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Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Old Aug 22nd 2017, 10:55 pm
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Default Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Hey, I am a 22 year old professional moving to NJ. The office will be based around the Morristown/madison area, i would like to cover all the basic knowledge that I will come across whilst taking the step over the pond. I.e the tax, room rentals, easy to share apartments? Health care which will cover me for all basis. How easy it is to finance a car at my age and generically how much everything will cost so I can package up all my expenses so I know what to expect. If there is anything you can think of that will help me it will be much appreciated! Thank you
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Old Aug 22nd 2017, 11:29 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Hi BassMan and welcome to the forum. Are you a US citizen? Or if not, what visa will your employer be petitioning for?

The US and UK credit bureaus do not share information and so when you do move to the USA you will be without a credit rating. As a result, attaining credit will be difficult/impossible.

This will also potentially impact your ability to secure accommodation and will likely require you to put down deposits for utilities (gas, electric, water).

For the car there are some expat finance companies - namely International AutoSource - that may help. However, from a financial perspective, you should try pay with cash for the car.

You should negotiate hard to gain fair compensation for your employment and for a solid relocation package.

For specifics of NJ I can't help you - I have no idea about that state other than they have some strange laws.
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Old Aug 22nd 2017, 11:54 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Ha! New Jersey - I get solicitations for job offers there all the time.
To which I reply, why would I want to go a s***hole of a state that completely ignores Constitutional rights (google Shaneen Allen amongst many others)? On the day I'd live in NJ, Satan would be skating to work.

Getting credit isn't impossible. It's actually pretty easy, if your employer plays ball. (Incidentally, I was 22 when I moved here.) My employer simply guaranteed a sum of $500 with the bank that shared a building with us.
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 2:20 am
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Originally Posted by BassMan
Hey, I am a 22 year old professional moving to NJ. The office will be based around the Morristown/madison area, i would like to cover all the basic knowledge that I will come across whilst taking the step over the pond. I.e the tax, room rentals, easy to share apartments? Health care which will cover me for all basis. How easy it is to finance a car at my age and generically how much everything will cost so I can package up all my expenses so I know what to expect. If there is anything you can think of that will help me it will be much appreciated! Thank you
Hi BassMan, welcome to BE.

As Tom said, if you are coming to a decent job you should be able to finance a new car with International Autosource, which can use your UK credit history. They also do leases, but I hear are not as competitive. Manufacturers such as VW (which is niche player in the US) and Mazda also do expat finance. Although new cars are cheap in the US, used cars are disproportionately expensive, and anything less than about $5k is likely to be utter junk by British standards, and so long as people keep their cars cleaned of salt on the roads, they can last an extraordinary time. ..... I am currently driving a 2003 Accord that I bought new, and now has 334,000 miles on the clock! So if you buy a used car, don't be surprised to be asked $10k for a car with 120,000+ miles on the clock.

Car insurance is also insanely expensive - expect to pay at least $1,000 for six months.

Housing isn't going to be cheap, and for a studio or 1-bed in a decent, safe area you will probably be paying about $2k, so sharing may be the way to go for you. Zillow will give you a list of rentals, though there are several dozen web sites that give lists of rentals - just Google <apartment rental>. I think craigslist does shared accommodation, but be careful as there are many reports of sharks on craigslist.
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 1:49 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

I'd recommend living in Morristown, since it has a nice, lively downtown, at least for the suburbs. Morristown is quite expensive though. Checks craigslist for rental rates.
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 2:22 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

NJ is good on the rental front for someone your age. car companies will be able to give you credit but as you have no history you will probably be paying through an arm and a leg to get one. Best to stick with buying a used car for cash or with little credit and then building a history though a secured credit card.

you can find your own rental in NJ about 15 mins from morristown for about $1k per month.

