Hello Everyone!
Haven’t posted here in a while… Glad to see the community thriving and vibrant as ever!
The last 3 years have been really frantic and i seem to have lost count of major events in my life, nothing more than a hazy recollection… It so happens that after periods like this, you come to a point where you have to make a career / life decision. Paklinks has always been a great source of guidance and solid opinion when it comes to major life decisions - I owe my career to the guidance I have received over the years from forum members.
Scenario:
Company has offered a relocation option to one of their teams in the US. Given the nature of our work (IT) they are flexible with city I might want to settle in.
This itself is a big source of confusion for me - I’ve never been to the US and hardly know anything about the cities.
I’ve been going over websites to see surveys of good places to live. But still lost.
I would appreciate if you guys can help me decide here
The intial cities I shortlisted with them are:
- Philadelphia
- Atlanta
- Chicago (The image I have of Chicago is a city riddled with Gangs and criminals, with really old and ugly buildings)
- Dallas
- Houston
- New York ( Just the name of this city sends a chill down my spine, I think of dirty alleys, crime infested neighbourhoods, mean people on subways - please tell me its otherwise.)
- Los Angeles
In addition, I am also planning to ask them about the possiblity of one of these cities, if we have teams there:
-
San Diego
-
SanFrancissco Bay area
-
Irvine
-
HollyWood? :'D (is it even a city?)
-
New Jersey
Is there any other city worth considering that i may jave left out?
My concerns in choosing a city:
This is the first time I’ll work outside Middle east or pakistan - so I am not sure what to expect in terms of lifestyle and culture - I have spent the major portion of my life between Saudi and Pakistan…
Which of these cities is the most accomodating for foreigners?
Low crime / racial tension? Educated people?
Availibility of Halal food?
Low state taxes
I prefer living in places that are not crowded, where can I expect accomodation to be more affordable?
Continuing education - do any of these cities have good and affordable universities?
Weather - I grew up playing soccer in 43 C (110 F) - so I am good with heat, never experienced snow or harsh winters.
Transportation and infrastructure? I hate the thought of using a crowded subway in the mornings!
There is also a discussion on whether I would be eligible for the L1A or will I have ti use the L1B? From what I read, it seems that the L1A is a better option and the L1B might require a lot of additional government paperwork. Any experiences here? What’s the likelihood of getting a PR and citizenship on this track?
I have always been fascinated by the US but now I’m getting cold feet and second thoughts about moving there. I hear that the corporate culture in the US is brutal… No affectionate colleagues, no considerate bosses and no second chances if you mess up…
Sorry for the long post. Please do share your feedback, I’m at crossroads here.
