Moving to the USA: The Pros and Cons, Honestly Counted

Whether moving to the USA pays off depends less on the country than on who you are: employee or entrepreneur, family or couple, thirty or sixty. This article puts the key points side by side, each with what America gives and what it asks in return, backed by official figures from both sides of the Atlantic.

Whether moving to the USA pays off depends less on the country than on who you are: employee or entrepreneur, family or couple, thirty or sixty. This article puts the key points side by side, each with what America gives and what it asks in return, backed by official figures from both sides of the Atlantic. It passes no judgment on either side. What one person sees as an advantage, such as employment law with plenty of freedom of contract, another sees as a drawback. What matters is that you know the points before you commit.

1What you are weighing up

Most pros-and-cons lists mix facts with feelings. We keep them apart. First come the points you can describe with laws and official figures: taxes, vacation, cost of living, health insurance, residence, citizenship, retirement. Then the points everyone weighs for themselves: family, distance, mindset, space. Last comes the way back, because an honest calculation also asks what happens if it doesn't work out.

If you want to know more about who the move to America is really for, read our take in Why move to America as an entrepreneur at all?. And if you'd rather take the quirks of American daily life with a sense of humor, read These Americans are crazy.

2Taxes: lower rates, more forms

What America gives. In 2026 the federal income tax brackets run from 10% to 37%, and the top bracket only applies from $640,600 of taxable income for single filers and $768,700 for joint filers. On top of that comes state income tax, ranging from zero in Texas or Florida to 13.3% in California (a top rate of 12.3% plus 1% on income over 1 million dollars). You'll find a comparison of 13 states under Which state suits you. How much an entrepreneur with the same income keeps after tax in New York and in Texas is worked out in our article on US tax planning for entrepreneurs.<!--20264269,87945277,826-->

What America asks of you. As a resident, the IRS generally taxes you like a US citizen, and you must report all of your income, whether it is earned in the US or abroad. Accounts, portfolios and shareholdings in Europe trigger their own filings, from the FBAR to Form 8938. And if you later become a citizen, you stay subject to US tax wherever you live: according to the IRS, the same rules apply to US citizens whether they live in the US or abroad. What this means for your assets is covered in Taking your assets to the USA. Moving away can also trigger tax back home; read more in Exit taxes when you leave.

3Work, vacation and leave

What America gives. American employment law leaves employers and employees plenty of room to negotiate their own terms. For entrepreneurs that means fewer statutory requirements and more freedom in the contract. If you hire, you should know your state's rules; our article on payroll in the USA shows what's involved.

What America asks. According to the Department of Labor, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacation, sick days or holidays. Vacation is therefore a matter of negotiation. In Switzerland the statutory minimum is four weeks, and five weeks for employees up to age 20 (Art. 329a OR). For family and medical reasons, federal law has the Family and Medical Leave Act: up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. It applies to private employers with at least 50 employees and to employees who have worked there for at least twelve months and at least 1,250 hours. What holidays and vacation look like in everyday life is described in Vacation and leisure in the USA.<!--243-->

4Cost of living: one country, many price levels

What America gives. In some states life is considerably cheaper than average. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis's Regional Price Parities, the price level in 2024 stood at 86.9 in Arkansas and 87.0 in Mississippi, against 100 for the USA as a whole. Earn a big-city income in a state like that and you live comfortably. Our cost-of-living comparison lists everyday prices in Freiburg, London and Austin.

What America asks. In expensive states such as California at 110.7 and Hawaii at 110.0, the difference is mostly housing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household spent $78,535 in 2024, including $26,266 on housing and $13,318 on transportation. In many regions you won't get far without a car, and property tax, insurance and utilities come on top of the rent or purchase price. How to draw up the costs for your household is covered under What does moving to the USA cost.

5Health: great medicine, your own bill

What America gives. Our relocation guide sums up American healthcare in three words: expensive, but good. If you're well insured, you can choose from a wide range of doctors and hospitals; what sets the plans apart is explained in our Health and health insurance section.

What America asks. Coverage is tied to your employer, age, location and plan, not to a solidarity system based on income. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average household spent $6,197 on healthcare in 2024. Deductibles, copays and the insurer's network determine what a doctor's visit costs. How it all works in detail is explained in our articles on health insurance by age and doctors and dentists in the USA.

6Residence and citizenship

What America gives. A green card lets you live and work in the USA permanently, and as a holder you can usually naturalize after five years. The Swiss keep their citizenship in any case: according to the State Secretariat for Migration, dual nationality has been fully permitted since 1 January 1992. What naturalization requires is covered under Becoming a US citizen.<!--272024-->

What America asks. Until you have a green card, your stay depends on a visa, and every visa is tied to a purpose: your investment, your employer or your company. When the purpose ends, so does the visa. Visas and green cards are decided by the authorities alone. The overview of US visa types shows which routes exist and how they differ.

7Retirement and savings

What America gives. The USA has social security agreements with many European countries, including Switzerland (in force since 1 November 1980). On top of that, the USA has its own forms of retirement saving such as the 401(k), explained in What is a 401k.<!--1197911991-->

What America asks of you. If you move later in life, you build up only a few years of US coverage. Which country taxes a European pension while you live in the US depends on the tax treaty in question, and the guide on retiring in the USA explains which visa rules apply to retirees.

8Family, school and distance

What America gives you. Public school charges no tuition and takes every child who lives in the school district. American universities regularly rank near the top of international league tables, as our guide to the school system shows. And for children, growing up with two languages is a gift they keep for life.

What America asks of you. The quality of public schools depends on your address, tuition fees are high, and family benefits from home such as child benefit usually end when you move. The grandparents are a long-haul flight away, and the time difference turns an evening call into a call in the middle of the night. How families plan the move is covered in Moving to the USA with children.

9Space, mindset and freedom

What America gives you. Many of our readers are drawn by something no spreadsheet captures: space, optimism and the easy confidence with which people here start a business. If you come from a crowded city, Texas or Montana will show you for the first time just how wide a horizon can be. And the European trail in America is older than most of its cities; our series The Germans in America tells part of that story.

What America asks of you. Friendliness is not the same as friendship, politeness comes in different packaging, and much of what the state handles in Europe, you handle yourself. Underestimate the adjustment and you will struggle. The article Conservative in America describes how differently people here see the state, the community and personal responsibility.

10The way back

In the end there is no general answer, only your own. If you know your numbers, have spent a few weeks on the ground and know which visa is open to you, you decide not out of longing or fear, but out of conviction.

In short

• US federal law has no statutory minimum vacation; leave under the FMLA is unpaid.
• Price levels vary widely between states, especially for housing, and health insurance depends on age and plan.
• A visa is tied to its purpose; permanent residence only comes with the green card, and naturalization usually after five years.

How we help you

• Visa RoadmapIn writing: which visa fits you and your family, prepared with the immigration attorney on the firm's team.
• Moving to the USAVisa, bank account, taxes and where to live: your move with Mount Bonnell Advisors.
• Visa and Green Card ConsultationWhich route to the USA fits you, settled in one conversation.
• Your US Tax ReturnForm 1040 or 1040-NR, handled in English.