Moving from Snow country

Yes - it does take a bit of a monetary stake to start here for rent,transportation,utilities etc. - lots of info available on the home site - read the moving stories and all of informational headings to get a good start and idea of the process.
Moving here to avoid snow is a good reason -- it can be a bad idea to move here if you have other personal reasons.

Depends what you need and want, what you consider making a living is. What do you do now? What do you want to do here?

Cost of living is high here and pay is generally not. And with whats going on stateside, it's slowing trickling down here and by next year we should feel more of the pinch of the economic fallout. Stt and stj are highly dependent on tourism, stx is too but not as much.

Generally people tell you to come with a 10k nest egg. You will need first, last and deposit for a apartment, cash for a island car or to transport yours, utility deposits, etc... As a single person you can probably get by on less but not that much less, I would guesstimate more like 6k or 8k. Others have done it with less, just depends how good you are at getting by.

Can a person find a laid back beach to spend a few years and earn a living, too?

Good morning sheilerqoe,

Um. I'm not really sure what the question means. But if you review the posts on this board and read the moving stories on the main vimovingcenter site, you'll have a better idea of whether the reality matches your dream. If the USVI still interest you after you've done some more in-depth research, consider a pre-move visit next.

Good luck.

And be prepared to work harder than you ever had before. That's usually the case.

But it's so worth it!!! Right? I'm coming with almost nothing, but I've started over a hundred times for lesser reasons. I'm lucky enough to have a few connections (job, living arrangement, and one family member) already in place for when I get down there, but I do know it is incredibly expensive. My future boss put it to me like this: "We take our high pay, bonuses, benefits . . . and we trade it in for sunshine, beaches, and year-round warmth."

Brinni,it's like I said while I was there last summer. You go to work ALOT and the trade off is some of the most beautiful beaches in the world w/in just a few minutes of wherever. Oh how I miss it terribly.I live in a resort town so high prices are "norm" for me ,but even I was surprised at how much everything was,food,utilites,housing.

Yes Sheilerqoe,

It actually can be done. Look at website http: www.usajobs.com (sorry, don't know how to do hyper link for government jobs).

TSA (Transportation and Security Administration) and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) are ALWAYS looking for new people on St. Croix (and St. Thomas)!!! I would recommend CBP (overtime very available, and now 20 year retirement!!!).

Work your eight hours, overtime if you wanna make cash, and spend the rest of the day at the beach (just be aware that you may be forced to work overtime if you are lower in overtime pay than most other officers and they want the time off), but It may lead to a promotion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

uttica:

All of the jobs listed are only hiring current federal employees. Do you know which positions (and where) are open for those of us that don't already have a government background?