Moving to the USA from the UK: the practical guide

The USA at a glance

Start with the visa

The USA has no working holiday scheme for most UK adults and no points-based route to residence, so the visa is usually the hardest part of the move. Your visa decides whether your partner can work, how long you can stay and whether a green card is in reach. Settle it before anything else.

The ESTA visa waiver lets you visit for up to 90 days to look at areas or schools, but you cannot work or move on it. Most people from Great Britain cannot enter the green card lottery, as the UK sends too many immigrants already; people born in Northern Ireland can. Immigration law is specialised, so use a US immigration attorney, and check them on their state bar’s register.

Cost of living

The USA is many housing markets, not one. The typical asking rent nationally was US$1,932 a month in September 2026, up 2.7% on a year earlier, but New York costs nearly two and a half times as much as San Antonio.

Zillow typical asking rents for September 2026, as reported by The Money Overview; check any metro on Zillow’s rental market tracker. Sterling figures use US$1.33 to the pound, the rate in early October 2026.

What works differently from the UK

• Prices are shown before sales tax. Tax is added at the till and varies by state and city. Five states have no state sales tax (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon). Combined rates reach 9.03% in California and 10.13% in Louisiana (Tax Foundation, July 2026).
• Tipping is expected, and it is not small. In restaurants, 18% to 20% of the bill is normal, and tips are also expected by taxi drivers, hairdressers and delivery drivers.
• Your UK credit history does not follow you. Without a US credit score, landlords may ask for a larger deposit and mortgages are harder to get. Open a US bank account early and use a secured credit card to start building a record.
• You need a Social Security Number (SSN). It is the key to a job, a bank account, credit and often a phone contract. Apply once you have a visa that allows work.
• Employment works differently. Holidays are set by your employer, not by law, and two weeks a year is common. Most jobs can end without notice, so check your contract.
• Electricity runs at 110V. Most UK appliances need a transformer or are not worth shipping.

Buying a home

There is no national ban on foreign buyers, and UK citizens can buy in every state. But a mortgage is harder to get without a US credit history or green card, so many newcomers rent for the first year. Budget for property tax, which is set locally and can be a large annual bill, and for homeowners’ insurance, which has risen sharply in Florida, California and other states exposed to storms and wildfires.

Tax

Americans pay federal income tax, usually state income tax and sometimes city tax as well, each with its own return. The tax year is the calendar year, and federal returns are due by 15 April.

Source: 2026 federal tax brackets, from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32. Bands for married couples filing jointly are roughly double. The standard deduction, taken off income before these rates apply, is US$16,100 for a single person and US$32,200 for a married couple in 2026.

State and payroll taxes

• State income tax depends on where you live. Nine states have none on wages: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming (Kiplinger). California’s top rate is over 13%, and New York City adds its own tax on top of New York State’s.
• Payroll taxes come off every pay cheque. Employees pay 6.2% Social Security tax on earnings up to US$184,500 in 2026, and 1.45% Medicare tax on all earnings, rising to 2.35% above US$200,000 (Mercer Advisors).

Points that catch UK arrivals out

• You become a US tax resident quickly. A green card, or roughly 183 days in the USA under the “substantial presence” test, makes you resident. Your first year is often split between non-resident and resident status.
• Residents are taxed on worldwide income. UK rental income, interest, dividends and gains must all go on your US return. A UK–US tax treaty and foreign tax credits stop most double taxation.
• ISAs are not tax-free in the USA. Income and gains inside an ISA are taxable on your US return. Many UK funds and unit trusts count as “passive foreign investment companies”, which are taxed harshly and need extra forms. Get advice before you move, as selling may be cheaper while you are still UK resident.
• You must report UK bank accounts. If your non-US accounts together exceed US$10,000 at any point in the year, you file an FBAR with the US Treasury. Larger holdings also go on IRS Form 8938. Penalties for missing these are severe.
• US citizenship means US tax for life. If you later become a US citizen, you file US returns wherever you live, even if you return to the UK.

Leaving the UK tax system

Tell HMRC you are going. Most people do this with form P85, which can also trigger a refund for the year you leave. You will still pay UK tax on UK income such as rent from a property you keep, and the treaty decides which country taxes what.

US tax on UK assets is complicated. Take advice from an accountant who handles both countries before you move, not after.

