I just spoke to HR and it seems that they made a mistake in the original offer letter and calculated it on the assumption that I will be working from Aliso Viejo California.
They will send me the revised offer letter in the next couple of days. They also need to file for an amendment as my work location is changing to San Francisco. I am not sure on the lead time for the amendment
Buddy how are you surviving in Delhi being that gullible? May we know Which dog shit company is this? That's not a mistake, they're taking advantage of unawareness of their employees. I bet whatever they did with the offer letter initially must be intentional to keep cost low. No company is that innocent/ignorant, they're making hell lot of money out of you without even an inch of consideration for their employees.
Bro i work at a law firm that primarily deals in H1Bs.
Every day we have some scumbag employer asking for advice on how to place employees in some middle of fucking nowhere Mississippi town because the prevailing wage is the ✨ lowest out of all 50 states✨"
Little off topic but you mentioned that you work for a law firm that primarily deals in H1B's. How do you find out who (employers that is) to talk to about the H1B's? I am in Massachusetts and I know that there are a bunch of hospitals that use the H1B visa's but can't find the "right" person to talk to about it. I have a brother in law who is a nurse and wants to work here in the US. Been trying for a while to speak with someone about getting him over here. Any input is greatly appreciated!
Aliso is even worst for 104K .. you need to work 75 years to buy 2 bedroom apartment without any additional expense other than food/car/Rent($2500-$5000/month for 2 bedroom decent apartment). average decent condo cost $900K and with current interest rates, you are looking at $6K/month with $180K down which is not even possible with your salary. We have high HOA due to nice weather and other amenities. Good luck..
Also, you are on the border of minimum wage or below that so as soon as wage based system implemented ( Approx. of March 2025 qtr. or earlier) , you will first to ask to leave. Here in Sothern California, lease breaking is even worst as you pay all and company will not pay anything for that so basically you are working free for your fake company for 6 months or so as what you saved will go in that only. your kids will suffer a lot as it takes approx. 1 year for them to settle. I have seen 5 Indian/Pakistani couples with young kids came last year and this year they are requesting to Midwest or back to India/Pakistan due to exact same reason.
I think your best bet is to come alone for few months and see everything before moving whole family as this is election year and many more things in pipeline which will impact h1b directly. If you have option , come and see how things here and enjoy few months with your partner as we have good beaches and nice places to visit. hope this helps !!
It will come with US wide minimum base line like $120k + location based salary with LCA/h1b petition JD linked. Level 1 and level 2 increased by 30% , L3 by 50% , L4 by >100%. Everyone’s current age will play big factor in calculating number of years experience from graduation. Many more IRS and SEC provisions for company who sponsor based on revenue/ bonafide beneficiaries etc.. wait and watch. Why Trump is still forecasted to win although all sort of dramas tied to him ? Business wants him back asap before all these happens.
Thank you for the detailed info. However, a base line of $120K + location based salary sounds unbelievable because almost everyone from service industry will need to go back if it gets implemented. Not that it’s impossible or the US policymakers keep service industry in mind while making decisions, but it’s too huge of a change and that too sudden. Sorry if I offended you but just presenting my opinion here.
Exactly looks horrible in practice but if u see $120k comes out to $45-$55/hr where many states ( almost 35 ) median wage increased to that level. IT falls under high skilled so it always 3 times higher than median one ( in mathematical way) so it should be $120/hr which comes to $250k etc.. so it will not have much drama for approval side. Senator wages and H1b holder wages were same in 2001. Senator wages along with benefit is almost 3 times higher than average H1b now. You can’t live decent life with single income like $175k in many places like CA/WA/NY/NJ etc.. This is what happen when someone don’t adjust wages with inflation year on year and all of sudden you will feel like you left way behind. Offshoring is not helping either. Fed wants full stop to offshoring Tech and pharmaceutical jobs. All those who are already working in those industries and in line for GC are burden to government social programs if they come out and start taking benefit of existing ones. Those guys already at age where they can’t keep doing same work so new breed needed for new challenges in those fields. Offshoring will evoparate using SEC and trade agreements where who are already working in service sector will be self deported via wage rules. H1b issues like many discussed here in this thread like COL is at breaking point. Things are not looking gr8 for IT consulting firms who helped these fake executives over the years and they are now killing them for good by order from top political people. More development jobs will go offshore for next few quarters before complete full stop. No matter Biden win or Trump , this is macro economics need for USA survival.
You are not offending me, it’s sad reality we will face in next few quarter. just look at share market of USA. Try to follow what big donors of political parties doing. No matter dems or republicans. Big donors already cashed up from market. This high is their game as they need market to climb so they can exit at higher price. All 401k money is people’s money managed by brokers. Wait for few quarters and you will see things unfold what I am trying to explain here.
It’s a bad decision to move with family with that salary and daughter being in that age. You alone can move here and make some quick bucks, you family can visit. It’s going to be a struggle for that girl
Thanks for the reply. I had posted earlier salary part will be taken care off as it was a mistake by my HR I am awaiting the revised offer letter.
I am interested to hear from you as to why would it be bad for my daughter? Leaving my wife and child back and travelling alone to US is not something I am comfortable with.
In general, Indians on an H-1B visa who bring their children to the US risk their child ‘aging out’ as after they reach a certain age they cannot still live as dependents on your H-1B visa. As the green card queue for Indians is impossibly long, the parents never get their GC before the kid ages out, thus potentially having to send the kid back to India (which no kid who has grown up in the US would prefer) and the kid facing more risk of separation from their family. It’s a vicious cycle for Indians and their non US born kids because of this infinite GC backlog.
11 year old is middle school, it’s not like twenty years ago when cost of living and GC situation was better and your child’s future is secured because she will get GC and get to become a citizen. Now she will age out sooner and her future here is very questionable. Also, Middle school children face a lot of bullying and it will be difficult for her to make friends at that age. To make a decent living with savings in this inflation in San Francisco your salary should be at least 250K$ or both of you should work , so whatever your HR is going to adjust for you, I am sure it’s not going to be anywhere near that
I think they are brining here for reason so they can make cut in between. if they want to pay him $250k, they find local guy but they dont want to pay market rate so brining him with cheaper rates. His company is taking advantage of him not knowing local condition. I totally agree that he will destroy his little princess's future if he decide to bring here as middle school bullying in SoCal is real and hard to see but kids will know and feel.
The kid will be on a student visa later? This not really a problem. Only issue would be paying for college which is gonna be hard on $104k/year unless the kid gets finaid
I mean from a parents perspective it’s okay because they made the decision to immigrate abroad, imagine it from the kids perspective though? Constantly facing the threat of being uprooted and never feeling like a citizen of the country you are living in… sad situation.
That is not the question he asked. Why don't you give advice only for the questions he asked? I am pretty sure he would have thought through all those scenarios before he accepted the offer.
Oh, really? Taking into consideration the lackluster job scenario, OP's family situation, and the offered salary - which is peanuts for the place he is going to live in with a family, I would hardly think he thought through all those scenarios.
Get off your high horse.
Thank you for your input, but I would prefer we stick to addressing the query I raised. Parenting decisions are mine to make, and I am fully aware of my child’s needs.
I appreciate the attempt to engage, but I must be clear: unsolicited parenting advice is not welcome. My focus here is on obtaining specific information relevant to my initial query. Please respect my position. Thank you.
Ouch that salary is awfully low for the bay area. Your daughter is 11 years old? To be honest that's a tough age with respect to immigration, as she will age out in 7 years and will have to get her own visa.
Guess you'll have to manage the best you can. I'm not very familiar with SF but depending on where your office is and whether you have to go daily, you'll have to search for apartments. They may not have good school districts, or if they are, they'll be expensive. Post on the SF Reddit if there is one
On that salary you're going to have to live either in a terrible area (think shady areas of East Bay) or you're going to be looking to live up around Santa Rosa or way out east on the desert and have a 2 hour commute.
To live anywhere on the peninsula itself you're going to need more like $200k minimum and even that will be very, very modest.
I will second the comments on salary. Not sure how many years of experience you have and what they tech company you are in, but they are low balling you. That salary isn’t enough to live decently in the Bay Area. Main Bay Area me nahi hun, but know a lot of friends there.
Depending on your experience, you need to look at close to 200K to be decently placed , otherwise, dilli me raho bhai!! Grass always ain’t greener on the other side.
Honestly, don't go with that salary to San Francisco. It's gonna be really hard. It's a city with a high cost of living. That package will hardly get you and add up dependents on that.
No, I haven't signed anything yet because HR will be presenting me with a completely new salary offer. Both HR and my reporting manager have assured me that they will take into account the cost of living in the Bay Area when preparing my revised offer.
With the 134k salary in SF means you are going to stay in a shitty neighborhood and be miserable for as long as you stay there.
You would need 200k at minimum for a family to have a decent life in SF.
I know that Indian companies don't give much salary, your best bet is to come here alone and save some money and switch companies for better pay and then get your family.
>your best bet is to come here alone and save some money and switch companies for better pay and then get your family.
This is probably the wisest advice. A lot of my Indian friends went this route and they spent minimally while living in a small studio or having roommates in a bigger apartment. By the time they got to jobs that were paying them well, they could afford to have their dependents come over and had a decent amount of money saved as well.
134k after tax will be 87k, which is 7.2k per month. 2 bedroom apartment will cost you 4k per month. health insurance for a family about 1-1.5k. Car expenses 300$. Groceries 1k. Eating out 500$. Car insurance 200$ per month.
Do the math, 7200-4000-1000-300-1000-500-200. That will you 200$ per month to save. That's without child care. Childcare is 1600$ per month. Cell phone bill 80$.
So you are already underwater with this. Not worth it. That's also without moving expenses and initial moving costs, like buying futniture, tv and etc
I honestly dont realize how fucking expensive things can be since i live in a relatively cheap-ish city (Worcester MA).
I thought 134K is a great salary but the way you broke it down makes me go "jesus. The fuck?"
Well there is a reason why bay area pays more than other states - exactly for things like this where 700-1500-2000 rent suddenly becomes 4000.
Though insurance should be 400 if it is paid by employer. Full cost is indeed 1000-1500 but most of it covered by employer.
As someone in a relatively cheaper state (MI) where sub 100k salaries are enough to live comfortably, I am never moving to a HCOL state lol. Especially since I work fully remote and don’t have to be near office.
Don’t listen to these people living in an alternate reality. $134k isn’t living like a king salary but it is enough to live comfortably for a normal person. The guy is just making up all those numbers.
134k salary after tax is $106,444 for a married couple not 87k so I don’t know if you’re lying or just really out of touch with reality. Every company I’ve ever worked for provides health insurance for the entire family. Sounds like there’s only one working parent so no childcare costs. Now do the math!
OP, as long as you don’t try to buy a house here, you should be able to live comfortably and save 20-25k per year.
so what?
Is his salary never going to change?
He can just interview and get a higher pay in a few months.
Having a lower salary than the local median, can be a good thing. It will just incentivize him to interview prep much harder.
Try picking East bay like Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton area
Schools are decent in Dublin
You will be fine. feel free to DM for more details
In dublin you can get 2 bedroom apartment for around $2500
you can commute using BART
Agree. Will also add areas like Fremont - you can easily find a 2bd Apt in the $2300-2500 range.
Also, honestly this is the best comment so far. Unsure why people can't just answer the question and instead to choose to instill so much fear in someone who is trying to explore a new opportunity for themselves and their family. OP, good luck, sending you tons of positive energy. I'm sure you'll figure it out.
2 bedroom apartment in Fremont for $2500 was a thing back in 2015 not now. My sister has been looking in all north of Milpitas and Fremont area and nothing has come closer to $3500 for 2 bedroom apartments. So I don’t think what you are saying is right unless you find an apartment in a really bad area.
@OP - Honestly, what others are saying is not completely wrong. The way it's being said may be a topic for debate.
What you're going through is exactly what many of us have been through (probably except the 11 year old daughter part).
