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Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Old Jun 4th 2008, 12:37 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by md95065
Foster City is pretty much all landfill reclaimed from the bay - has a significant chance of being several feet under water after the next major earthquake.
Is there any way of finding out what areas are landfill in the bay / SF area?

I've googled a bit but not found a map.

The missus is pretty keen to avoid anything that might get wet / fallover during an earthquake and will probably require some form of proof ;0)

Cheers,

mr C
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Old Jun 4th 2008, 1:37 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by ImmortalNinja
Well I've moved over from London to San Francisco and have been here for just over a month. My stuff has arrived and has been unpacked, my net has been hooked up so I guess I'm officially settled!
Before I left I posted a thread asking for some tips and advice and had some helpful feedback which was reassuring.
I thought I would post my experiences here to help others too so here goes:

Pre-move:
Visa: One of the more stressful aspects as I was worried about getting every little detail right. Just remember they aren't trying to catch you out with any of the questions to point at you and go "fraud!". If the forms seem ambiguous or confusing goggle the form name with 'example' and there are plenty of sites telling you what is expected.
When going for the interview at the (London) embassy bring a book!
They had two queues outside which they let in at alternating half hour blocks.
I had a 10.30 appointment and got there at 10 which meant I was at the front of the 10.30 queue. If I was there at 10.30 I would not have got inside till closer to 11.
Once inside you take a ticket and more waiting.....
The interview itself was very quick, a few inane questions about why I decided to move and about my company which I can't even remember now so its really nothing to worry about. I was out by 12.

Canceling and changing address of services:
Eg: ISP, Water, Electricity, Gas, Land Line, Mobile Phone, Postal DVD rentals, Sky, Banks, credit cards, council tax, ISAs and investments.
Remember to take a final reading before you go. If you can provide a forwarding address or do it via internet so they can give you a final bill.
You should think about doing this about two months before hand. This is because some institutions require you to close accounts or change address in writing. It also gives you time to stop the account at the end of a billing cycle. Some banks will let you change your address to one in the US. HSBC did for me.

Student loan: You need to fill in and return the overseas assessment forms which can be found here:
http://www.slc.co.uk/thresholds/index.html

Movers: I heard many nightmare stories about movers which made this an apprehensive experience. I was told literally they are all crooks and to keep an eye on them at all times and to make sure to get a detailed itinery for everything going into each box and dont let them seal anything before you've had a look. Well the person who told me this has had bad experiences. Well you can choose to do that but my wife and I arent like that. But come the day there were three of them, they swooped in and started boxing things up quickly and efficiently. Had we wanted to do a detailed itinery it would have taken a lot longer. Be nice to your movers. During the day (and it does take at least a day) it was clear (some) movers think things going 'missing' is a victimless crime as everything can be claimed on insurance. By being nice you can hope they like you and dont take anything or worse still being bossy or difficult could see accidental damage happening to your stuff!
I guess the best advice I would give is if there is anything really important to you keep it with you to take personally.

Friends and family: Start saying goodbyes early. I'd arranged a two weeks off work prior to flying out and am glad I did. I found a lot of my time running around doing the above. This also leaves your evening free to see your friends and family to say your farewells. One great thing is you can fit a lot more people into your house after everything has been moved out! We had a huge house party that probably had more people there than our wedding.

Book a car: In most of America a car is a handy thing to have. If you are living and working in San Francisco itself this is not so important (but sill nice to be able to get out sometimes). Anyway it will be a while before you can get a car of your own so try to book a good deal online for car rental for a month or two. Having your own means of transport is one less worry.
Note though it is cheaper not to get a car from the airport. They have several surcharges (airport access fee). Quite a few hotels have a free shuttle service from the airport check if yours does and hire your car locally instead. A GPS addon rental is also handy as its quite easy to get lost and here it could mean a very long detour over a toll bridge!

Flying out:

Have your destination address at hand: Even if its just the hotel address.

Landing card: You will have to fill in a white landing card for immigration control - Fill it out from the bottom up as its rather poorly laid out and it tricks many people into putting details in the wrong boxes.

