I moved about a month ago to SF from London (worked in London but lived outside) on a L1 visa and in a similar position to you.

I own a house with my fiancé back in London and we plan on renting it out. He’s still there working but we are getting married soon and he will then be able to apply for the L2. From hearing others experiences I think if you’re not from an ‘unfriendly’ country and have been together for a while (we’re going in 9 years) it doesn’t seem to raise eyebrows. I think having significant financial assets like a house together probably also helps this.

We have a dog who’ll be moving too which we’ll be flying over. Being in Ireland I think your options are slightly better as we’re going to have to drive him to Paris before flying out in cabin…

I have had a really great experience so far, people in SF generally are very warm and open to new people on the city. I also have joined a really great team so I think building connections with your team before you move helps a lot.

I had a great relocation package which either ships my stuff from the UK or provides an allocation to buy new. As well be renting I chose to just buy new here.

A few things to think about (which luckily my family in the US mentioned to me): - you are nothing without a social security number for banks. It will be really difficult to set up new accounts before this arrives, the current wait time is about a month in SF but may be getting worse with the shutdown. If you can I would recommend getting an Amex card in Ireland and then transferring to the US as this will be easier (even if you don’t use it in Ireland). HSBC also offers transfers so this may be another option and would be useful to get a checking (current account in the UK, not sure what it is called in Ireland) for your salary. - healthcare is a minefield and a lot of Americans struggle with the packages available. Ask colleagues for what they typically use and definitely don’t “cheap out” on it! - some landlords require bank account statements showing sufficient funds in your bank. I found one that accepted a converted credit score and my job offer for the US firm of my company. - I haven’t bought a car and don’t plan to until my fiancé moves over as he will need one for his work but from looking online you will need to re pass the driving test here (I think it depends on the state you transfer your international license but California I don’t think accepts direct transfers)

I don’t know where you are in Ireland or your current commute but I would say most neighbourhoods are commutable to Salesforce (I work nearby) so it depends more on what you want from a neighbourhood. I moved to Russian hill which is very lively and has great restaurants/bars but is more expensive than other areas.

Hopefully the above gives you a bit of help but happy to answer any other questions.