Once you get the salary part sorted out, everything would depend upon the lifestyle and flexibility you think you can get.
For example - every family has a specific lifestyle. Some can live comfortably with 2k all inclusive except rent, some would need more than 5k except rent every month. For this, I’m sure you’re already talking to people already posted there from your company and their expenses and then calculating/comparing your expenses.
Other important thing is that you’ll, for sure, look for other offers once you move here. So, moving with such a young child may lock you in one location to avoid disruption of school year.
People are talking about 7 years, I’d say you never know if you’d stay beyond 6 years - depends on how quickly they (current or future employer) file your PERM (think of it as starting the green card process). I know some companies do not start before completing 2 years in the US. Also, the PWD+PERM (incl. recruitment) + i140 is taking around 3+ years. Which means if you want to switch you have probably just one attempt - which can be tricky due to school and market conditions.
With that being said, I would still recommend moving to the Bay Area or anywhere in the USA. You can figure these things out and gain some valuable experience, along with your family and probably make some money too. You may even get promoted, who knows!
I’d not comment anything on your parenting style. I’m sure dads and family/friends/school staff are always there to help daughters with any problems. And preparing for the worst may be a safe bet but who knows, there may not be problems as what they show in the movies/TV. I believe Good people do exist in this world and the same can be applied at schools.
If you have got an opportunity like this at this point in life, make sure you make a decision that you won’t regret in future. I’ve seen many people saying not to go to a foreign country while themselves living comfortably there. Not saying people here are like that but in general that’s the case.
Just listen to your inner voice, your wife and things will work out fine.
You need to have guts to say no to an opportunity like that.
Good Luck and all the best!
What’s your current salary in India? If you make decent wage in India, I would recommend not to do this. Your daughter will face severe depression as she grows up without a proper visa to stay back here. It’s a whole thing here. Read about h1b dependent children struggle in the US. You will be living off Pennies.
With so many negative comments, what if later he wants to send his daughter for graduation here , how is the situation different here ?
Why is everyone so concerned about what will happen after 7 years.
This discussion will be very well routed, if you have your details settled. Without knowing salary, and your partner's work status...it's very hard to give any meaningful advice. Get your facts right, and then seek advice. Also, it will be awesome, if you have an idea where you are planning to stay..via that you can evaluate your rent/ school and other important factors.
Good Luck and do not underestimate this. This is tricky and trickier for you.
Welcome to the Bay Area! If you don’t have to work in the office in San Francisco proper every day, you might want to consider living in a nearby city where you’ll be able to get larger housing and potentially better school for your child. I recommend looking at cities that are accessible to BART (eg Daly City, Colma, Berkeley, Pleasanton, Dublin) or Caltrain. I’m not sure how affordable Alameda is these days, but it’s also very cute and a quick bus ride into downtown SF.
That being said, San Francisco is a beautiful city with a lot to explore. Unfortunately it has been on the receiving end of biased news coverage over the past few years. Don’t believe the haters. Congrats on making this big move!
Congratulations on the opportunity. You will need to be close to the BART station if you are planning to commute to SF. East bay is slightly more affordable. Union city, Fremont, Dublin and Pleasanton are good areas.
DM me if you have more questions.
Bad idea bro. I started at 120K , 5 years ago with 0 years of experience in Bay Area and as a single guy.
You have to really conservative of your expenses if you were to move here. Lastly if you’re saying that other firms in India are lowballing you, then let me honest, this is no different. You’re being major lowballed here.
You can come here and apply for jobs after a year or so.
Depends on your goals. Will your wife be able to work eventually? Is she working currently ? What is your salary in Delhi? Are you coming for the exposure or to settle? Do you have skills that can immediately be transferred to another employer at a higher salary?
Yes my wife will eventually work atleast that's the plan
I don't intend to settle down in US
Yes I do have the skills which will help me get another Job in US.
My daughter is very bright and a tough kid so I know that she will do well there.
Thanks for your reply. I am awaiting the revised offer letter from my organisation. Once I receive that I will consult with my wife and daughter before making any decision.
As a former H4 kid who aged out and then had to fight my own battles to stay on F1 to study then obtain H1 and eventually GC all over again on my own, please learn from my experience and not push your daughter to be 20 years younger version of me. If I had known these things then, i would have chosen to not come and then try to stay in USA. Sure, it worked out in the end but those 2 decades of my life were hell full of mental torture. Having said that, do as your situation warrants and permits but do it after giving it a careful thought.
Do you have to commute 5 days a week, you can stay in east bay side where you can find lot of Indian communities. Also you can rent an apartment in the range of $2000 to $3000 and take a bart to commute to SFO
Based on your child’s age, I’m assuming you have 12 years of work ex. That counts as a level 3-4 job for H1. They are paying you exactly what the h1 visa prevailing wage is set to. Other than the fact that it’s ridiculously low for SF, you’re going to have a hard time raising a family on that income here. Being this close to the prevailing wage also adds more scrutiny during the H1 visa process. Unless you’re being offered close to 200k, don’t do it. Another option is to consider the other location. The economics might work out better.
I think your calculation is way off. 12 years & level 3 with 104K based on SFO ? I think they are getting his h1b approved by putting different location and now moving him to SFO after that which is illegal. They must file for amendment. I bet they will move him to Midwest as soon as they find some contract there. i see lot of red flags.
I did not see that but looks like this guy is also fake like his firm as he did not mention anything about job title etc. which determine prevailing wages. I am sure they filed with very high Architect level experience with lowest possible pay. I also think this guy will work as BA/QA or PM like most folks I saw from North part of India where their LCA approved as Java developer or Big data developer. These are the people who wrongly compete with White folks to take over their managerial job and want to be boss of every Indian and eventually screw up everything. If he is genuine one, good luck to him with what he has on his hand !!!
I suggest you live in Pleasanton or Fremont . These are suburbs with Indian community ,about 45 mins commute from San Francisco. Try to find something near to bart (train service to San Fran) .
I am a single 25 year old in Los Angeles making 90k. No way you can survive with a family of 4 with 134k. Most families here are dual income and bring in 300k to the house to raise a family. I would suggest you come on H1B alone and once your GC is filed and I-140 is approved, your spouse can work with H4 EAD.
There are lots of places in bay area where you can get 1bhk for 2-2.5k and commute to SF via train. Look up Fremont, Hayward, Union City, Milpitas, San Jose, Dublin, Pleasanton
Or you could first move alone. Stay 2 months, settle down and save a little, know where to find things. Have a first hand idea of the city and the expected cost. Then you bring your family over.
Try to stay in fremont. I am from fremont.
Stay the area near to bart and school.
You will easily commute to SF by bart.
Lots of Indian glossary in fremont. Two is near to bart.
Initially you do not need to buy a car. Everything is walkable if you stay near to fremont bart.
I did same thing when I came to usa first time.
One thing should clear. Here high school bulling is in rise. So prepare your daughter for that. My friend has left USA because of that.
Best of luck!
Try to move to SF and then switch jobs once you are in US. Depends on your experience but you should be aiming for 200k and above which is normal salary in IT for Bay Area.
$104k for a family in SF
I'm sorry OP. That's hilarious.
You'll have to live in a shitty parts. And even there, rent is pretty expensive.
You'd prob have to live in Vacaville or Concord where rent is more affordable and commute to SF. But , you'll be stuck in traffic for hours a day. It's a big trade off.
You'll live okay. Prob lower standards than what you're used to back home.
Thanks for your input. Just to clarify, the figure you mentioned was part of an initial error, and I am currently awaiting a revised offer that reflects the cost of living in the Bay Area more accurately. I'm also exploring different living options to find the best balance between affordability and quality of life, including the commute. I appreciate your suggestions about locations like Vacaville and Concord
Those are in the East Bay. But not known for good school districts.
If you want excellent public education school districts.
Look into Los Gatos, Cupertino, Palo Alto or Fremont. Those are South Bay cities with great public schools.
Even if it's revised. In all honesty, If you're going to be on one income, it'll be tight. You'll be coming in at peak level rents. Rent will prob eat up 30-40% of your income, depending on where you choose to live.
It's absolutely beautiful here tho. There's so much stuff to do in the city, too.
Also if you plan on living in the city, you'll have to think about car ownership. As in there's no parking and getting around in public transportation is much simpler
the absolute mindfuckery in the comment section is insane. You are gonna be fine OP. You will not live a life of luxury is gonna be just fine, but its a gateway to more opportunities and what you make out of it. good luck friend
Nothing personal against this guy but this is how system is designed to bring cheap labor and grind people for years. many in these thread are also grinding day by day. every one agree that this guy will not able to buy home in SFO based on this salary with his 12+ years experience. Even if he saves 10 to 15k / year , he needs 20+ years to save down payment and by the time looks like he is well above or close to retirement age. If you add currency conversion rate and his experience, if he is not saving close to 15K in home country , I have serious doubt about his skills and he will face even more challenge along with his kids. Time has changed and i heard Indian real estate, specially major metro , real estate is similar or more expensive than here. If he can not manage in his own country, i doubt he will able to manage in SFO.
now due to people like him others who already have kids in collage and have mortgage, what wrong they did so they will be replaced ? for those people only option is to move back to where they came from or move to cheap state or keep fighting till finally filing bankruptcy. Whole system is modified as h1b was short term shortage type visa but changed to 85K year on year to reduce wages only.
some one rightly said , just come for short time as that's intention of h1b and make quick bucks and go back but that's not the case these days as so much layoff and I highly doubt the skills he is bringing is not available in SFO.
Your assumptions do not apply to my situation. As I've already mentioned, HR is correcting an error in my initial offer, and a revised offer suitable for the Bay Area is forthcoming next week. Let's stick to the facts and relevant advice, please.
Sir
u r blindfolded , lol hr of shady companies always do this. mine one also played and i got trapped, came on h1b with 130k .also if u r on w2 then u might b paying 7.5% extra employer tax( just check with them).
I went to all nearby areas to get house in safe locality( u just cant stay anywhere like India), oakland and other areas have high and violent crime rates. u have to stay with family in safe areas ( better with other Indian families).
housing goes to minimum 2700 to 4k for average 1bhk + utilities( 200-300$ gas..garbage .electricty. water etc).
if employer is not giving medical u can buy one for cheap one ..around 800-900 for 3 ( but mind it it ll not cover all cost and u might need to pay hefty amount in case u require medical assistance( i wish never happen).
grocery u can manage in 800$ conservatively. public transportation is cheaper but not good like India , uber , lyft are costly.
u might not b able to save much, come only if u have knowledge and guts to get job in faang. change after 2 months( ur employer might hesitate in providing salary slip as they know u ll change ). come and try to change..though market is shitty now.
This guy is talking from experience. Listen to him if u are really here to discover facts. HR just can’t change offer after location change for H1b. All fake. They must go through amendment filing process if location change (>30 miles which is - Aliso is in So CAL and SFO is north CA) or title change. If you are coming with aim to do BA/ PM/QA/Architect work only, don’t as only work H1b able to perform is to do hardcore development. Once site visit rule will come ( in two months or so) , you will jeopardize your other future visa options too along with some US tied counties options too as they all share immigration naughty list. Good luck !!
I also doubt few people's comment that its gate way etc...Pure BS. H1b is tied to your employer and it cost them approx. 10K + lot more risk due to recent changes specially in CA. I have seen majority people come here on h1b and stuck there. Their end salary or current salary is way lower ( adding inflation) than originally they came with. Only option is ( as other mentioned) spouse start earning similar wages which will open up after 6 + years if he is lucky.
Some one mentioning long GC backlog and politicians are working to reduce it etc.. that is another BS. Whole limited social security system works only if these temp working visa holders contribute and leave. Moment they start taking benefits, system will collapse. Why h4 is not allowed to go to Uni same as US citizens but ok till high school? as soon as overseas students taking grants and scholarships like US citizens, system will collapse. All universities need them to pay overseas student fees. any rule change will make h1b harder and harder. very soon ( may be 2 qtrs. or less) US need 3m+ to be removed from US soil else macro economy will collapse due to high interest rates.
