Moving to the United States from the UK
British citizens need a US route that fits their work and stay, such as a work visa or an employment-based green card. The UK State Pension receives annual increases in the United States.
By Flight Risk Capital. Last updated: .
How can a British citizen live and work in the USA?
H-1B is a work visa for a job in a specialty occupation.
L-1A lets a US employer transfer an executive or manager from an affiliated overseas office.
EB-1 green cards cover priority workers, including people with extraordinary ability.
EB-2 green cards cover people with advanced degrees or exceptional ability.
EB-3 green cards include a route for skilled workers.
Does this guide calculate take-home pay?
This guide has no take-home calculation yet.
What are the US income tax bands?
For tax year 2026, the IRS schedule for a single filer applies these rates to slices of taxable income, in US dollars: 10% up to $12,400; 12% above $12,400 to $50,400; 22% above $50,400 to $105,700; 24% above $105,700 to $201,775; 32% above $201,775 to $256,225; 35% above $256,225 to $640,600; 37% above $640,600.
The standard deduction for a single filer is $16,100 for 2026. It reduces the income subject to federal tax. Source: IRS, 9 October 2025.
States add their own income tax, and some have none; local income tax can also apply. Check the destination as well as federal rules. Source: IRS guidance on state and local taxes, 24 September 2026.
What social contributions do employees pay?
For 2026, employee Social Security tax is 6.2% on wages up to $184,500. Medicare tax is 1.45% with no earnings cap, with Additional Medicare withholding of 0.9% above $200,000. Source: IRS Social Security and Medicare withholding rates, 24 September 2026.
Will my UK State Pension rise in United States?
Yes. The UK State Pension receives annual increases for people living in United States. See DWP’s country list (9 June 2014) and the frozen State Pension guide.
See the Budget tracker for announcements and effective dates.
Does the UK have a double taxation agreement with United States?
Yes. The 2001 UK-USA Double Taxation Convention, amended by the 2002 protocol, is in force. Read GOV.UK’s US treaty documents for the agreement; the collection is dated 9 August 2021.
How does healthcare work in United States?
The US has no reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK. Arrange appropriate private health insurance to cover healthcare costs. Source: GOV.UK’s Living in the USA guidance, 11 December 2025.
Getting residence
A British passport does not give a right to work in the USA. Check work visas and employment-based green cards with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Family sponsorship is a separate route.
FCDO, Living in the USA. Source date: . Checked .
Healthcare
There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK. Arrange appropriate US or international health insurance. Check the hospitals covered, patient charges and the start date of employer cover before relying on a policy.
FCDO, Living in the USA. Source date: . Checked .
Schools
Children living in the USA have access to public elementary and secondary education regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Contact the local school district about its application, address and health documents.
US Department of Justice, public education rights. Source date: . Checked .
Banking and money
Banks must verify your identity before opening an account. Non-US applicants can provide a passport number and issuing country or other accepted identification. Ask the bank which documents and tax identification it accepts from a new arrival.
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, bank account identification. Source date: . Checked .
The currency is the US dollar (USD).
European Central Bank, currency reference table. Source date: . Checked .
Cost of living
Consumer prices rose 2.7% in the year to December 2025, using the national CPI for urban consumers. It measures US price changes, rather than costs against the UK. City housing and health insurance need separate estimates.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2025 CPI. Source date: . Checked .
Driving
There is no single US licence exchange process. Check the destination state’s motor vehicle authority. For example, Virginia’s reciprocal-country list excludes the UK, so a British licence does not qualify for its reciprocal exchange route.
Virginia DMV, exchange a foreign driving licence. Source undated. Checked .
UK pensions
The UK State Pension receives annual increases in the USA.Frozen State Pension guide.
DWP, State Pension annual increases country list. Source date: . Checked .
See the Moving abroad checklist for UK reporting and residence checks, school questions and bank account checks.
Which tracker cases link to United States?
The sourced leavers tracker records moves, plans and returns with their reporting status; a listing change is separate from a personal move.
People
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Last 24 months by first-report date. Year-only dates are excluded. Source: the reports linked below. Prepared 29 October 2026.
October 2026
Sir Peter Wood. Reported.
Basis: The Times reported an interview in which Wood said he moved his tax residence from the UK to the United States in 2025, as relayed by Business Matters.
Source: Business Matters, 11 October 2026.
September 2026
Sir Peter Lampl. Reported.
Basis: Brit Brief reported on 27 September 2026 that Sir Peter Lampl had moved to the United States, citing an interview in The Sunday Telegraph.
Source: Brit Brief, 27 September 2026.
January 2026
Rory Blundell. Preparing.
Basis: The Telegraph reported that Blundell plans to move to Denver with most of his senior team, quoting him on UK business conditions.
Source: The Telegraph (republished on Yahoo Finance), 25 January 2026.
December 2024
Graham Linehan. Reported.
Basis: The New European reported in December 2024 that Graham Linehan was leaving Britain for the United States.
Source: The New European, December 2024.
May 2024
Robert MacIntyre. Returned.
Basis: The Golf Source of Myrtle Beach reported on 10 May 2024 that Robert MacIntyre had moved from Scotland to Orlando earlier that year. Sportsnet reported on 2 June 2025 that he had since moved back to Scotland.
The exact date of the UK return is not established by the opened Sportsnet report.
October 2023
Frankie Dettori. Reported.
Basis: Racing Post reported Dettori's own statement that he would ride full-time in the United States instead of retiring.
Source: Racing Post, 12 October 2023.
