sharprc

Hi Folks,

I had a quick search but couldn't find any answers to this question so here goes; I'm looking for some advice on what to do and in what order when I arrive in the USA.

FWIW I'm keen to keep the amount of time renting cars & staying in a hotel to as low as possible as I only have a finite amount of money in my budget for that, so any advice to help me expedite getting a lease on an apartment & a driving licence in WI would help.

Thanks (sorry if this seems like a silly question!)

Rob

yellowroom

If you're coming over on an L1, your employer will normally be providing a relocation package. Based on my experience and that of others recorded here, this would typically be:

• A "familiarisation" trip ahead of your move to your new location to scout out the area. During this you meet...
• A local relocation agent who will be your temporary "new best friend" and help you with getting your bank accounts, driving licence, SSN, discuss schools, clubs, hobbies etc and generally help you settle in the area.
• 3 months paid accommodation in a furnished apartment
• 3 months paid car rental
• Assistance of a real estate agent to help you navigate the process of more permanent accommodation
• A cash lump sum for incidental relocation expenses not covered by the above.

I did the familiarization trip 2 months ahead of the permanent move, identified which temporary accommodation would suit me and got some ideas on what would suit longer-term. My relocation agent took me to lunch and talked about what my lifestyle was, and my hobbies and needs etc and then worked with me over the following two months so that when I got off the plane I picked up a car at the airport and drove straight to my temporary apartment. Started work the next day. Settled in work for a couple of weeks and then was introduced to my real estate agent and started house-hunting. Nice and relaxed as I had plenty of time.

As an aside, in addition to the above, you also need to make sure you have these covered:

• Moving of belongings (there and back as per your other thread when discussing repatriation costs)
• "keep in touch" flights home - I got one a year and also an extra 5 days "keep in touch" leave to use
• emergency flight home - should the worst happen and you need to get back to the UK in a hurry, the company will pay for the first available flight home for you, regardless of cost.

Hope that helps ask your employer to help you sort your first steps stateside.

Nutmegger

In response to your title, going by the adjacent "Guns in America" thread, the answer would be, "Duck!"

Pulaski

"Grouse" also, per the same thread, seems to be a popular alternative.

Jack8602

Based on you having a budget, I'd assume that you're not getting a relocation package or have the luxury of a relocation agent (i was the same)

I'd recommend taking a trip out prior to moving - it'll save you money in the event of difficulties in finding an apartment - I flew out 6 weeks ahead of my move in November 2015, stayed in a hotel for the week, each day i did a different thing, went exploring, getting to know the area etc. The two things i got done were opening a bank account, and apartment lease secured (most important IMO)

I setup a bank account with Bank of America, done some apartment hunting and viewing different properties - eventually decided on a property and secured it with a large deposit (2 x months rent)

Bank of America allowed me to open an account with just my passport and visa as identification, and used a friends address to have documents sent to - they gave me a temporary card i could use until my permanent one arrived in the mail.

Apartment advice - take letters of proof from your employer of your job offer & earnings, along with your passport & visa as ID. Most apartment complexes have a method of approval for foreigners and require a larger deposit. I put down 2 x monthly rent as a deposit on mine (certainly made me clean my apartment like crazy before i moved out)

I'd arranged lease furniture to go into my apartment on the day before i flew out and moved in, i kept that for 3 months and then started buying my own furniture over the 3 month lease period - it saves on heavy upfront furniture cost if on budget

I left the UK, turned up in Texas with two giant suitcases and nothing else. Picked up a rental car when i arrived, and started work the following day. Throughout that following week i kept going to and from the DMV to get my license - Texas is a bit of a ballache at the DMV's - hopefully it's different in the state you're going to.

Got my Texas drivers license after 10 days, then leased a car through VW who offer a business expat scheme - if you're going to need a car, they're worth a look at due to them not requiring credit history.

That's how i managed - company didn't pay for anything for me, except my immigration and visa, all the rest was on myself, and i managed to keep the costs fairly low.

petitefrancaise

In this order
Bank account
Choose school
House/apartment lease -now you know where you are going to live.
utilities
prepaid cellphone contract (?t-mobile)
social security number - 7-10 days after arrival
driving license once you have SSN

sharprc

Really appreciate this narrative.