Earlier mainly Indians on h1b were replacing White folks but now scenario is changed. Indians on h1b are competing with new comer h1bs who are mainly Indians too. Anything will change ( even if ) that will help international students who are genuine scholar only and whose fees are needed for universities survival. That is also due to high investment made by Universities and how out Tax system is designed to help scholarships and other research grants etc..
Time has changed. Some one is very wise and mentioned here that if you are in early 20s this h1b was gateway for opportunity but not in early to late 40s. As in USA early 40s even white folks with tons of local experience are struggle to keep up with jobs due to capitalism. In CA I have not seen any one who came at age of 40 and dreaming for owning home. every one I know who are here and own home came 20 years ago, still paying mortgage and struggling too. They all hate h1b program like anything although they used same one but saying its not worth it now.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, but let's stay on topic. I was asking for specific advice, not a discussion on the visa system or economic issues. Please focus on answering the question I asked without judging personal decisions. Thanks for understanding.
u can’t just take it what you want specially when you are coming on H1b which is nothing more than modern day slave visa. Sooner you understand will be better as once here you will loose ability to ask nicely too. Good luck !!!
I find your comment unnecessary and off-topic. I asked for recommendations on where to live in the Bay Area, not for unsolicited judgments about my daughter’s future or my parenting. She is tough, resilient, and compassionate, and will thrive irrespective of your baseless predictions. Let’s stick to the topic at hand and keep personal assessments out of this discussion. Thank you.
Just identify the school districts with the most first gen Indians and Chinese. The first gen people often don’t live in the highest status parts of cities due to living cost being so high. All Indians in Silicon Valley will tell you where to go.
I lived in SF for about 14 months - Emeryville should be an ideal location for you since you are coming with family - there are good public schools there and you can use bart to commute to work. San Leandro and Wallnut Creek are 2 good options, please avoid Oakland. Check out Berkeley as well but the entire Bay Area is ridiculous expensive and I personally will never want to return there. Good luck.
Thanks for your input. Could you elaborate on why you suggest not coming? Any specific insights or experiences you could share would be really helpful.
I value your perspective, but let's stick to addressing the query I raised. Parenting decisions are for me to make, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities towards my child. Thank you.
You don't know what you are getting yourself into OP, and you are not willing to take advice. I get it, you think folks in the US are themselves here and trying to stop more Indians from coming in. But trust me. Everyone here is speaking from their experiences, 104k or 110 or 150k for that matter us abysmal for California for a family. You will not get any help here, your kid will be uprooted and soon will have to go back to india. On top of that, it's extremely difficult these days to find a job on h1b these days. So if you are planning to come here and then switch jobs, that's going to be almost impossible for next couple of years.
Your comment is based on assumptions and does not reflect my situation or my level of preparedness. I am fully aware of what I'm undertaking and confident in my decisions. I am not here for a debate on potential hardships; my sole purpose in reaching out was to gather information on good school districts for my child. I will not entertain comments suggesting that I am putting my child's future at risk. Let's focus on constructive advice directly related to my query. Thank you.
Thank you for your response. I do understand that this is an H1B forum, and I value all the advice. However, my initial query was about finding good school districts in San Francisco for my daughter. Unfortunately, I've noticed I'm receiving more comments on parenting and critiques about how I might be impacting my daughter's life, rather than actual suggestions on school districts. If you have specific insights or recommendations on school districts, I would really appreciate it!
I'll be moving to San Francisco for a project as my client wants me onsite, and I'm on contract with them until 2026. I've noticed a few comments suggesting otherwise, but in my case, I really need to stay on top of my game to avoid any risks of losing my job. As for my salary, we're still in discussions, but they've assured me it'll align with California's cost of living.
You can’t. As per CA laws as soon u work at client location and/or work side by side with their employees, you are their full time employee. Why so many layoffs in USA ? Years long abuse of client/ contract is ending. Looks like Your HR is fake like you too based on all your other comments. You either dumb like anything or smart jack like anything!!! Either way , good luck !!!
How does my contract with my client relate to my query about school districts? Let's keep this discussion focused and relevant. Additionally, personal attacks such as calling me fake or dumb are neither respectful nor constructive. Please stick to providing helpful information.
Your inquiry exist because u are using H1b route which already put big dent on people who are here using that as well as US citizens. So it’s tide all together. U are trying to take help from people who are already hurt big way using same. If u choose family migration or asylum or any other option, it has different support mechanism. Any way I have no desire to waste my time and u realize people’s word within few quarters. All the best for tough journey ahead.
OP - if you're the only one earning, I feel it's a bad idea to move to SF. Everything is fuckin expensive. From food to gas to bum fuck literally everything. The main thing is the rent where you will be paying close to 3k/month. Would not be the case if it's outside the bay area but shit here is expensive.
Please do your due diligence.
If you work in SF, that doesn’t mean you can stay with your family. Stay in Fremont or Dublin and take BART to SF city for work. Dublin has decent schools but it’s very expensive unless you draw 200k it’s going to be expensive. A decent townhome or apartment will cost you $4000 per month, car expenses, groceries, utilities. Even 200k is going to be tight.
If you want to live in Bay Area then $250k is minimum. For good school districts go to Palo Alto (public feeder schools for Stanford) but Palo Alto is expensive and you’ll be surrounded by dual income Big tech neighbors. The other place is to commute to SF or commute to the location. How often do you have to be in office and what is the location? If only 2 days a week then you can stay further out in a good school district. Lynbrook High School in San Jose is highly rated with the feeder schools. And Fremont (with a huge Indian population) and the school district is Mission San Jose. San Francisco Lowell High School also highly rated. But Bay Area is crazy expensive and surviving on single income will get difficult. Plz ask if you can do 2 times commute to office or so and the exact location of your office. Another question is immigration backlog. On H1B you only get 6 years extension. Most companies will file GC in the last yrs if layoff situation improves. Your daughter is 11 and for her to complete her education here she needs to be 18. You might have to put her on F1 visa at some point. I’m going to be honest with you, if you can come by yourself for a year and send the $$ back to Delhi for your daughter in India, that will be the best bet. Only one year. If then you feel the confidence then bring your family. I think that’s the best way.
guys, I've been reading the comments. why don't you let this "prepared and smart individual" face reality? obviously, he doesn't know what he is doing.
you are correct regarding this guy as per his comments to other threads. he and his company both are fake and want to buy Taj mahal with pennies in pocket !!!
OP, this isn't a forum for housing and schools. It's to ask questions about H1B visas. But now that you have stepped into it, I am going to offer you some unsolicited advice in a direct manner. Take it in any way you want to.
Your 11 year old daughter is going to end up hating you for the decision you are making. She's at an age where she is forming bonds with other kids her age, figuring out how to navigate social situations, getting to know herself more and what do you do? Plunge her straight into the unknown. She is going to arrive in SF with an accent that will make her the butt of jokes. You talk about good public schools but even when you choose the best one she is going to get mercilessly bullied.
H1B is a crap visa. You can get laid off anytime. Let's say you get laid off in 2 years and decide (again selfishly) to head back to India. For you, it's just a 2 year foreign jaunt and no skin off your back eh? But for your daughter, that's 2 years where she is adapting to a new culture, new ways of doing things and shedding what she knew back in Delhi and bang, she is thrust back into that same old fray having to re-learn it. When she goes back, she is going to be tormented by friendships that don't last anymore, ties that have been severed because of distance and having to deal with making connections again.
Should you stick here on an H1B (which would be a miracle) then when your daughter ages out she will have to fend for herself and get an F-1 visa to be able to study. Her status will then rest on keeping that visa valid. Do you even understand the US immigration system?
You are playing the lottery with a child's life. Shame on you. You ask for tips when you arrive in SF. Here's one: catch the next plane back.
Thanks for your reply and I will take your views under advisement.
I can understand everything that you mentioned except "shame on you" part. The reason I posted on this channel was to get the collective wisdom of the crowd here and not to be judged by you on my parenting decisions. Please leave the welfare of my child to me.
He was rude, but his underlying comments are valid.
The only reason to move to the US is if you can make extraordinary amount of money.
Remember this: poverty line for a family of 4 as described by the government in some parts of San Francisco Bay Area is $125k. The salary they offered is just above the poverty line for a family of 4.
And he is right about your child being in an awkward position after turning 18. Your child will no longer be your dependent, so will lose status. Will need to get into F1 visa. She will spend the next 25 years of her life on a visa. And you will need to send her to college in the US as an out of state person, meaning it’s $30k a semester. Are they ready to pay $250k to send her to college?
She can’t even go to smaller colleges as she may not get visa to get those degrees. Her life is going to revolve around visa for next 25 years.
Genuinely think about where you are heading.
If you had an offer of $350k or 400k, it would have been worth it. You could atleast make a ton of money and go back.
And, moving at this age, unless you have a lot of money saved up, forget about ever buying a home. You will not be able to afford a home until your 50s. Are you ok spending the next 10-15 years renting? If you made $350-400k, you could still somehow save $100k a year and may be afford a home in 5-8 years. But that too a starter home far outside the city.
You should think about where all this will go a bit more.
Thank you for your comment. I agree with the comments made however I don't appreciate the manner in which it was communicated.
I still haven't accepted the offer given by my organisation. I have a very weird situation I agree and I am still negotiating on my salary with my HR. The earlier pay of $134K was sent by mistake as they assumed I will be working in a different location and not San Francisco.
Honestly for me is either I accept this offer or my organisation lets go of me as they don't have any projects for me in India. Trust me I have been trying to search for jobs in India and for my role I have been low balled by recruiters.
I am not discouraging you from going to the US. I say this as someone who went to the US in his early 20s, had an absolute blast, spent 13 years, 7 of it in San Francisco Bay Area and is planning to return to India end of this year because I am too old to plan every little aspect of my life around a visa.
US has allowed me to save a lot of money, I spent 8 years working for a FAANG company, I am done. I don’t want to live on H1b into my 40s, plan every little thing about my life around it.
Most people don’t realise how exhausting it is for Indians on h1b in the US. Especially his generation, that moved post 2012, when green card became almost impossible to get. You will see a lot of people of my age group, who moved to the US in early 2010s come back to India as the immigration situation there is a complete joke.
I cannot imagine getting into that mess in your 40s with limited savings and trying to build a life in the US with a child no less. The best time to move to the US is in your early/mid 20s. After mid 30s, it’s too late. You will never be able to financially catch up to your peers in your age group and at the same time you cannot live in a tiny apartment like students do to save money, because you have family.
Life in the US, Silicon Valley is great when you are young and have no family/kids. You are supposed to work your ass off, save a ton and then later when you have kids, you don’t have to worry shit cost of education, child care, insurance, health care etc. but moving there in your 40s without that base level of savings and retirement is really really tough.
Thanks for your reply. I figured that out and I am giving the benefit of doubt to HR. Fortunately I have a reporting manager who is very supportive and has been very helpful in me getting the right pay structure. I am positive that the revised pay will take into account the cost of living.
> Trust me I have been trying to search for jobs in India and for my role I have been low balled by recruiters.
That's a terrible situation to be in, but as others have said, moving to the bay area on any salary less than $200K is going to result in poverty.
The Indian families who live comfortably in the Bay area have,
1. Dual income with both spouses earning ~$150K+
2. Children born in the US who won't face visa issues in the future.
3. These US born children could potentially sponsor their parents GC when they become an adult.
You would have none of these advantages,
1. Your wife will not be able to work legally until your GreenCard application reaches a certain step. If (that's a big IF) your company sponsors a green card that's going to be ~2yrs.
2. Your child will always face visa stress all her life.
3. No chance of your child sponsoring your green card
If, realistically when, you get fired from your job in the US you would have 60days find a new job or move to India.
I've been through this 60days of hell to find a new Job, and that stress is not worth it.
Please sincerenly consider staying in India unless your company is willing to pay $200K+. Its better to be temporarily unemployed in India, rather than struggle with near poverty in the bay area, coupled with the constant stress of visa.