July 2023
Christian Faes. Confirmed.
Basis: City AM reported on 27 July 2023 that Christian Faes said he had "moved to the US".
Source: City AM, 27 July 2023.
May 2023
Tom Blomfield. Reported.
Basis: Bloomberg reported, citing a statement, that Blomfield relocated from London to San Francisco to become a Y Combinator partner.
Chloe Sims. Confirmed.
Basis: The Standard reported on 2 May 2023 that Chloe Sims had moved from Brentwood to Los Angeles and said she intended to stay.
Source: The Standard, 2 May 2023.
April 2023
James Corden. Returned.
Basis: The Evening Standard reported Corden's comments to The Sun about returning to the UK after eight years in Los Angeles.
Source: Evening Standard (via Yahoo News Canada), 27 April 2023.
September 2022
Laxman Narasimhan. Confirmed.
Basis: Starbucks announced on 1 September 2022 that Laxman Narasimhan would relocate from London to the Seattle area. PTI reported on 21 March 2023 that he had relocated before joining Starbucks in October 2022.
Source: Starbucks, 1 September 2022.
Companies
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Last 24 months by first-report date. Year-only dates are excluded. Source: the reports linked below. Prepared 29 October 2026.
September 2025
Diversified Energy Company (formerly PLC). Confirmed.
Basis: Diversified Energy's 26 November 2025 SEC filing records that the Delaware company became the ultimate parent on 21 November 2025.
The filing establishes a legal parent change, not a new departure of the operating business from Britain.
August 2025
EG Group (now Cumberland Farms). Confirmed.
Basis: Cumberland Farms' 2026 registration statement gives Charlotte, North Carolina as its principal executive offices and records its June 2026 name change. This follows EG Group's reported 2025 headquarters plan.
The filing confirms the US executive-office location, not the date each office function or employee moved.
July 2025
Wise Group plc. Confirmed.
Basis: Wise announced its Nasdaq listing on 11 May 2026, retaining a secondary London listing. Its 3 July 2025 scheme circular records the proposal and says the plan was announced on 5 June 2025.
Listing change, not evidence of a headquarters or tax-residence move. First reported uses the earliest source recorded here, 3 July 2025.
Source: Wise, 11 May 2026.
February 2025
Ashtead Group plc (now Sunbelt Rentals Holdings). Confirmed.
Basis: Sunbelt Rentals announced on 2 March 2026 that its shares began NYSE trading that day following the move from Ashtead Group to Sunbelt Rentals Holdings. A secondary London listing was retained.
The parent and listing change does not mean all UK operations moved.
Source: Sunbelt Rentals, 2 March 2026.
September 2024
11x. Confirmed.
Basis: 11x announced on 16 September 2024 that its headquarters had relocated to the United States. Independent reporting identifies the move from London to San Francisco.
February 2024
Indivior Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Confirmed.
Basis: Indivior announced completion of its US redomiciliation on 26 January 2026, with a new Delaware parent. Its earlier announcement records cancellation of the secondary London listing on 25 July 2025.
The redomiciliation and listing changes are distinct events; they do not establish that all UK operations moved.
Source: Indivior, 26 January 2026.
January 2024
Ferguson plc (now Ferguson Enterprises Inc.). Confirmed.
Basis: Its own press release, filed with the SEC as a Form 8-K12B.
October 2022
Abcam. Confirmed.
Basis: Abcam reported on 20 March 2023 that its London AIM listing ended on 14 December 2022 and Nasdaq became its sole public trading venue.
This was a listing change. Abcam kept its headquarters in Cambridge and later ceased public trading after its acquisition.
Source: Abcam, 20 March 2023.
November 2021
Eigen Technologies. Reported.
Basis: Artificial Lawyer (10 November 2021) and BusinessCloud (11 November 2021) reported that Eigen moved its global headquarters to New York, quoting chief executive Lewis Liu.
This is a historical 2021 headquarters report. Sirion announced its acquisition of Eigen in June 2024 and a new AI research centre in London. The 2021 move does not describe the whole current business.
Source: Artificial Lawyer, 10 November 2021.
July 2020
Summit Therapeutics. Confirmed.
Basis: Summit Therapeutics announced on 18 September 2020 that it had completed its holding-company move from the UK to Delaware in the United States.
This records the holding company's corporate domicile. The July announcement said UK operations would continue.
What else do readers ask?
Can a British citizen live in the USA?
A British passport does not give a right to work in the USA. Check work visas and employment-based green cards with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Family sponsorship is a separate route.
How do residents get healthcare in the USA?
There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK. Arrange appropriate US or international health insurance. Check the hospitals covered, patient charges and the start date of employer cover before relying on a policy.
Can I exchange a UK driving licence in the USA?
There is no single US licence exchange process. Check the destination state’s motor vehicle authority. For example, Virginia’s reciprocal-country list excludes the UK, so a British licence does not qualify for its reciprocal exchange route.
Is the UK State Pension frozen in the USA?
The UK State Pension receives annual increases in the USA.
Sources
- USCIS: H-1B Specialty Occupations, .
- USCIS: L-1A Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager, .
- USCIS: Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants, .
- IRS: IR-2025-103 tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026, .
- IRS: Topic no. 503, Deductible taxes, .
- IRS: Topic no. 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates, .
- GOV.UK: Countries where we pay an annual increase in the State Pension, .
- GOV.UK: Tax treaties collection, .
- GOV.UK: Living in the USA (healthcare) and HealthCare.gov, .