So, there's multiple traps here. 1 - I think that you want to be reimbursed, not given a bonus. The difference is you'll pay tax on the bonus, but if you're j

So, there's multiple traps here. 1 - I think that you want to be reimbursed, not given a bonus. The difference is you'll pay tax on the bonus, but if you're just reimbursed, no tax. If you must get it as a bonus, take your estimated expenses and divide by .6 to get the required bonus. Also don't forget that the US has two tax systems and this could bump you up close to AMT. 2 - make sure that, in case the job blows up, at bare minimum your required repayment falls by 1/12 each month. Better yet, no required repayment. You don't want to be in a situation that just happened to a friend of mine where 6 months in he and his manager mutually agreed it wasn't working and they want $25k back. edit: I'd suggest 6 months with it falling 1/6 each month. If your new employer pushes back, I'd point out you're taking the far bigger risk here by moving countries.