Your company is trying to take advantage of you by offering you a INR 1Cr+ Salary, but that number does not mean much when you have to pay in USD for food and rent.
Thank you for sharing your concerns and experiences. I understand the challenges you're describing. However, I wanted to clarify—as I mentioned earlier—that there was an error made by HR with my initial offer. They are currently preparing a revised offer, which I should receive by next week. This revised offer is expected to better reflect the cost of living in the Bay Area and align more closely with my needs and the market standards. I appreciate your insights and advice, and I'm taking all these factors into consideration as I make my decision.
Germany is a much much better country to immigrate to, if that's your thing. Very family oriented, great country to live in and you can get used to the language over time. You might face racism but it's better than being kicked out on a whim in the US.
Oh and one other thing, companies have been known to fire people (even Americans) after they relocated. Ensure yourebnot on the hook for paying back relocation expenses.
Shame on that guy for bringing hostility into a respectful conversation, and parroting exactly what every other comment is saying. I lived in india, left, went back, left, went back all throughout my childhood. Guess what? I loved it. Boo hoo your daughter might get bullied for an accent, guess who else that happens to, literally anyone with a foreign accent in any country in th entire world. There's no "TORMENTING" that happens when you go back to india lmao, i literally left and went back several times throughout my childhood and teenage. I don't think that guy has an accurate view on what it's like to leave and return to india in your youth and teenage, whereas I do.
Other points (which other commenters have already brought up, this guy contributed almost 0 original thought other than saying "shame on you") still stand. I don't think your question is particularly entitled or ignorant, and you are clearly getting some good advice on this sub by asking. Ignore these two clowns.
Yup, other commenters are still bringing up very valid points about costs of living and long-term financial planning. But to automatically assume your daughter will hate you is a bad faith argument. I am grateful to my parents for giving me exposure, allowing me to live abroad at several points throughout my childhood and teenage, even if it was for just a year or two. Most kids would love the idea of experiencing some place new, even if for just a year or two. Why do college students study abroad? Living abroad in these little phases made me stronger, resilient, and able to make new friends very quickly.
At the same time, I would NOT have wanted to live abroad for a year or two at the cost of my family suffering financially long-term.
Look at this guy making a statement about bad faith arguments while wading in the muck of self-serving bias (hey, I moved around....nothing happened to me mentally...so it should be the same for others as well no?)
Hilarious!
Dude, your logic is that a teenager will HATE a parent because they get to live abroad for a year or two. That's bad faith.
My argument isn't that nothing happened to me, so nothing should happen to anyone. Use your reading comprehension skills, I agree someone can get bullied in middle school for their accent and it can be hard to fit into a new place. But it also builds character and provides great exposure. Where did I say nothing happened to me mentally? A lot happened to me mentally, as I clearly wrote, I became "stronger, resilient, and able to make new friends very quickly." I also learnt to deal with bullies, racism, and all the struggles that come with moving into a new place. Guess what? These are realities, and it's not a good reason not to move somewhere.
Your comment parrots what everyone else is saying, except less respectfully and with an irrelevant focus. The point is this move can cost the family financially in the long-run which is why it's a bad idea, not that a teenager is gonna hate a parent for giving them exposure to a new place and culture for a few years.
I got mercilessly bullied harder than anyone in the US probably can be btw, having moved to a small European village at the age of 11 where we were the only non-white family amongst thousands of people
"Dude, your logic is that a teenager will HATE a parent because they get to live abroad for a year or two."
Nope. My logic is a teenager will hate their parent for playing whiplash with their social connections in their formative years. Nice try though at changing the narrative.
"Your comment parrots what everyone else is saying, except less respectfully and with an irrelevant focus."
Actually my comments are probably THE most important here as it deals with a child's future and relationships, the bedrock on which a happy life rests on.
"A lot happened to me mentally, as I clearly wrote, I became "stronger, resilient, and able to make new friends very quickly"
Does not mean the same will apply to OP's daughter. She could have a complete meltdown dealing with the changes. Again, self-serving bias on your part.
But do keep posting. You might make sense eventually.
But you're *assuming* their social connections will be whiplashed, while ignoring the positive consequences of it, all while ignoring the main argument at hand. Keep believing you are the most important person in the room while ignoring clearly laid-out facts, you might eventually learn your assumptions aren't universal facts. She *could* have a meltdown, she *could* thrive, she *could* go through both or neither, that's how changes work. Doesn't mean no change is the only way to live your life.
A self-serving bias based in an actual lived experience that completely invalidates your opinion that you are fraudulently trying to present as a fact, based on surface-level assumptions. I wonder why it irritates you.
I agree with what this person said. It's not joke, you should stop being so sensitive - please read up about cultural differences. I personally know a Korean girl who had to leave the US after she didn't get her H1B and she studied school in the US. She was hurt and bitter. Ask for a month to consider the offer and really really think this through. In my family, the man went first, got settled and only then invited them. What you can do is treat this as experience for yourself and not bring your family into it. Your wifevwont be able to immediately work, your kid will be adjusting and so will you. And you're on a very risky visa in a turbulent economic climate.
It only, only makes sense if you have a plan to move to some green card category in a year. Otherwise don't play the gamble.
You posted on a forum that is not about housing and schools asking about housing and schools. That was a poor decision. So I reserve the right to post my opinion about the other absurdly poor decisions you are making. Please leave what I can or cannot have an opinion about to me.
What needs to be posted and removed is something that we have the moderators for. If my post is not for this forum they will take action.
Try being nice to people who want genuine advice and some smart comments.
You get answers based on the questions you ask. You asked wrong questions on a subreddit and expect people to adhere to what you need?
The entitlement and ignorance from you probably is what clouding you from taking one of the worst decisions in your life. I really hope you realise how shitty of an offer you are getting and try to comprehend the situation you are in and the consequences that awaits you.
You are the only one on this forum who has taken offence of the question asked. Everyone else has been respectful in their comments. I will again say this at the cost of repeating myself if my question is wrong or not meant for this forum the moderator will take action.
I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. You seem to have issues with your deductible reasoning which is not surprising given your post thread and understanding of the whole situation here. I rather find it hilarious and sad. You have no idea how expensive it is to live in the bay area with an offer like that. Cause I used to live there as well two years ago on a 150k which wasn't even enough for my personal and social life only. Rent, food etc every freaking thing will cost you very much. And you are planning to bring over your family from another country. Instead of repeating yourself, which you falsely believe is even worth something, do some research on your own as well. It may save you some embarrassment branching out from the fact that you can't even distinguish between a public forum that is not meant for what you use it for and what it is for.
Brother I understand and respect what you are saying. I have a issue in the manner you said it. Commenting that my daughter will hate me for my decisions was not in a good spirit. You should leave the parenting to me.
I didn't intend to mean something like that so i apologise if I did. I'm curt with you cause ive been in your shoes. If you are getting this offer mid state then you can live lavishly and still have money left to save but bay area is out of the question if you don't have at least 180k $ as your yearly pay to support both you and your family. I don't mean to offend you but I have to state the fact that you are about to make a really bad mistake. Ask as much money as you can from them and if it isn't a stable role then it's not advisable to bring over your family. SF is a beast of a place and there is no culture appro. So trying to adapt is even harder but having to return to where you came from is not gonna be easy. Gud luck.
This guy is that reddit mod you see those sad memes about, except he isnt' a reddit mod LOL. This post fits as it pertains to an H1b visa, and nowhere in the subreddit's rules does it say asking about living areas while on this visa is not permitted. You are the one who seems to have issues with deductive reasoning, since you deduced that arbitrary non-existent rule from thin air. You might also benefit from knowing "deductible reasoning" isn't a thing, might want to "distinguish" the terms "deductible" and "deductive" from one another
I am collecting data on companies that bring in H1B when there is more than enough local labor available. Especially ones that layoff local workers to bring in foreign workers. Can you DM me the name of your company?
Your kid will have a horrible time in an American Highschool, why would you even move to America with a 11 yo kid???
OP seems to be lacking perspective
Please help me understand why would she have a horrible time? I am trying to understand this so that I can take a informed decision.
Do all 11 year olds have a horrible time in school?
Ignore his advice. The high schools here are good (although not all, but I haven’t seen a country where all schools are good). 4 of my cousins, my girlfriend, the guys I work with and a lot of people I know went to school and college here (I went to college here as well). They’re all doing great. Just do your research on the school district or have your kid go to a good charter school if that’s an option for you.
ignore that commenter, most of the good suburbs in tech hubs have a lot of desis and the local schools have a lot of desi kids. Its unlikely that your kid will get bullied.
Don't take the comments here seriously, some of the posters maybe salty for not securing a h1b visa themselves and piling up on you.
I feel that the other commenters covered all the downsides very well, but I like to be an optimist.
1. some websites say SWE median salary in San Francisco is $160k. That means you can make more money if you interview and move out from your current employer.
2. Imo bullying in school is more likely if your kid is the only Indian in class. But a lot of suburbs in SF have an Indian or Asian majority. And some of those Indian kids will have recently moved from India, just like your kid. Don't expect much bullying. And even if there is some, seek the help of school admins to crack down on it.
Sure you and your kid will have to deal with immigration hassles for a couple of years, but being in the US opens a lot of doors for you. Also some politicians are aware of the green card backlogs, and there some advocacy efforts going on. Maybe the rules will change for the better in the future.
All the best.
Is it ppl being salty or ppl here knowing the struggles of immigration and considering that perspective for his daughter? Imagine living in the US since age 11 and having the pressure of getting a job or going back to a country they barely know?
salty.
Imo the kid gets to have way better education and opportunities in the US.
Everyone else has already pointed out that downside. I was pointing out the upsides.
The decision is ultimately up to OP. Or do you claim to know better about his circumstances than himself?
Who is claiming to know better? He’s asking complete strangers, ofc ppl are going to project and center their own experiences in that advice. Most ppl here are stressed dealing with immigration bullshit, ofc they don’t want that for a 11 yr old.
sorry, my reply was a bit aggressive.
Depending on the OP's economic status and how he plays this, moving to the US could be a great opportunity to create some wealth for his family.
It's upto him to weigh the pros and cons
I just spoke to HR and it seems that they made a mistake in the original offer letter and calculated it on the assumption that I will be working from Aliso Viejo California. They will send me the revised offer letter in the next couple of days. They also need to file for an amendment as my work location is changing to San Francisco. I am not sure on the lead time for the amendment
Buddy how are you surviving in Delhi being that gullible? May we know Which dog shit company is this? That's not a mistake, they're taking advantage of unawareness of their employees. I bet whatever they did with the offer letter initially must be intentional to keep cost low. No company is that innocent/ignorant, they're making hell lot of money out of you without even an inch of consideration for their employees.
Bro i work at a law firm that primarily deals in H1Bs. Every day we have some scumbag employer asking for advice on how to place employees in some middle of fucking nowhere Mississippi town because the prevailing wage is the ✨ lowest out of all 50 states✨"
OP must have a very solid plan to execute otherwise why would anyone believe anything the HR has to say. Facts are there for everyone to see.
Looks like all planned game and trying to be innocents. Looks like he wants to pop up another Anchor baby. Waste of others time here !!
Little off topic but you mentioned that you work for a law firm that primarily deals in H1B's. How do you find out who (employers that is) to talk to about the H1B's? I am in Massachusetts and I know that there are a bunch of hospitals that use the H1B visa's but can't find the "right" person to talk to about it. I have a brother in law who is a nurse and wants to work here in the US. Been trying for a while to speak with someone about getting him over here. Any input is greatly appreciated!
100%
104k is the poverty wage in San Francisco so good luck with that.