Have all your immigration paperwork with you (including offer of employment): they will want to see it at immigration control.

Once you're here:
Social Security - Go and apply for your Social Security card as top priority: Try to go to an out of town office as they are quieter and quicker. It was a 15 minute wait and then a 5 minute process. Bring all your immigration paper work and offer of employment with you. Infact take it everywhere you are applying for anything for the first few weeks. It took me about 4 weeks to get it issued and I couldnt get paid on the US payroll until I had one.

- House hunting: Its a personal preference thing. Check on craigslist and drive around to have a look. Most places will want to do a credit check but (in SF at least) are also understanding that you might not have one. We found most were willing to take the offer of employment letter with stated salary.

- Car buying:
This is the order I did things:
Got temporary drivers license. Found car. Looked for quotes for insurance. Bought car and insurance. Booked test to get full drivers license. Booked appointment at DMV to register car.
To get the temporary drivers license you will need to go to the DMV. You can book appointments but they will still be a certain amount of queuing and waiting. You will have to take a multiple choice written test based on the drivers hand book which you can download from the DMV website. In california its 36 questions and you can get 6 wrong. I havent taken the full test yet as I'm still in the process of buying my own car.
http://www.carbuyingtips.com/ has some good tips and links.

- Banking:
I went with HSBC as I thought it would be easier as I have a UK account. I suspect that it didnt make that much of a difference at all. They are a relatively new bank out here and I have found all the banks that I've been to have been a lot more personal than the ones in the UK.
They are in the process of trying to get me a credit card by doing a credit transfer from my UK one so we'll see how that goes.
A few differences in American banking that I've noticed.
Direct debit doesnt seem to exist. I've had to pay most bills by check. They do have a direct pay which is similar but is basically the bank writing and sending checks out for you each month....
There are a lot more smaller local banks and all the banks dont really interact with each other in the same way as the UK (something to do with making sure that if one crashes it doesnt take them all down!). As such bank to bank transfers are also rare. There is also a charge to get money out of an ATM that isnt your banks. Charles Schwab bank however will refund you all these charges which might be a consideration when opening your account.

Ummmm

I seem to have gone overboard and written far too much and in far too much detail.
There is much more I can bang on about but I should really get back to work.
Moving country is a big thing and it can seem daunting. But it doesnt need to be and all the people here seem happy to give good advice. So if you have any concerns ask and I'll be happy to share my experience on it (hopefully in a shorter form!)
Above all enjoy the ride !!

KK

Thanks for that, would have been helpful to me before we moved here lol!!
Just a few things tho.....that driving licence isnt temporary - its your learners permit

I have found (so far) that utilities seem to be cheaper here than in the uk...we budgetted for more than they seem to be coming in at, i hope it stays that way!!!!!
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Old Jun 4th 2008, 4:05 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by mrcarrot
The missus is pretty keen to avoid anything that might get wet / fallover during an earthquake and will probably require some form of proof ;0)

Cheers,

mr C
google "Utah".

Originally Posted by mellybrown
T
Just a few things tho.....that driving licence isnt temporary - its your learners permit
I didn't realize you're in California!
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Old Jun 4th 2008, 5:24 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by mrcarrot
Is there any way of finding out what areas are landfill in the bay / SF area?

I've googled a bit but not found a map.

The missus is pretty keen to avoid anything that might get wet / fallover during an earthquake and will probably require some form of proof ;0)

Cheers,

mr C
As the previous poster said - try Utah :-)

This is a great source of quake information but I wouldn't recommend it if you are at all nervous about what tomorrow may bring.
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Old Jun 4th 2008, 8:53 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by mellybrown
I have found (so far) that utilities seem to be cheaper here than in the uk...we budgetted for more than they seem to be coming in at, i hope it stays that way!!!!!
utilities is something that is pretty regional though...because it's not just cost per unit, but how much you use. Out where we are, we're close to $400 a month in oil during the winter months, but electric is around $100, but during the summer that goes up to $150 and the oil usage goes down.