good luck with the move.
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 2:37 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Hello,
We moved to NJ in June and we stayed just outside Morristown and Madison. Both fantastic towns, Morristown in particular would be good for you as really young and loads of bars etc. It is a great State and ignore what others have said as personally l wouldn't want to live anywhere else, NYC, beaches, mountains!!
Where are you offices based?
Assuming you have all the visas in place l would seek advise on whether your package is sufficient to live the lifestyle you really want. Things are very expensive over here and NJ in particular is an expensive state but if you have a good expat package then it should be fine. You can definitely get advise on that here if you need.
Good luck and welcome.
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 2:56 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Make sure that the Company picks up all the initial tabs, helps you with the move, assume it will cost more than you expect.
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 5:03 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Thanks for the advice guys much appreciated! Which visa would you recommend for 1/2 working years to begin with? Or does it work better to have a short term visa and then look to extend?

The office will be based in Morristown, I've heard good things there! What type of take rate would you be looking at for salary of $50-$60,000?

I'm looking to room share as it's much more affordable and cheaper, I can imagine apartment utility fees are very pricey if living on your own.

Is there any tips or tricks, maybe some extra expenses that I can say I will need when piecing together my package at work?

Thanks for your time everyone
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 5:11 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Which visa would you recommend for 1/2 working years to begin with? Or does it work better to have a short term visa and then look to extend?
This has set my alarm bells ringing.

Do you in fact have a visa in process or not? And, if so, the company should really be telling you what they are sponsoring you for. Not the other way around.

It is not as easy to get a visa to live and work in the US as you otherwise might believe.
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 5:21 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Originally Posted by BassMan
Thanks for the advice guys much appreciated! Which visa would you recommend for 1/2 working years to begin with? Or does it work better to have a short term visa and then look to extend?
Uh, oh. Yeah....
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 5:45 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Take no notice of Octang Frye's strange comments. NW NJ is a very nice part of the US...that's why some of the wealthiest people in the US have property there. I lived in Mendham for almost 20 years...6 miles west of M/town.

M/town has loads of bars and restaurants. There are some bad areas (same with any US town/city) mainly north of town and the high school does or used to have a gang problem...but the centre of town is quite safe.

Before you buy a car you will need insurance. Car dealership in NJ are not allowed to let you drive away with a car unless they have verified your insurance. Before you can get insurance cover you will need a NJ drivers licence. IMO getting a NJ DL should be a priority...we got ours during our first week in NJ. However since 9/11 there are stringent hoops you have to jump through to prove residency and identity...the NJ DMV website will provide details.

NJ is not a cheap state to live in...utilities, healthcare insurance, auto insurance, property taxes...are amongst the most...if not the most expensive in the US. Check to see if your employer qualifies you to get insurance through NJ Manufacturers. Their rates are good and service is excellent.

Visa...your employer/their immigration attorney will determine the type of visa depending on the job, qualifications etc.

Last edited by Jerseygirl; Aug 23rd 2017 at 5:47 pm.
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 6:03 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Originally Posted by BassMan
I am a 22 year old professional moving to NJ.

.

Which visa would you recommend for 1/2 working years to begin with? Or does it work better to have a short term visa and then look to extend?
These two statements are completely and diametrically opposed to each other. If you don't yet have a visa, you aren't moving anywhere!

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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 6:14 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Very true and I'm starting to get to grips with the visa process. My company will arrange this and will settle the charges.

Interesting read about the extra prices that will occur when renting a property and also the NJ driving licence.

If anyone here's if any people that need a room mate please let me know. Thanks all!
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Old Aug 23rd 2017, 6:40 pm
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Default Re: Young British Expat moving to NJ.

Originally Posted by Ecto17
Hello,
We moved to NJ in June and we stayed just outside Morristown and Madison. Both fantastic towns, Morristown in particular would be good for you as really young and loads of bars etc. It is a great State and ignore what others have said as personally l wouldn't want to live anywhere else, NYC, beaches, mountains!!
Where are you offices based?
Assuming you have all the visas in place l would seek advise on whether your package is sufficient to live the lifestyle you really want. Things are very expensive over here and NJ in particular is an expensive state but if you have a good expat package then it should be fine. You can definitely get advise on that here if you need.
Good luck and welcome.
Have you even lived anywhere else in the US?
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