waxwabbit

Okay guys

Can you tell me what things that I may otherwise not dream of (or forget) that I need to do prior to leaving to go to the USA.

I can remember something about contacting the IRS to inform them Im going and see if Im due a refund? (I think)

Any others?

dunroving

I have a "don't do" suggestion. Don't close UK bank accounts, credit cards, etc., in case you need them while you're here. There are often good reasons you may need these when you are here, regardless of whether you think you'll be here forever. Re-opening, or opening new accounts in the U.K. is very difficult when you are resident in the US. Once you are here and have a chance to see what's what, you can always close them from here.

Case in point: I opened a Smile savings account while I was living in the U.K. (good interest rate). After moving here I decided to also open a current account, because they're always going on about Smile current account holders getting a better interest rate on savings. Guess what? They won't let me open a current account, because I live in the US. I've tried everything (I won't bore you with the detailed story), and the answer's always the same.

Jan Alaska

Hey waxwabbit great to hear you got your visa !!

If you have a UK bank account they may try and charge to send your statements to the US, LLoyds TSB (booo hissss) did this to me so I have them sent to mum and she forwards them on to me.

Good luck with the big move !

Jan

Pimpbot

File a P85 tax form with the inland revenue to get some of this years tax money back.

Yosser

Most importantly bring sackfulls of T-bags, Monster munch and plenty of Marmite.

DaveC

Get your mail redirected from your UK address to your US address. Go to http://www.royalmail.com/ and click on moving home. I get my UK bank statements that way.

Yosser

Hey Jan, do you withdraw money from Lloyds TSB over here, if so how much do they charge you?

PrincessofWales

Notify your council tax office and the Inland Revenue, think about paying voluntary NI contributions (6 pounds per week), notify the utilities (particularly if you are intending to rent your house), notify all your credit card and banks of your new US address.

Make the most of your time there and enjoy a few curries and pints down the pub before you leave!

Steffi

Damn, you got to it before I could!

Don't forget to go to the pub before you leave!!!

Jan Alaska

Yosser I rarely take money out over here but I think they charge something around £1.50 per transaction (not sure hence I'm regularly overdrawn).

Jan

ohhh yeahhh waxwabbit dont forget essentials ... curly wurlys n tea bags

BritishInOhio

Why?

Yosser

thats bloody good though, my family wanted to send money for xmas, the last lot they sent, my old dear got wacked 20 squid her end, and Bank one charged me $14 my end.

so I was thinking if they put it into my Lloyds TSB account I can withdraw it over here without losing loads of $$$ on transaction fee's.

Cheers Jan

Pimpbot

If you had a Barclays account, you could draw your money without charge from any Bank of America for free. My parents put cash in my old account for this years xmas present.

Duncs

get an AA international drivers licence. Its £5 from the post office. Its bollocks but over here they seem to like it. I avoided having to do the practical drivers test in Mississippi because i had one whereas my UK licence on its own would not have been good enough! It depends state to state but i suggest you check out the rules in the state your are going to and find out what the driving test rules are. Remember also that if you are moving over as a perm resident you cannot drive for 1 year on your uk licence like a tourist you only get whatever the state allows for new state residents eg Mississippi 60 days, Massachusetts 10 days etc.

i suggest you make a big list of things to do and get on with it early some stuff takes a while.

regards,

Duncan

Yosser

Yeah I tried that AA international license thing, BUT Texas being Texas they weren't having none of it.

I tried to get around the piss-take of a driving test by claiming my AA drivers license was the dogs bollex and that I had driven in 27 different countries

All the officer said was "get to the end of the line boy and take the test".

worth a try!