Morocco. To give a little backstory, I hadn't planned to come back, per se. We had discussed the possibility and pretty much concluded that the timing wasn't right and that we would wait until our daughter was 5 years old and ready to enter kindergarten (she was 1 year when I came) and my son was ready for high school (he is in 6th grade). But I came, with the children, to visit my family as we hadn't been back since we left. While here, however, I learned of a interesting job that would be a great opportunity for me and a friend pulled some strings and got me an interview. I was offered the job and I discussed it with my husband who encouraged me to accept it. We decided that it would be a slightly easier transition for us to go ahead and do it this way because I'd have a job and can get established (with help from my family) then apply for him to join us.

I've since been able to get transportation, rent and furnish a house and apply for the visa in the course of 6 months. But I have to tell you, it is HARD. Because I am the only working person in the home, the responsibility of paying for everything falls on me. The cost of everyday necessities seems to be exhorbitant, because I am only able to pay for exactly what we need, no extras. Childcare costs are through the roof! I was lucky to find a woman to care for our daughter in her home because the good daycare centers want $200/week! Put that with the cost of providing extra diapers for them plus at home and childcare alone would eat nearly half my paycheck! Luckily, gas prices have declined since I first got here, and I live and work within 20 miles of each other. Food prices are pretty random, too, I have noticed that some items seem to be ridiculously priced considering the volume that you get, while others can be found dirt cheap! Amazingly, some things are cheaper than they were in Morocco, but there I made less income yet we were still able to make it.

In some ways, I am glad to be back and am very lucky/blessed to have the job I have and to have transitioned so well. But, if I had to do it again I don't think I would. Even though it would have been harder to come together because none of my family has enough income to have sponsored our whole family, I would rather have waited to do so. It is predicted that the economic situation will worsen over the coming months and that more and more companies will have to lay off employees, so if you do decide to come be sure that you have a good support system in place and solid plans for how to make do while trying to re-establish.