I have a small relocation lump sum for flights, incidentals, and temporary accomodation for a few days but after that it's all up to me. We can't all have the lucky expat contracts that we dream of!

Did you hire a car for a few weeks?

Rob

sharprc

Just what I was looking for, great answer!

I won't need the school though, not got any kids that I'm aware of

petitefrancaise

Which state are you moving to?

There are quite a few things that you can do before you leave.

1. car - get quotes from International Autosource, Expatride and VW. IAS seem to have Fords ready for delivery soon after arrival and if asked may well throw in hire car until the IAS car arrives. If buying a used car then look on craigslist and compare prices with Kelly blue book prices. Be aware that different states have different rules about registering a car and may require you to have a driving license, which you won't have at first.

2.Bank - there is nothing stopping you phoning a branch near to where you work and asking to speak with a private banking advisor about what documents they require to open a new account and which accounts will give you free banking if you direct deposit your salary (most do this but don't alway s tell you). The banks will want to see you in person to open the account so for now just start a conversation, email them to verify documents so that you have something in writing along with a name. Tell them who you will be working for and that it is a senior management position. At this stage that's all they need to know. They will probably ask for
a. 2 proofs of ID, one of which must be a government issued id like a passport with your visa in it. UK driving license will also work. The other ID could be your credit or debit card.
b. they may ask for a social security number, tell them you don't have one yet and you don't need one for a non-interest bearing account. Tell them you should have it within 2 weeks and will give it to them as soon as you get it.
c proof of address. OK, so this is where different branches of the same bank may differ. My local branch will accept proof of UK address to open the account and then as soon as the account is opened, will change it to wherever you like. Otherwise, you can use your work address (use your Verification of employment letter as proof) or a friend's address.

Then , tell them when you are arriving and make an appointment with the person that you have been in contact with. Appointment should be as soon as possible after you arrive.

Housing. Look on Zillow/Trulia to get an idea of costs. Ask colleagues (or here on BE) for their advice on which areas to live in. Contact agents through Zillow and tell them you are interested in an apartment (or whatever) in x area and your budget is ( once you've checked on zillow etc what the costs are in your area). Ask the agent who pays their fees, and if it's you then ask how much. Phone apartment complex offices as well and tell them that you're looking for an apartment but that you are an "international expatriate for a multi-national company" who will be arriving in the USA on x date. See what they say.

Find out about cell phone plans. Bring your own phone if at all possible - it may be difficult to get a cell phone plan with a phone with no social security number and no credit history. Get your phone unlocked. You will need to look at pre-paid plans. I always recommend t-mobile prepaid - it's a good price and in towns/cities coverage is fine.

MsElui

when we got the driving lenience in ohio on an L1a - the dvmc INSISTED on a company letter headed note stating we were on a L1 visa employed by that company with the visa dates on it and the premises my husband would be working from. I had to be mentioned in the letter to as the trailing spouse to get the licence too.

Once we had the letter and ssn they were fine (well as fine as a dvmc ever gets lol) but wouldnt do squat with out that.

Jack8602

Yep, had one for a little over 2 weeks total, took my test in it

ScousePete

Where in Wisconsin are you moving to? I'm assuming it will either be Madison or Milwaukee (or a suburb of either). Both are great places to live.

UW is in Madison, so a lot of students and a lot of student housing. This can artificially raise rents somewhat, but it's still the midwest, so it's not really expensive.

If it is Milwaukee, I can give you a lot of specific advice as I lived there for 6 years and was the first place I lived in the US. Let me know...

sharprc

I'm going to be in WI!

Thanks for all your advice

sharprc

It's Madison, average rent that I can find is around 1k-1.2k for a 2BR Apartment.

ScousePete

That looks about right for a nice apartment. There are some cheaper options - if you are looking to be thrifty.

All of the big banks are in Madison. If you think you'll be in WI for a while I would recommend a credit union. If you think you'll move around at some stage, then I'd go for one of the big national bank, Bank of America, Chase, etc.

Madison has a good public transportation system, so you could survive without a car, but it would be a challenge at times (It's not NYC!). If you decide not to drive, you'll want to get an ID card instead of a driver's license. Bars and clubs in Madison are very strict about checking IDs and you'll not want to carry your passport with you all the time.