Healthcare

The USA has no NHS for working-age adults. Most people are covered by health insurance through their employer, and the care is excellent, but even insured patients pay a share of almost every bill. Treat the health plan as part of your salary when you compare job offers.

Source: KFF 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey. On top of their premiums, workers with single cover faced an average deductible of US$1,886 before most of the insurance paid out.

How cover works

• Through your employer. Cover usually starts on your first day or within 30 to 90 days. Ask exactly when, and arrange travel or international health insurance until it does.
• Through the Marketplace. If you are self-employed or arrive on an E-2 visa, you buy cover at HealthCare.gov or your state’s exchange. Moving to the USA usually opens a 60-day special enrolment window. From 2027, most temporary visa holders can no longer get subsidies, so expect to pay the full price (healthinsurance.org).
• Medicare starts at 65. Premium-free hospital cover needs about 10 years of US work. Newcomers who retire to the USA should budget for private cover.

Words you will meet

• Premium: what you pay each month for the policy.
• Deductible: what you pay each year before the insurer starts paying.
• Co-pay and co-insurance: your share of each visit or bill after that.
• Out-of-pocket maximum: the most you will pay in a year for covered care.
• Network: the doctors and hospitals your plan works with. Going outside it can cost far more.

There is no reciprocal health agreement with the UK. Dental and eye cover are usually separate policies, ambulances are charged, and a hospital visit without insurance can cost thousands of dollars. Never leave a gap in cover.

Schools and the school year

The US school year runs from August or early September to late May or June, with a long summer break of up to three months. Start dates depend on the state and the school district, and many schools go back weeks earlier than UK families expect.

Source: WeAreTeachers, from MDR school data. About half of all public schools start before 16 August. Schools that start earliest usually finish in late May; those in the north-east run to late June. Confirm dates with your school district.

What else differs from the UK

• Year groups and starting age. In most states a child starts kindergarten if they turn five by 1 September. Grades then run from 1 to 12, so a child usually joins one grade number below their UK year: a UK Year 7 pupil usually joins Grade 6.
• The district decides the school. Public schools take children who live in their district, and school quality varies widely. Many families choose where to live by school district, and house prices follow.
• Public schools are free. Children of most visa holders can attend public school from kindergarten to Grade 12 without fees.
• Bring records. Schools ask for proof of address, birth certificates, school reports and vaccination records. US vaccination rules differ from the NHS schedule, so ask your GP for your child’s records before you go.
• Qualifications. There are no GCSEs or A-levels. Students graduate with a high school diploma, and universities look at grade point averages, coursework, SAT or ACT scores and extracurricular activities.
• University is expensive. Higher fees often apply until you have lived in a state for a year or more, and some visa holders pay international rates.

Driving

Americans drive on the right, almost always in automatics, and in most places a car is essential. There is no national licence: each state issues its own, and most do not exchange a UK licence, so expect to take a written test and a road test as if you were a new driver.

Source: AutoViaTest US guide, April 2026. A few states, reportedly including Michigan and Wisconsin, may waive the road test for UK licence holders. Rules change, so check with the state’s licensing office (usually called the DMV) before you move.

You will usually need your passport and visa, your I-94 arrival record, a Social Security Number or proof you cannot get one, and two proofs of address. Ask for a REAL ID licence (marked with a star): since May 2025 you need one, or a passport, to fly within the USA.

Road rules worth knowing before your first drive

• Turning right on a red light is usually allowed after a full stop, unless a sign says otherwise. It is banned in New York City.
• Stop for school buses. When a school bus shows flashing red lights, traffic in both directions must usually stop, unless a central reservation divides the road.
• Four-way stops. At junctions with a stop sign on every approach, cars go in the order they arrived.
• Speeds are in miles per hour, as in the UK, but limits vary by state and are strictly enforced.
• Insurance is compulsory and can be expensive for newcomers. Most US insurers will not recognise a UK no-claims bonus, but some take it into account. Bring a letter from your UK insurer and your DVLA driving record.

Should you ship your car?

Usually not. A car must meet US safety and emissions standards or be at least 25 years old, and most UK-market cars meet neither test. Cars that do not comply can be refused and have to be re-exported or destroyed. Classic cars over 25 years old are a different matter: our vehicle shipping guide sets out what is involved.

Pensions

The USA is one of the better destinations for UK pensioners. A social security agreement between the two countries means your UK State Pension keeps rising each year, and time worked in one country can help you qualify in the other.