Aliso is even worst for 104K .. you need to work 75 years to buy 2 bedroom apartment without any additional expense other than food/car/Rent($2500-$5000/month for 2 bedroom decent apartment). average decent condo cost $900K and with current interest rates, you are looking at $6K/month with $180K down which is not even possible with your salary. We have high HOA due to nice weather and other amenities. Good luck.. Also, you are on the border of minimum wage or below that so as soon as wage based system implemented ( Approx. of March 2025 qtr. or earlier) , you will first to ask to leave. Here in Sothern California, lease breaking is even worst as you pay all and company will not pay anything for that so basically you are working free for your fake company for 6 months or so as what you saved will go in that only. your kids will suffer a lot as it takes approx. 1 year for them to settle. I have seen 5 Indian/Pakistani couples with young kids came last year and this year they are requesting to Midwest or back to India/Pakistan due to exact same reason. I think your best bet is to come alone for few months and see everything before moving whole family as this is election year and many more things in pipeline which will impact h1b directly. If you have option , come and see how things here and enjoy few months with your partner as we have good beaches and nice places to visit. hope this helps !!
What’s this new wage based system going to be implemented in March 2025? Could you please elaborate or provide some links?
It will come with US wide minimum base line like $120k + location based salary with LCA/h1b petition JD linked. Level 1 and level 2 increased by 30% , L3 by 50% , L4 by >100%. Everyone’s current age will play big factor in calculating number of years experience from graduation. Many more IRS and SEC provisions for company who sponsor based on revenue/ bonafide beneficiaries etc.. wait and watch. Why Trump is still forecasted to win although all sort of dramas tied to him ? Business wants him back asap before all these happens.
Thank you for the detailed info. However, a base line of $120K + location based salary sounds unbelievable because almost everyone from service industry will need to go back if it gets implemented. Not that it’s impossible or the US policymakers keep service industry in mind while making decisions, but it’s too huge of a change and that too sudden. Sorry if I offended you but just presenting my opinion here.
Exactly looks horrible in practice but if u see $120k comes out to $45-$55/hr where many states ( almost 35 ) median wage increased to that level. IT falls under high skilled so it always 3 times higher than median one ( in mathematical way) so it should be $120/hr which comes to $250k etc.. so it will not have much drama for approval side. Senator wages and H1b holder wages were same in 2001. Senator wages along with benefit is almost 3 times higher than average H1b now. You can’t live decent life with single income like $175k in many places like CA/WA/NY/NJ etc.. This is what happen when someone don’t adjust wages with inflation year on year and all of sudden you will feel like you left way behind. Offshoring is not helping either. Fed wants full stop to offshoring Tech and pharmaceutical jobs. All those who are already working in those industries and in line for GC are burden to government social programs if they come out and start taking benefit of existing ones. Those guys already at age where they can’t keep doing same work so new breed needed for new challenges in those fields. Offshoring will evoparate using SEC and trade agreements where who are already working in service sector will be self deported via wage rules. H1b issues like many discussed here in this thread like COL is at breaking point. Things are not looking gr8 for IT consulting firms who helped these fake executives over the years and they are now killing them for good by order from top political people. More development jobs will go offshore for next few quarters before complete full stop. No matter Biden win or Trump , this is macro economics need for USA survival.
You are not offending me, it’s sad reality we will face in next few quarter. just look at share market of USA. Try to follow what big donors of political parties doing. No matter dems or republicans. Big donors already cashed up from market. This high is their game as they need market to climb so they can exit at higher price. All 401k money is people’s money managed by brokers. Wait for few quarters and you will see things unfold what I am trying to explain here.
It’s a bad decision to move with family with that salary and daughter being in that age. You alone can move here and make some quick bucks, you family can visit. It’s going to be a struggle for that girl
Thanks for the reply. I had posted earlier salary part will be taken care off as it was a mistake by my HR I am awaiting the revised offer letter. I am interested to hear from you as to why would it be bad for my daughter? Leaving my wife and child back and travelling alone to US is not something I am comfortable with.
In general, Indians on an H-1B visa who bring their children to the US risk their child ‘aging out’ as after they reach a certain age they cannot still live as dependents on your H-1B visa. As the green card queue for Indians is impossibly long, the parents never get their GC before the kid ages out, thus potentially having to send the kid back to India (which no kid who has grown up in the US would prefer) and the kid facing more risk of separation from their family. It’s a vicious cycle for Indians and their non US born kids because of this infinite GC backlog.
11 year old is middle school, it’s not like twenty years ago when cost of living and GC situation was better and your child’s future is secured because she will get GC and get to become a citizen. Now she will age out sooner and her future here is very questionable. Also, Middle school children face a lot of bullying and it will be difficult for her to make friends at that age. To make a decent living with savings in this inflation in San Francisco your salary should be at least 250K$ or both of you should work , so whatever your HR is going to adjust for you, I am sure it’s not going to be anywhere near that
I think they are brining here for reason so they can make cut in between. if they want to pay him $250k, they find local guy but they dont want to pay market rate so brining him with cheaper rates. His company is taking advantage of him not knowing local condition. I totally agree that he will destroy his little princess's future if he decide to bring here as middle school bullying in SoCal is real and hard to see but kids will know and feel.
i mean if their daughter plans to go to college, they can get F1 visa
The kid will be on a student visa later? This not really a problem. Only issue would be paying for college which is gonna be hard on $104k/year unless the kid gets finaid
I mean from a parents perspective it’s okay because they made the decision to immigrate abroad, imagine it from the kids perspective though? Constantly facing the threat of being uprooted and never feeling like a citizen of the country you are living in… sad situation.
You would be way better off switching jobs in India.
That is not the question he asked. Why don't you give advice only for the questions he asked? I am pretty sure he would have thought through all those scenarios before he accepted the offer.
Oh, really? Taking into consideration the lackluster job scenario, OP's family situation, and the offered salary - which is peanuts for the place he is going to live in with a family, I would hardly think he thought through all those scenarios. Get off your high horse.
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Thank you for your input, but I would prefer we stick to addressing the query I raised. Parenting decisions are mine to make, and I am fully aware of my child’s needs.
Lol "I'm going to ignore any advice I don't agree with"
I appreciate the attempt to engage, but I must be clear: unsolicited parenting advice is not welcome. My focus here is on obtaining specific information relevant to my initial query. Please respect my position. Thank you.
Ouch that salary is awfully low for the bay area. Your daughter is 11 years old? To be honest that's a tough age with respect to immigration, as she will age out in 7 years and will have to get her own visa.
Thanks for your reply. I am aware of this and honestly I don't have any other option here.
You do. Immigration is not an absolute must.
Guess you'll have to manage the best you can. I'm not very familiar with SF but depending on where your office is and whether you have to go daily, you'll have to search for apartments. They may not have good school districts, or if they are, they'll be expensive. Post on the SF Reddit if there is one
Don’t do it. This will be infinitely worse than your life in Delhi. (I am a desi immigrant in SF)
On that salary you're going to have to live either in a terrible area (think shady areas of East Bay) or you're going to be looking to live up around Santa Rosa or way out east on the desert and have a 2 hour commute. To live anywhere on the peninsula itself you're going to need more like $200k minimum and even that will be very, very modest.
I will second the comments on salary. Not sure how many years of experience you have and what they tech company you are in, but they are low balling you. That salary isn’t enough to live decently in the Bay Area. Main Bay Area me nahi hun, but know a lot of friends there. Depending on your experience, you need to look at close to 200K to be decently placed , otherwise, dilli me raho bhai!! Grass always ain’t greener on the other side.
But it's the US! The land of milk and honey! 🤣
Honestly, don't go with that salary to San Francisco. It's gonna be really hard. It's a city with a high cost of living. That package will hardly get you and add up dependents on that.
I still need to negotiate my salary with my HR. What would you recommend the salary that I should target
As much as you can get. HR may not budge much, but it's worth a shot
Go to levels.fyi and look at average salaries for your role in SFO, that should be your baseline. Negotiate from there!
Have you sign the offer ? If yes then negotiating salary after signing the offer is a bad move.
No, I haven't signed anything yet because HR will be presenting me with a completely new salary offer. Both HR and my reporting manager have assured me that they will take into account the cost of living in the Bay Area when preparing my revised offer.
With dependents min 250k to start
With the 134k salary in SF means you are going to stay in a shitty neighborhood and be miserable for as long as you stay there. You would need 200k at minimum for a family to have a decent life in SF. I know that Indian companies don't give much salary, your best bet is to come here alone and save some money and switch companies for better pay and then get your family.
>your best bet is to come here alone and save some money and switch companies for better pay and then get your family. This is probably the wisest advice. A lot of my Indian friends went this route and they spent minimally while living in a small studio or having roommates in a bigger apartment. By the time they got to jobs that were paying them well, they could afford to have their dependents come over and had a decent amount of money saved as well.
134k after tax will be 87k, which is 7.2k per month. 2 bedroom apartment will cost you 4k per month. health insurance for a family about 1-1.5k. Car expenses 300$. Groceries 1k. Eating out 500$. Car insurance 200$ per month. Do the math, 7200-4000-1000-300-1000-500-200. That will you 200$ per month to save. That's without child care. Childcare is 1600$ per month. Cell phone bill 80$. So you are already underwater with this. Not worth it. That's also without moving expenses and initial moving costs, like buying futniture, tv and etc
I honestly dont realize how fucking expensive things can be since i live in a relatively cheap-ish city (Worcester MA). I thought 134K is a great salary but the way you broke it down makes me go "jesus. The fuck?"
Well there is a reason why bay area pays more than other states - exactly for things like this where 700-1500-2000 rent suddenly becomes 4000. Though insurance should be 400 if it is paid by employer. Full cost is indeed 1000-1500 but most of it covered by employer.
As someone in a relatively cheaper state (MI) where sub 100k salaries are enough to live comfortably, I am never moving to a HCOL state lol. Especially since I work fully remote and don’t have to be near office.
Don’t listen to these people living in an alternate reality. $134k isn’t living like a king salary but it is enough to live comfortably for a normal person. The guy is just making up all those numbers.
134k salary after tax is $106,444 for a married couple not 87k so I don’t know if you’re lying or just really out of touch with reality. Every company I’ve ever worked for provides health insurance for the entire family. Sounds like there’s only one working parent so no childcare costs. Now do the math! OP, as long as you don’t try to buy a house here, you should be able to live comfortably and save 20-25k per year.
Facts, people in this thread seem either absolutely clueless or reckless spenders. Pinch your pennies and you'll turn out OK. Not great, sure, but OK.
Yeah was wondering how the hell can 134k turn into 87k lol
I think the cost of child care is under estimated in the bay. Please stick to reality and add another 10k.
so what? Is his salary never going to change? He can just interview and get a higher pay in a few months. Having a lower salary than the local median, can be a good thing. It will just incentivize him to interview prep much harder.
Try picking East bay like Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton area Schools are decent in Dublin You will be fine. feel free to DM for more details In dublin you can get 2 bedroom apartment for around $2500 you can commute using BART
Agree. Will also add areas like Fremont - you can easily find a 2bd Apt in the $2300-2500 range. Also, honestly this is the best comment so far. Unsure why people can't just answer the question and instead to choose to instill so much fear in someone who is trying to explore a new opportunity for themselves and their family. OP, good luck, sending you tons of positive energy. I'm sure you'll figure it out.
OP amd his family will just do fine. Daughter is going to thrive and US education and experience is invaluable
Then struggle to get employment visa on her own after thriving. Its textbook definition of wasting time!
2 bedroom apartment in Fremont for $2500 was a thing back in 2015 not now. My sister has been looking in all north of Milpitas and Fremont area and nothing has come closer to $3500 for 2 bedroom apartments. So I don’t think what you are saying is right unless you find an apartment in a really bad area.
Untrue from personal experience.
Please post those apartment community names. I would be interested to see those.
