Moving to LA from Germany (Long Beach, Glendale: apartment, rent, insurance)

[JUST2IT]

Hi all,
I am thinking of moving to LA(Glendale)from Germany. To make some dicisions on this, i need your inputs or advise on the following.
1. I am working in IT. I am earning 65,000EUR. How much i should ask for if i move there in $?
2. How much tax i will have to pay(State & Federal) and what are the other deductions?
3. Regarding schooling for the kid, are there any fees to be paid for Kindergarden and further on?
4. If i have to travel by CAR, how much on an average i will have to spend monthly for fuel and car?
5. How about house rents?(say for 2BK)

Appreciate your genuine feedback.

Thanks mate.

[BRinSM]

1 - 65k euros is almost $100k. You should be able to get by fine on that much.
2 - Taxes usually take about 30%-35% of your income.
3 - Public schools are absolutely free.
4 - I would budget about $100 per month for gas and another $100 per month for insurance. Depending on how nice of car you get, your payment will probably range from $400-$600 per month.
5 - Rent for a 2 bedroom apartment will generally cost around $2000 per month in a nice building in a nice neighborhood.

[TheRealAngelion]

If your job will be located in Glendale, you can live there too. It's a nice city with some good public schools. Burbank, which is right next to Glendale, would be another good choice as a place to live. Living as close as reasonably possible to work will help to keep your fuel costs down.

[CESpeed]

Right now, I commute from L.A. to Long Beach (24 miles) and I spend $200 per month on gas. On a new car, with full coverage my insurance is around $150 per month. A decent preschool will cost around $500 per month. If you need day care for afterschool, it about the same. If you stick to Glendale or Burbank, you'll have decent quality public schools, so don't worry about private school tuition costs.

[JUST2IT]

Thank you all for your valuable info.
1. Just to clarify further, is that 35% you have mentined is only tax or all deductions(In Germany we have deductions for social security/Pension fund/Medical Insurance(50-50 employee/exployer contribution)) etc.
2. As you have mentioned, Primary schools are free, which means i need to pay only for Kindergarten. How good are Primary schools?
3. I am told that i will be transferred from Germany on L1 Visa. How long i need to wait for applying for Green card? What is the normal wait period in CA?
Sorry for bothering with more queries.

Thanks once more mate.

[BRinSM]

1 - 35% is the approximate amount withheld from your check. This includes state and federal taxes, social security, unemployment and disability insurance, and Medicare. Your employer may also charge you a (usually) subsidized premium for your health care insurance. This amount is not subject to tax and will be subtracted from your gross pay. In all, you should net about 65% of each of your paychecks.

2 - Kindergarten is also free. Preschool (for children under the age of 5) is not free.

3 - I have no idea, sorry

[katenik]

L-1 is a non-immigrant visa. holding one does not qualify you to apply for permanent US residency (green card). status adjustments are possible for some non-immigrant visa holders, but you would need to speak to an immigration attorney to find out if/how you might qualify.

[JUST2IT]

First of all many thanks to all of you all for your information and advise.

Regarding the Visa, few of my colleagues who had already moved to US through the company told me that thay basically got L1 when they were shifted to US and later company applied for GC. Then i really wonder how is it possible?Are there exceptions?

Is there any other VISA for intercompany transfer?I have been told that GCs are issued based on the nationality of the applicant and it normally takes very long for people coming from some countries like India(like me) because of quota system.
What is the average wait period in California?

Thanks.

[gypsy456]

You need to contact an immigration lawyer.
GC's are not easy to obtain.
Don't rely on info you get here, find yourself a good immigration lawyer.
Robert Marton from Law Alliances is a good one, he is familair with germany as well.
Law Alliances in Pasadena.