{"id":4592,"date":"2024-03-06T17:20:05","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T17:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agoyu.com\/learn\/?p=4592"},"modified":"2024-10-09T19:17:04","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T19:17:04","slug":"moving-to-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agoyu.com\/learn\/moving-to-america\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Know Before Moving to America: A Complete Guide to Moving to the USA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Relocating to a new country is always a huge life transition filled with excitement and challenges. If you’re planning on moving to the United States, there’s a lot to prepare for and things you need to understand before taking the plunge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide covers all the must-know tips for anyone moving to America, the land of opportunity, that has beckoned immigrants from across the globe for centuries with its promises of freedom, prosperity, and a chance to pursue your dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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Technical Tips to Follow When Relocating to the US<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we dive into the cultural aspects, let’s get the tedious but crucial paperwork and logistics out of the way first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plan Your Move<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Deciding where exactly to live when emigrating to America is pivotal, as the country is massive with lots of diversity between cities and states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do plenty of research on areas that fit your preferred lifestyle, job opportunities, and family needs. Will you thrive in a megacity like New York or Los Angeles? Or does a more suburban\/rural environment like the Midwest appeal more? The options are limitless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of jobs, you’ll need to figure out if you’re moving to America for an existing role<\/a> or need to apply for work\u2014the process can be tricky for non-citizens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many immigrants first come on temporary work visas sponsored by an employer before later pursuing green cards for permanent residency. Consider creating an American-style resume and prepping for job interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll also need to plan for actually moving your belongings across borders. Will you hire an international moving company or ship a freight container? Don’t forget to look into any customs rules for importing goods, required documentation, and duties\/taxes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have school-aged kids, start researching potential school districts and curriculum differences as early as possible. And of course, make sure you understand the cost of living and have enough savings to get settled. Many cities like New York or the Bay Area have a very high cost of living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prepare the Paperwork Well Ahead of Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Getting all the right documentation in order is a handful in itself. First, determine what type of visa you need<\/a>\u2014common ones include the K-1 fianc\u00e9 visa, EB-5 investment visa, H-1B skilled work visa, and green card for permanent residency.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Family-based immigrant visas are another popular option if you have an immediate relative who is a US citizen. Temporary visas like B-1\/B-2 visitor visas and F-1 student visas are also pathways to America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of your specific visa type, you’ll need to fill out forms like the non-immigrant visa application DS-160, pay fees, schedule an interview at the nearest US embassy or consulate, submit supporting documents like bank statements, tax records, birth certificates, and police clearance certificates, and wait for processing and adjudication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This process takes months when moving to America, so apply for your visa with lots of lead time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure Out Healthcare Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unlike many other developed nations, the United States does not have universal, free public healthcare for all citizens. You’ll need to enroll in a private insurance plan, either through an employer’s group policy or the health insurance marketplace at healthcare.gov<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Policies can be very expensive, especially for families, so research all your options and expected out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, copays, and coinsurance percentages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t have insurance for any period of time, doctor visits and hospital stays can bankrupt you. Even minor costs like prescription drugs put a dent in your wallet. Look into need-based government insurance programs as well, like Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP. Pre-existing medical conditions need to be disclosed and can impact coverage eligibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Schools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re an expat moving to America with kids, take the time to carefully investigate school districts and curriculum differences between public, private, and international schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academic standards, extracurricular activities, calendars, grading rubrics, and general culture can differ vastly between institutions, so virtual tours and in-depth research is a must. Many neighborhoods are clustered around their school’s attendance boundaries, with real estate prices varying dramatically between good and bad districts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The public school your child attends is usually determined by your physical address unless you pay for private school or participate in special lotteries or open enrollment periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open a Bank Account <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the first things to do after arriving in America is opening a local bank account. You’ll need it for everything from payroll deposits, paying bills, transferring money, accessing ATMs, building credit history, and even securing a loan or mortgage later on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look into bank requirements around minimum opening deposits, monthly fees, holds on new accounts, and any other fine print. You may face additional scrutiny providing identification documents as a new immigrant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look Out For Hidden Taxes and Fees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Taxes in America get complicated, with combined federal, state, and local taxes for income, property, sales, and various miscellaneous taxes. Be prepared for lots of fine print about deductions, tax brackets, and more. Most states have a state income tax on top of federal income taxes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sales taxes vary from 0% to over 9% depending on the state. Property taxes of 1-2% of your home’s value are assessed annually in many areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the way, purchasing a home in America can definitely be expensive but not out of reach. We\u2019ve partnered with ARC Relocation to offer their realtor rebate<\/a> to help save you thousands of dollars on the purchase of a new home in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are sin taxes<\/a> on things like cigarettes, alcohol, and gambling. Hotel occupancy taxes add to the cost of overnight stays while car registration fees and gasoline taxes make vehicle ownership more expensive than just the purchase price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re used to a simplistic tax system with lower overall rates in your home country, America’s opaque tangle of taxes on purchasing power may feel nickel-and-diming at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Prepared to Start Your Credit Over<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unless you have an existing banking history and credit accounts that transfer over from your previous country, you’ll start fresh with no FICO credit score in the US<\/a>. This will impact things like securing loans, credit cards, mortgages, rental approvals, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be diligent about paying all bills on time and keep credit utilization low to build credit quickly. Authorized user tradelines and secured credit cards can be useful first stepping stones to build a credit profile from scratch. But any late payments, high balances, or collection accounts will linger for 7-10 years and tank your scores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside of a few countries, credit systems in most places don’t directly translate over to the American scoring models used by Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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General Tips to Follow When Moving to the United States<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While all the official paperwork and processes are a headache, there’s a lot more to understand about simply living in and adjusting to America’s unique way of life and cultural quirks compared to other nations. Here are some general tips about the culture and way of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understand the Diversity in America<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important things to know is that the US is a gigantic, diverse nation with regional differences that are like night and day across states and cities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deep South is completely different from the hipster Pacific Northwest, which is a world away from the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles versus New York<\/a> , which is the fast paced finance world. Attitudes, local laws, customs, accents, architecture, cuisines, and climates vary wildly\u2014keep an open mind!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even within a single city, neighborhoods and ethnic pockets can feel wildly different. One part of town may be filled with immigrant communities holding onto heritage, while nearby suburbs feel aggressively assimilated into mainstream American culture. The rural-urban divide is another stark contrast between cosmopolitan city living and small town lifestyles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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