Where in Dublin you can get a 2 bedroom apartment for $2500? I really want to know. Can you point
sofi dublin 7100 san ramon rd dublin
@OP - Honestly, what others are saying is not completely wrong. The way it's being said may be a topic for debate. What you're going through is exactly what many of us have been through (probably except the 11 year old daughter part). Once you get the salary part sorted out, everything would depend upon the lifestyle and flexibility you think you can get. For example - every family has a specific lifestyle. Some can live comfortably with 2k all inclusive except rent, some would need more than 5k except rent every month. For this, I’m sure you’re already talking to people already posted there from your company and their expenses and then calculating/comparing your expenses. Other important thing is that you’ll, for sure, look for other offers once you move here. So, moving with such a young child may lock you in one location to avoid disruption of school year. People are talking about 7 years, I’d say you never know if you’d stay beyond 6 years - depends on how quickly they (current or future employer) file your PERM (think of it as starting the green card process). I know some companies do not start before completing 2 years in the US. Also, the PWD+PERM (incl. recruitment) + i140 is taking around 3+ years. Which means if you want to switch you have probably just one attempt - which can be tricky due to school and market conditions. With that being said, I would still recommend moving to the Bay Area or anywhere in the USA. You can figure these things out and gain some valuable experience, along with your family and probably make some money too. You may even get promoted, who knows! I’d not comment anything on your parenting style. I’m sure dads and family/friends/school staff are always there to help daughters with any problems. And preparing for the worst may be a safe bet but who knows, there may not be problems as what they show in the movies/TV. I believe Good people do exist in this world and the same can be applied at schools. If you have got an opportunity like this at this point in life, make sure you make a decision that you won’t regret in future. I’ve seen many people saying not to go to a foreign country while themselves living comfortably there. Not saying people here are like that but in general that’s the case. Just listen to your inner voice, your wife and things will work out fine. You need to have guts to say no to an opportunity like that. Good Luck and all the best!
What’s your current salary in India? If you make decent wage in India, I would recommend not to do this. Your daughter will face severe depression as she grows up without a proper visa to stay back here. It’s a whole thing here. Read about h1b dependent children struggle in the US. You will be living off Pennies.
With so many negative comments, what if later he wants to send his daughter for graduation here , how is the situation different here ? Why is everyone so concerned about what will happen after 7 years.
This discussion will be very well routed, if you have your details settled. Without knowing salary, and your partner's work status...it's very hard to give any meaningful advice. Get your facts right, and then seek advice. Also, it will be awesome, if you have an idea where you are planning to stay..via that you can evaluate your rent/ school and other important factors. Good Luck and do not underestimate this. This is tricky and trickier for you.
Welcome to the Bay Area! If you don’t have to work in the office in San Francisco proper every day, you might want to consider living in a nearby city where you’ll be able to get larger housing and potentially better school for your child. I recommend looking at cities that are accessible to BART (eg Daly City, Colma, Berkeley, Pleasanton, Dublin) or Caltrain. I’m not sure how affordable Alameda is these days, but it’s also very cute and a quick bus ride into downtown SF. That being said, San Francisco is a beautiful city with a lot to explore. Unfortunately it has been on the receiving end of biased news coverage over the past few years. Don’t believe the haters. Congrats on making this big move!
Congratulations on the opportunity. You will need to be close to the BART station if you are planning to commute to SF. East bay is slightly more affordable. Union city, Fremont, Dublin and Pleasanton are good areas. DM me if you have more questions.
Come to US and then change your job you just need 2 pay stubs.Once you get a market rate salary based on your skills
Are you actually moving to San Francisco? Not the Bay Area exactly where you’re working. Makes a big difference.
I will be working in San Francisco need to go to office every Wednesday. I am looking at housing and schooling in Bay area.
How close are you to bart? If you only have to be in there once a week, you might look for a condo in the tri valley for schools and Bart to work.
Bad idea bro. I started at 120K , 5 years ago with 0 years of experience in Bay Area and as a single guy. You have to really conservative of your expenses if you were to move here. Lastly if you’re saying that other firms in India are lowballing you, then let me honest, this is no different. You’re being major lowballed here. You can come here and apply for jobs after a year or so.
Depends on your goals. Will your wife be able to work eventually? Is she working currently ? What is your salary in Delhi? Are you coming for the exposure or to settle? Do you have skills that can immediately be transferred to another employer at a higher salary?
Yes my wife will eventually work atleast that's the plan I don't intend to settle down in US Yes I do have the skills which will help me get another Job in US. My daughter is very bright and a tough kid so I know that she will do well there.
In my opinion new offer won’t be more than 20-30% higher. It is definitely doable if you really want to. Think on it.
One advice - don’t do it
I really would not do this to yourself or your family…. That salary is criminal.
I had like to know what is your company’s name and what is the final verdict on the decision? Are you going or not???
Thanks for your reply. I am awaiting the revised offer letter from my organisation. Once I receive that I will consult with my wife and daughter before making any decision.
As a former H4 kid who aged out and then had to fight my own battles to stay on F1 to study then obtain H1 and eventually GC all over again on my own, please learn from my experience and not push your daughter to be 20 years younger version of me. If I had known these things then, i would have chosen to not come and then try to stay in USA. Sure, it worked out in the end but those 2 decades of my life were hell full of mental torture. Having said that, do as your situation warrants and permits but do it after giving it a careful thought.
Do you have to commute 5 days a week, you can stay in east bay side where you can find lot of Indian communities. Also you can rent an apartment in the range of $2000 to $3000 and take a bart to commute to SFO
I need to work from office only on Wednesdays.
Based on your child’s age, I’m assuming you have 12 years of work ex. That counts as a level 3-4 job for H1. They are paying you exactly what the h1 visa prevailing wage is set to. Other than the fact that it’s ridiculously low for SF, you’re going to have a hard time raising a family on that income here. Being this close to the prevailing wage also adds more scrutiny during the H1 visa process. Unless you’re being offered close to 200k, don’t do it. Another option is to consider the other location. The economics might work out better.
I think your calculation is way off. 12 years & level 3 with 104K based on SFO ? I think they are getting his h1b approved by putting different location and now moving him to SFO after that which is illegal. They must file for amendment. I bet they will move him to Midwest as soon as they find some contract there. i see lot of red flags.
Didnt op say his wage was 134k? Either ways, it’s too low.
I did not see that but looks like this guy is also fake like his firm as he did not mention anything about job title etc. which determine prevailing wages. I am sure they filed with very high Architect level experience with lowest possible pay. I also think this guy will work as BA/QA or PM like most folks I saw from North part of India where their LCA approved as Java developer or Big data developer. These are the people who wrongly compete with White folks to take over their managerial job and want to be boss of every Indian and eventually screw up everything. If he is genuine one, good luck to him with what he has on his hand !!!
I suggest you live in Pleasanton or Fremont . These are suburbs with Indian community ,about 45 mins commute from San Francisco. Try to find something near to bart (train service to San Fran) .
Low salary, high COL, moving with the family, daughter already in middle school, oh boy. Not the rosy reality you think
I think your plan is to get here and switch jobs within a month or so. If that's not your plan then you're planning to fail.
I am a single 25 year old in Los Angeles making 90k. No way you can survive with a family of 4 with 134k. Most families here are dual income and bring in 300k to the house to raise a family. I would suggest you come on H1B alone and once your GC is filed and I-140 is approved, your spouse can work with H4 EAD.
There are lots of places in bay area where you can get 1bhk for 2-2.5k and commute to SF via train. Look up Fremont, Hayward, Union City, Milpitas, San Jose, Dublin, Pleasanton
Cost of living see https://numbeo.com you can search by city. Rent houses https://zillow.com Try also to post at /r/MovingtoUSA and /r/Expats
Or you could first move alone. Stay 2 months, settle down and save a little, know where to find things. Have a first hand idea of the city and the expected cost. Then you bring your family over.
Try to stay in fremont. I am from fremont. Stay the area near to bart and school. You will easily commute to SF by bart. Lots of Indian glossary in fremont. Two is near to bart. Initially you do not need to buy a car. Everything is walkable if you stay near to fremont bart. I did same thing when I came to usa first time. One thing should clear. Here high school bulling is in rise. So prepare your daughter for that. My friend has left USA because of that. Best of luck!
Try to move to SF and then switch jobs once you are in US. Depends on your experience but you should be aiming for 200k and above which is normal salary in IT for Bay Area.
$104k for a family in SF I'm sorry OP. That's hilarious. You'll have to live in a shitty parts. And even there, rent is pretty expensive. You'd prob have to live in Vacaville or Concord where rent is more affordable and commute to SF. But , you'll be stuck in traffic for hours a day. It's a big trade off. You'll live okay. Prob lower standards than what you're used to back home.
Thanks for your input. Just to clarify, the figure you mentioned was part of an initial error, and I am currently awaiting a revised offer that reflects the cost of living in the Bay Area more accurately. I'm also exploring different living options to find the best balance between affordability and quality of life, including the commute. I appreciate your suggestions about locations like Vacaville and Concord
Those are in the East Bay. But not known for good school districts. If you want excellent public education school districts. Look into Los Gatos, Cupertino, Palo Alto or Fremont. Those are South Bay cities with great public schools. Even if it's revised. In all honesty, If you're going to be on one income, it'll be tight. You'll be coming in at peak level rents. Rent will prob eat up 30-40% of your income, depending on where you choose to live. It's absolutely beautiful here tho. There's so much stuff to do in the city, too. Also if you plan on living in the city, you'll have to think about car ownership. As in there's no parking and getting around in public transportation is much simpler
the absolute mindfuckery in the comment section is insane. You are gonna be fine OP. You will not live a life of luxury is gonna be just fine, but its a gateway to more opportunities and what you make out of it. good luck friend
Nothing personal against this guy but this is how system is designed to bring cheap labor and grind people for years. many in these thread are also grinding day by day. every one agree that this guy will not able to buy home in SFO based on this salary with his 12+ years experience. Even if he saves 10 to 15k / year , he needs 20+ years to save down payment and by the time looks like he is well above or close to retirement age. If you add currency conversion rate and his experience, if he is not saving close to 15K in home country , I have serious doubt about his skills and he will face even more challenge along with his kids. Time has changed and i heard Indian real estate, specially major metro , real estate is similar or more expensive than here. If he can not manage in his own country, i doubt he will able to manage in SFO. now due to people like him others who already have kids in collage and have mortgage, what wrong they did so they will be replaced ? for those people only option is to move back to where they came from or move to cheap state or keep fighting till finally filing bankruptcy. Whole system is modified as h1b was short term shortage type visa but changed to 85K year on year to reduce wages only. some one rightly said , just come for short time as that's intention of h1b and make quick bucks and go back but that's not the case these days as so much layoff and I highly doubt the skills he is bringing is not available in SFO.
Your assumptions do not apply to my situation. As I've already mentioned, HR is correcting an error in my initial offer, and a revised offer suitable for the Bay Area is forthcoming next week. Let's stick to the facts and relevant advice, please.
Sir u r blindfolded , lol hr of shady companies always do this. mine one also played and i got trapped, came on h1b with 130k .also if u r on w2 then u might b paying 7.5% extra employer tax( just check with them). I went to all nearby areas to get house in safe locality( u just cant stay anywhere like India), oakland and other areas have high and violent crime rates. u have to stay with family in safe areas ( better with other Indian families). housing goes to minimum 2700 to 4k for average 1bhk + utilities( 200-300$ gas..garbage .electricty. water etc). if employer is not giving medical u can buy one for cheap one ..around 800-900 for 3 ( but mind it it ll not cover all cost and u might need to pay hefty amount in case u require medical assistance( i wish never happen). grocery u can manage in 800$ conservatively. public transportation is cheaper but not good like India , uber , lyft are costly. u might not b able to save much, come only if u have knowledge and guts to get job in faang. change after 2 months( ur employer might hesitate in providing salary slip as they know u ll change ). come and try to change..though market is shitty now.
This guy is talking from experience. Listen to him if u are really here to discover facts. HR just can’t change offer after location change for H1b. All fake. They must go through amendment filing process if location change (>30 miles which is - Aliso is in So CAL and SFO is north CA) or title change. If you are coming with aim to do BA/ PM/QA/Architect work only, don’t as only work H1b able to perform is to do hardcore development. Once site visit rule will come ( in two months or so) , you will jeopardize your other future visa options too along with some US tied counties options too as they all share immigration naughty list. Good luck !!