Your UK State Pension

• It is paid in the USA, with annual increases. The USA is one of the countries where the UK pays yearly rises, unlike Canada or Australia. See State Pension if you retire abroad.
• You need 35 qualifying years for the full amount and at least 10 to get anything. Check your forecast before you leave.
• Topping up from abroad became harder and dearer on 6 April 2026. Cheap Class 2 voluntary contributions are no longer available for time abroad. You can pay Class 3 only if you lived in the UK for 10 years in a row or paid 10 years of contributions. See voluntary National Insurance if you live abroad.
• It is no longer cut by the old US offset rule. The Social Security Fairness Act, signed in January 2025, ended the rule that reduced US Social Security for people who also had some foreign pensions.

US Social Security

• It is earned through US work. You usually need 40 credits, about 10 years of work, for a retirement pension. Full retirement age is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later, and you can claim a reduced pension from 62.
• The agreement helps people with short US careers. If you have at least six US credits (about 18 months of work) but not enough for a pension, your UK National Insurance record can count towards qualifying, for a partial US benefit. See the US–UK social security agreement.
• Short postings can stay in the UK system. Staff sent to the USA by a UK employer for a limited period can often keep paying UK National Insurance instead of US Social Security tax. Ask your employer to arrange a certificate before you go.

Your UK workplace and private pensions

These usually stay in the UK and are paid to you in the USA. The UK–US tax treaty generally stops the USA taxing their growth while they stay invested, but US rules on the 25% tax-free lump sum are not straightforward, and income from them is generally taxed in the USA.

Very few US schemes are recognised overseas pension schemes, so moving a UK pension to the USA is rarely possible or worthwhile. Beware of advisers suggesting otherwise. Use an adviser qualified in both countries, and read GOV.UK on transferring to an overseas pension scheme first.

Shipping your home

Used household goods can enter the USA free of duty, but US Customs is strict about paperwork and deadlines. The inventory, not the furniture, is what most often causes delays.

Customs

• Goods must have been used abroad for at least a year. Furniture, books, pictures and other household effects you have used for a year or more enter free of duty. They must not be for sale or for someone else (19 CFR 148.52).
• The paperwork starts before your container leaves. An Importer Security Filing, including your US delivery address, must reach US Customs 24 hours before the ship is loaded in the UK. Late or wrong filings carry fines in the thousands of dollars.
• You declare your goods on Customs Form 3299. We prepare it with you, along with the supporting declarations.
• Make your inventory specific. “Kitchen items” is not enough. Vague inventories are the main reason containers are pulled for examination, which adds one to three weeks and charges that fall to you.
• Some things cannot go in the container. Plants, soil, seeds and many foods are restricted. Alcohol attracts duty and state rules. Firearms need a separate permit and never travel with household goods.
• Sea freight takes 5 to 11 weeks door to door. The east coast is quickest and the west coast slowest; a sole-use container is faster than a shared one. Air freight takes 5 to 8 days. Our USA shipping guide has times by coast.

Keep it clean

US agriculture inspectors look for soil and pests. Clean garden tools, bikes, boots and outdoor furniture before packing day, and leave plants and food behind. Wooden items and packing must meet treatment rules, which we handle.

Pets

There is no quarantine for pets coming from the UK whose papers are in order.

• Dogs must be at least 6 months old and fitted with an ISO-standard microchip.
• Each dog needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. It is free and done online before travel. Show it to the airline and to US Customs. See the CDC’s rules.
• Vaccinate against rabies anyway. The federal rules are lighter for dogs that have only lived in the UK, but most states and many airlines require rabies vaccination for dogs and often cats.
• Cats face no federal entry form, but airlines usually want a vet’s health certificate.
• Hawaii has its own strict rules, so check them well ahead if you are moving there.

Rules change often, so confirm with the CDC, your airline and your destination state before you book.

Plug and voltage

The USA runs at 110 volts. Most British electrical items need a transformer, and kettles, toasters and lamps are rarely worth shipping. We can talk through what to take at your survey.

Useful links

These are the official sources we point clients to. Rules change, so check them close to your move date.

This guide is general information for people planning a move, correct to the best of our knowledge in October 2026. It is not tax, pension, legal or immigration advice. Rules and figures change, so check the official sources linked above and take professional advice on your own circumstances.