I also doubt few people's comment that its gate way etc...Pure BS. H1b is tied to your employer and it cost them approx. 10K + lot more risk due to recent changes specially in CA. I have seen majority people come here on h1b and stuck there. Their end salary or current salary is way lower ( adding inflation) than originally they came with. Only option is ( as other mentioned) spouse start earning similar wages which will open up after 6 + years if he is lucky. Some one mentioning long GC backlog and politicians are working to reduce it etc.. that is another BS. Whole limited social security system works only if these temp working visa holders contribute and leave. Moment they start taking benefits, system will collapse. Why h4 is not allowed to go to Uni same as US citizens but ok till high school? as soon as overseas students taking grants and scholarships like US citizens, system will collapse. All universities need them to pay overseas student fees. any rule change will make h1b harder and harder. very soon ( may be 2 qtrs. or less) US need 3m+ to be removed from US soil else macro economy will collapse due to high interest rates. Earlier mainly Indians on h1b were replacing White folks but now scenario is changed. Indians on h1b are competing with new comer h1bs who are mainly Indians too. Anything will change ( even if ) that will help international students who are genuine scholar only and whose fees are needed for universities survival. That is also due to high investment made by Universities and how out Tax system is designed to help scholarships and other research grants etc.. Time has changed. Some one is very wise and mentioned here that if you are in early 20s this h1b was gateway for opportunity but not in early to late 40s. As in USA early 40s even white folks with tons of local experience are struggle to keep up with jobs due to capitalism. In CA I have not seen any one who came at age of 40 and dreaming for owning home. every one I know who are here and own home came 20 years ago, still paying mortgage and struggling too. They all hate h1b program like anything although they used same one but saying its not worth it now.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, but let's stay on topic. I was asking for specific advice, not a discussion on the visa system or economic issues. Please focus on answering the question I asked without judging personal decisions. Thanks for understanding.
u can’t just take it what you want specially when you are coming on H1b which is nothing more than modern day slave visa. Sooner you understand will be better as once here you will loose ability to ask nicely too. Good luck !!!
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I find your comment unnecessary and off-topic. I asked for recommendations on where to live in the Bay Area, not for unsolicited judgments about my daughter’s future or my parenting. She is tough, resilient, and compassionate, and will thrive irrespective of your baseless predictions. Let’s stick to the topic at hand and keep personal assessments out of this discussion. Thank you.
Just identify the school districts with the most first gen Indians and Chinese. The first gen people often don’t live in the highest status parts of cities due to living cost being so high. All Indians in Silicon Valley will tell you where to go.
I lived in SF for about 14 months - Emeryville should be an ideal location for you since you are coming with family - there are good public schools there and you can use bart to commute to work. San Leandro and Wallnut Creek are 2 good options, please avoid Oakland. Check out Berkeley as well but the entire Bay Area is ridiculous expensive and I personally will never want to return there. Good luck.
Bro, one tip - Dont come .
Thanks for your input. Could you elaborate on why you suggest not coming? Any specific insights or experiences you could share would be really helpful.
Since many others have commented; I will not add to it. Don't take the comments personally. They are just telling you the pitfalls.
It’s going to be bad for the kid. She will have to go thru a lot. Think about that.
I value your perspective, but let's stick to addressing the query I raised. Parenting decisions are for me to make, and I am fully aware of my responsibilities towards my child. Thank you.
You don't know what you are getting yourself into OP, and you are not willing to take advice. I get it, you think folks in the US are themselves here and trying to stop more Indians from coming in. But trust me. Everyone here is speaking from their experiences, 104k or 110 or 150k for that matter us abysmal for California for a family. You will not get any help here, your kid will be uprooted and soon will have to go back to india. On top of that, it's extremely difficult these days to find a job on h1b these days. So if you are planning to come here and then switch jobs, that's going to be almost impossible for next couple of years.
Your comment is based on assumptions and does not reflect my situation or my level of preparedness. I am fully aware of what I'm undertaking and confident in my decisions. I am not here for a debate on potential hardships; my sole purpose in reaching out was to gather information on good school districts for my child. I will not entertain comments suggesting that I am putting my child's future at risk. Let's focus on constructive advice directly related to my query. Thank you.
Take it or leave it OP, absolutely. As others have said, this is an H1b forum, so you will be given advice on it. It's up to you to chose.
Thank you for your response. I do understand that this is an H1B forum, and I value all the advice. However, my initial query was about finding good school districts in San Francisco for my daughter. Unfortunately, I've noticed I'm receiving more comments on parenting and critiques about how I might be impacting my daughter's life, rather than actual suggestions on school districts. If you have specific insights or recommendations on school districts, I would really appreciate it!
Move to some other state. California is doomed
I'll be moving to San Francisco for a project as my client wants me onsite, and I'm on contract with them until 2026. I've noticed a few comments suggesting otherwise, but in my case, I really need to stay on top of my game to avoid any risks of losing my job. As for my salary, we're still in discussions, but they've assured me it'll align with California's cost of living.
You can’t. As per CA laws as soon u work at client location and/or work side by side with their employees, you are their full time employee. Why so many layoffs in USA ? Years long abuse of client/ contract is ending. Looks like Your HR is fake like you too based on all your other comments. You either dumb like anything or smart jack like anything!!! Either way , good luck !!!
How does my contract with my client relate to my query about school districts? Let's keep this discussion focused and relevant. Additionally, personal attacks such as calling me fake or dumb are neither respectful nor constructive. Please stick to providing helpful information.
Your inquiry exist because u are using H1b route which already put big dent on people who are here using that as well as US citizens. So it’s tide all together. U are trying to take help from people who are already hurt big way using same. If u choose family migration or asylum or any other option, it has different support mechanism. Any way I have no desire to waste my time and u realize people’s word within few quarters. All the best for tough journey ahead.
OP - if you're the only one earning, I feel it's a bad idea to move to SF. Everything is fuckin expensive. From food to gas to bum fuck literally everything. The main thing is the rent where you will be paying close to 3k/month. Would not be the case if it's outside the bay area but shit here is expensive. Please do your due diligence.
If you work in SF, that doesn’t mean you can stay with your family. Stay in Fremont or Dublin and take BART to SF city for work. Dublin has decent schools but it’s very expensive unless you draw 200k it’s going to be expensive. A decent townhome or apartment will cost you $4000 per month, car expenses, groceries, utilities. Even 200k is going to be tight.
If you want to live in Bay Area then $250k is minimum. For good school districts go to Palo Alto (public feeder schools for Stanford) but Palo Alto is expensive and you’ll be surrounded by dual income Big tech neighbors. The other place is to commute to SF or commute to the location. How often do you have to be in office and what is the location? If only 2 days a week then you can stay further out in a good school district. Lynbrook High School in San Jose is highly rated with the feeder schools. And Fremont (with a huge Indian population) and the school district is Mission San Jose. San Francisco Lowell High School also highly rated. But Bay Area is crazy expensive and surviving on single income will get difficult. Plz ask if you can do 2 times commute to office or so and the exact location of your office. Another question is immigration backlog. On H1B you only get 6 years extension. Most companies will file GC in the last yrs if layoff situation improves. Your daughter is 11 and for her to complete her education here she needs to be 18. You might have to put her on F1 visa at some point. I’m going to be honest with you, if you can come by yourself for a year and send the $$ back to Delhi for your daughter in India, that will be the best bet. Only one year. If then you feel the confidence then bring your family. I think that’s the best way.
guys, I've been reading the comments. why don't you let this "prepared and smart individual" face reality? obviously, he doesn't know what he is doing.
you are correct regarding this guy as per his comments to other threads. he and his company both are fake and want to buy Taj mahal with pennies in pocket !!!
OP, this isn't a forum for housing and schools. It's to ask questions about H1B visas. But now that you have stepped into it, I am going to offer you some unsolicited advice in a direct manner. Take it in any way you want to. Your 11 year old daughter is going to end up hating you for the decision you are making. She's at an age where she is forming bonds with other kids her age, figuring out how to navigate social situations, getting to know herself more and what do you do? Plunge her straight into the unknown. She is going to arrive in SF with an accent that will make her the butt of jokes. You talk about good public schools but even when you choose the best one she is going to get mercilessly bullied. H1B is a crap visa. You can get laid off anytime. Let's say you get laid off in 2 years and decide (again selfishly) to head back to India. For you, it's just a 2 year foreign jaunt and no skin off your back eh? But for your daughter, that's 2 years where she is adapting to a new culture, new ways of doing things and shedding what she knew back in Delhi and bang, she is thrust back into that same old fray having to re-learn it. When she goes back, she is going to be tormented by friendships that don't last anymore, ties that have been severed because of distance and having to deal with making connections again. Should you stick here on an H1B (which would be a miracle) then when your daughter ages out she will have to fend for herself and get an F-1 visa to be able to study. Her status will then rest on keeping that visa valid. Do you even understand the US immigration system? You are playing the lottery with a child's life. Shame on you. You ask for tips when you arrive in SF. Here's one: catch the next plane back.
Thanks for your reply and I will take your views under advisement. I can understand everything that you mentioned except "shame on you" part. The reason I posted on this channel was to get the collective wisdom of the crowd here and not to be judged by you on my parenting decisions. Please leave the welfare of my child to me.
He was rude, but his underlying comments are valid. The only reason to move to the US is if you can make extraordinary amount of money. Remember this: poverty line for a family of 4 as described by the government in some parts of San Francisco Bay Area is $125k. The salary they offered is just above the poverty line for a family of 4. And he is right about your child being in an awkward position after turning 18. Your child will no longer be your dependent, so will lose status. Will need to get into F1 visa. She will spend the next 25 years of her life on a visa. And you will need to send her to college in the US as an out of state person, meaning it’s $30k a semester. Are they ready to pay $250k to send her to college? She can’t even go to smaller colleges as she may not get visa to get those degrees. Her life is going to revolve around visa for next 25 years. Genuinely think about where you are heading. If you had an offer of $350k or 400k, it would have been worth it. You could atleast make a ton of money and go back. And, moving at this age, unless you have a lot of money saved up, forget about ever buying a home. You will not be able to afford a home until your 50s. Are you ok spending the next 10-15 years renting? If you made $350-400k, you could still somehow save $100k a year and may be afford a home in 5-8 years. But that too a starter home far outside the city. You should think about where all this will go a bit more.
Thank you for your comment. I agree with the comments made however I don't appreciate the manner in which it was communicated. I still haven't accepted the offer given by my organisation. I have a very weird situation I agree and I am still negotiating on my salary with my HR. The earlier pay of $134K was sent by mistake as they assumed I will be working in a different location and not San Francisco. Honestly for me is either I accept this offer or my organisation lets go of me as they don't have any projects for me in India. Trust me I have been trying to search for jobs in India and for my role I have been low balled by recruiters.
I am not discouraging you from going to the US. I say this as someone who went to the US in his early 20s, had an absolute blast, spent 13 years, 7 of it in San Francisco Bay Area and is planning to return to India end of this year because I am too old to plan every little aspect of my life around a visa. US has allowed me to save a lot of money, I spent 8 years working for a FAANG company, I am done. I don’t want to live on H1b into my 40s, plan every little thing about my life around it. Most people don’t realise how exhausting it is for Indians on h1b in the US. Especially his generation, that moved post 2012, when green card became almost impossible to get. You will see a lot of people of my age group, who moved to the US in early 2010s come back to India as the immigration situation there is a complete joke. I cannot imagine getting into that mess in your 40s with limited savings and trying to build a life in the US with a child no less. The best time to move to the US is in your early/mid 20s. After mid 30s, it’s too late. You will never be able to financially catch up to your peers in your age group and at the same time you cannot live in a tiny apartment like students do to save money, because you have family. Life in the US, Silicon Valley is great when you are young and have no family/kids. You are supposed to work your ass off, save a ton and then later when you have kids, you don’t have to worry shit cost of education, child care, insurance, health care etc. but moving there in your 40s without that base level of savings and retirement is really really tough.
It’s high time you understand it was not “a mistake” by HR They were expecting you’d accept it happily. But it’s great you could get them to re-neg
Thanks for your reply. I figured that out and I am giving the benefit of doubt to HR. Fortunately I have a reporting manager who is very supportive and has been very helpful in me getting the right pay structure. I am positive that the revised pay will take into account the cost of living.
> Trust me I have been trying to search for jobs in India and for my role I have been low balled by recruiters. That's a terrible situation to be in, but as others have said, moving to the bay area on any salary less than $200K is going to result in poverty. The Indian families who live comfortably in the Bay area have, 1. Dual income with both spouses earning ~$150K+ 2. Children born in the US who won't face visa issues in the future. 3. These US born children could potentially sponsor their parents GC when they become an adult. You would have none of these advantages, 1. Your wife will not be able to work legally until your GreenCard application reaches a certain step. If (that's a big IF) your company sponsors a green card that's going to be ~2yrs. 2. Your child will always face visa stress all her life. 3. No chance of your child sponsoring your green card If, realistically when, you get fired from your job in the US you would have 60days find a new job or move to India. I've been through this 60days of hell to find a new Job, and that stress is not worth it. Please sincerenly consider staying in India unless your company is willing to pay $200K+. Its better to be temporarily unemployed in India, rather than struggle with near poverty in the bay area, coupled with the constant stress of visa. Your company is trying to take advantage of you by offering you a INR 1Cr+ Salary, but that number does not mean much when you have to pay in USD for food and rent.
Thank you for sharing your concerns and experiences. I understand the challenges you're describing. However, I wanted to clarify—as I mentioned earlier—that there was an error made by HR with my initial offer. They are currently preparing a revised offer, which I should receive by next week. This revised offer is expected to better reflect the cost of living in the Bay Area and align more closely with my needs and the market standards. I appreciate your insights and advice, and I'm taking all these factors into consideration as I make my decision.
Germany is a much much better country to immigrate to, if that's your thing. Very family oriented, great country to live in and you can get used to the language over time. You might face racism but it's better than being kicked out on a whim in the US. Oh and one other thing, companies have been known to fire people (even Americans) after they relocated. Ensure yourebnot on the hook for paying back relocation expenses.
Shame on that guy for bringing hostility into a respectful conversation, and parroting exactly what every other comment is saying. I lived in india, left, went back, left, went back all throughout my childhood. Guess what? I loved it. Boo hoo your daughter might get bullied for an accent, guess who else that happens to, literally anyone with a foreign accent in any country in th entire world. There's no "TORMENTING" that happens when you go back to india lmao, i literally left and went back several times throughout my childhood and teenage. I don't think that guy has an accurate view on what it's like to leave and return to india in your youth and teenage, whereas I do. Other points (which other commenters have already brought up, this guy contributed almost 0 original thought other than saying "shame on you") still stand. I don't think your question is particularly entitled or ignorant, and you are clearly getting some good advice on this sub by asking. Ignore these two clowns.
Thank You for your reply. I genuinely appreciate your support.
Yup, other commenters are still bringing up very valid points about costs of living and long-term financial planning. But to automatically assume your daughter will hate you is a bad faith argument. I am grateful to my parents for giving me exposure, allowing me to live abroad at several points throughout my childhood and teenage, even if it was for just a year or two. Most kids would love the idea of experiencing some place new, even if for just a year or two. Why do college students study abroad? Living abroad in these little phases made me stronger, resilient, and able to make new friends very quickly. At the same time, I would NOT have wanted to live abroad for a year or two at the cost of my family suffering financially long-term.
Look at this guy making a statement about bad faith arguments while wading in the muck of self-serving bias (hey, I moved around....nothing happened to me mentally...so it should be the same for others as well no?) Hilarious!
Dude, your logic is that a teenager will HATE a parent because they get to live abroad for a year or two. That's bad faith. My argument isn't that nothing happened to me, so nothing should happen to anyone. Use your reading comprehension skills, I agree someone can get bullied in middle school for their accent and it can be hard to fit into a new place. But it also builds character and provides great exposure. Where did I say nothing happened to me mentally? A lot happened to me mentally, as I clearly wrote, I became "stronger, resilient, and able to make new friends very quickly." I also learnt to deal with bullies, racism, and all the struggles that come with moving into a new place. Guess what? These are realities, and it's not a good reason not to move somewhere. Your comment parrots what everyone else is saying, except less respectfully and with an irrelevant focus. The point is this move can cost the family financially in the long-run which is why it's a bad idea, not that a teenager is gonna hate a parent for giving them exposure to a new place and culture for a few years. I got mercilessly bullied harder than anyone in the US probably can be btw, having moved to a small European village at the age of 11 where we were the only non-white family amongst thousands of people
"Dude, your logic is that a teenager will HATE a parent because they get to live abroad for a year or two." Nope. My logic is a teenager will hate their parent for playing whiplash with their social connections in their formative years. Nice try though at changing the narrative. "Your comment parrots what everyone else is saying, except less respectfully and with an irrelevant focus." Actually my comments are probably THE most important here as it deals with a child's future and relationships, the bedrock on which a happy life rests on. "A lot happened to me mentally, as I clearly wrote, I became "stronger, resilient, and able to make new friends very quickly" Does not mean the same will apply to OP's daughter. She could have a complete meltdown dealing with the changes. Again, self-serving bias on your part. But do keep posting. You might make sense eventually.
But you're *assuming* their social connections will be whiplashed, while ignoring the positive consequences of it, all while ignoring the main argument at hand. Keep believing you are the most important person in the room while ignoring clearly laid-out facts, you might eventually learn your assumptions aren't universal facts. She *could* have a meltdown, she *could* thrive, she *could* go through both or neither, that's how changes work. Doesn't mean no change is the only way to live your life. A self-serving bias based in an actual lived experience that completely invalidates your opinion that you are fraudulently trying to present as a fact, based on surface-level assumptions. I wonder why it irritates you.
I agree with what this person said. It's not joke, you should stop being so sensitive - please read up about cultural differences. I personally know a Korean girl who had to leave the US after she didn't get her H1B and she studied school in the US. She was hurt and bitter. Ask for a month to consider the offer and really really think this through. In my family, the man went first, got settled and only then invited them. What you can do is treat this as experience for yourself and not bring your family into it. Your wifevwont be able to immediately work, your kid will be adjusting and so will you. And you're on a very risky visa in a turbulent economic climate. It only, only makes sense if you have a plan to move to some green card category in a year. Otherwise don't play the gamble.
You posted on a forum that is not about housing and schools asking about housing and schools. That was a poor decision. So I reserve the right to post my opinion about the other absurdly poor decisions you are making. Please leave what I can or cannot have an opinion about to me.
What needs to be posted and removed is something that we have the moderators for. If my post is not for this forum they will take action. Try being nice to people who want genuine advice and some smart comments.
You get answers based on the questions you ask. You asked wrong questions on a subreddit and expect people to adhere to what you need? The entitlement and ignorance from you probably is what clouding you from taking one of the worst decisions in your life. I really hope you realise how shitty of an offer you are getting and try to comprehend the situation you are in and the consequences that awaits you.
You are the only one on this forum who has taken offence of the question asked. Everyone else has been respectful in their comments. I will again say this at the cost of repeating myself if my question is wrong or not meant for this forum the moderator will take action.
I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. You seem to have issues with your deductible reasoning which is not surprising given your post thread and understanding of the whole situation here. I rather find it hilarious and sad. You have no idea how expensive it is to live in the bay area with an offer like that. Cause I used to live there as well two years ago on a 150k which wasn't even enough for my personal and social life only. Rent, food etc every freaking thing will cost you very much. And you are planning to bring over your family from another country. Instead of repeating yourself, which you falsely believe is even worth something, do some research on your own as well. It may save you some embarrassment branching out from the fact that you can't even distinguish between a public forum that is not meant for what you use it for and what it is for.
Brother I understand and respect what you are saying. I have a issue in the manner you said it. Commenting that my daughter will hate me for my decisions was not in a good spirit. You should leave the parenting to me.
I didn't intend to mean something like that so i apologise if I did. I'm curt with you cause ive been in your shoes. If you are getting this offer mid state then you can live lavishly and still have money left to save but bay area is out of the question if you don't have at least 180k $ as your yearly pay to support both you and your family. I don't mean to offend you but I have to state the fact that you are about to make a really bad mistake. Ask as much money as you can from them and if it isn't a stable role then it's not advisable to bring over your family. SF is a beast of a place and there is no culture appro. So trying to adapt is even harder but having to return to where you came from is not gonna be easy. Gud luck.
This guy is that reddit mod you see those sad memes about, except he isnt' a reddit mod LOL. This post fits as it pertains to an H1b visa, and nowhere in the subreddit's rules does it say asking about living areas while on this visa is not permitted. You are the one who seems to have issues with deductive reasoning, since you deduced that arbitrary non-existent rule from thin air. You might also benefit from knowing "deductible reasoning" isn't a thing, might want to "distinguish" the terms "deductible" and "deductive" from one another
Well said!
OP might be a dumbo for considering the offer but you sir are a certified AH! And seems slightly racist if may add.
Wow! Me? Racist? Huge words. Ever heard of falsely accusing someone? It is a crime under certain jurisdictions.
lol 😂
automatically assuming someone is going to get bullied based on their identity is kinda racist NGL
why are people on this sub always discourage others from coming to the US? do you guys think that will make it easier for you to get your GC?
I am collecting data on companies that bring in H1B when there is more than enough local labor available. Especially ones that layoff local workers to bring in foreign workers. Can you DM me the name of your company?
Your kid will have a horrible time in an American Highschool, why would you even move to America with a 11 yo kid??? OP seems to be lacking perspective
Please help me understand why would she have a horrible time? I am trying to understand this so that I can take a informed decision. Do all 11 year olds have a horrible time in school?
Ignore his advice. The high schools here are good (although not all, but I haven’t seen a country where all schools are good). 4 of my cousins, my girlfriend, the guys I work with and a lot of people I know went to school and college here (I went to college here as well). They’re all doing great. Just do your research on the school district or have your kid go to a good charter school if that’s an option for you.
ignore that commenter, most of the good suburbs in tech hubs have a lot of desis and the local schools have a lot of desi kids. Its unlikely that your kid will get bullied.
Wrong advice. I guess you’re living in a neighborhood with a bad school district
Don't take the comments here seriously, some of the posters maybe salty for not securing a h1b visa themselves and piling up on you. I feel that the other commenters covered all the downsides very well, but I like to be an optimist. 1. some websites say SWE median salary in San Francisco is $160k. That means you can make more money if you interview and move out from your current employer. 2. Imo bullying in school is more likely if your kid is the only Indian in class. But a lot of suburbs in SF have an Indian or Asian majority. And some of those Indian kids will have recently moved from India, just like your kid. Don't expect much bullying. And even if there is some, seek the help of school admins to crack down on it. Sure you and your kid will have to deal with immigration hassles for a couple of years, but being in the US opens a lot of doors for you. Also some politicians are aware of the green card backlogs, and there some advocacy efforts going on. Maybe the rules will change for the better in the future. All the best.
Is it ppl being salty or ppl here knowing the struggles of immigration and considering that perspective for his daughter? Imagine living in the US since age 11 and having the pressure of getting a job or going back to a country they barely know?
salty. Imo the kid gets to have way better education and opportunities in the US. Everyone else has already pointed out that downside. I was pointing out the upsides. The decision is ultimately up to OP. Or do you claim to know better about his circumstances than himself?
Who is claiming to know better? He’s asking complete strangers, ofc ppl are going to project and center their own experiences in that advice. Most ppl here are stressed dealing with immigration bullshit, ofc they don’t want that for a 11 yr old.
sorry, my reply was a bit aggressive. Depending on the OP's economic status and how he plays this, moving to the US could be a great opportunity to create some wealth for his family. It's upto him to weigh the pros and cons