Also got to factor in, some people might have to pay a large deposit without having any credit history, that and bills tend to be monthly instead of quarterly.
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Old Jun 5th 2008, 11:58 am
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by Bob
utilities is something that is pretty regional though...because it's not just cost per unit, but how much you use. Out where we are, we're close to $400 a month in oil during the winter months, but electric is around $100, but during the summer that goes up to $150 and the oil usage goes down.

Also got to factor in, some people might have to pay a large deposit without having any credit history, that and bills tend to be monthly instead of quarterly.
Utilities is definitely a regional thing, try living in Jersey we are paying so much more in gas and electric than we ever paid back in the UK! In fact I think everything costs more in Jersey, except decent pizza
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Old Jun 5th 2008, 2:25 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by mellybrown
Just a few things tho.....that driving licence isnt temporary - its your learners permit
Yeah I asked about this too and the guy who issued it to me after the written test said it was a temporary drivers license and not a permit.
The difference being that because I'm older (than teenagers here getting there permit for the first time) and have a foreign drivers license, I'm allowed to drive on my own untill I take the practical test. I gather with a permit you have to have someone licensed with you. Mine expires in two months.

KK
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Old Jun 5th 2008, 2:48 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by GlobalTransplant
Which company did you use to move with? How long did it take to get your stuff, and did it all arrive safely? Thanks!
My company organised all of this for me through the US based S&M Movers.
http://www.smmoving.com/netweb/
Their agent in the UK (who packed everything up) were GB-Liners:
http://www.gbliners.com/
So I dont know how much it cost and if they were cheap or not.
All in all it took 7 weeks from packing day till arrival and was shipped by sea. Everything did arrive safely.

Just some things that I experienced:
The movers sent someone round to do a walk through to see what I wanted moved to do a cost estimate. This took about half an hour. Apparently he was asked by the US company to get an exact number of how many cd's and how many dvd's I would be moving . I have no idea why they needed this and dont think it was used at any point! It was pain for me as I have many many computer data dvd's. In the end I just gave a rough estimate (1200 cd/dvds) in the end.

Additionally, because the main point of contact was through email in the US, due to the time difference there was a lag in communications so paper work took longer than normal. I didnt receive the Insurance/customs papers till after everything was packed. This caused a few problems with the high value items which required a make, model and serial number. I would suggest if you have a spare moment to jot these things down before the movers come.
The insurance papers were quite detailed and it was quite a task to remember how much clothes I had in the closet. You are expected to supply a replacement value as it would be at your destination so I suggest planning ahead if you dont expect to be internet enabled when you get here.

We were not allowed to pack any alcohol, matches/lighters or used candles. Not sure if this is by law or just their policy.

Finally the movers will take a day to pack everything up. We had a relatively small flat and they arrived at 9 and left at 3. We weren't sure about protocol but we had ready some tea, soft drinks and biscuits. This seemed to go down very well. Because we had no cooking materials left we went our for lunch, by this time we had built up a friendly relationship and offered to get them some sandwiches too, which we hadn't planned. At the end of the day we also gave each of them (there were 3) a modest tip of a fiver (which is less than we originally thought as we had got them lunch). Perhaps all this generosity contributed to the safety of our belongings :P
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Old Jun 5th 2008, 2:54 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by mrcarrot
Is there any way of finding out what areas are landfill in the bay / SF area?
Heh, we're living on a reclaimed marshland
Wife's kinda concerned about Tsunamis as well as quakes. And the giant pylons.....
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Old Jun 9th 2008, 7:39 am
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

What an excellent thread!

I have a couple of questions about the CA drivers license.

You said you have a temporary one until you can sit the test, is it normal to wait a couple of months to sit the test, can you do it earlier?

Also - did you have to produce your SSN to get your temporary license? I'd like to get a car asap after the move and still a bit unsure of the process. I know it can take a few weeks for my SSN to arrive so I'm hoping there's a way I can get my license (or some form of one) sooner than that. Especially as the state law says a foreign license is void 10 days after becoming a permanent resident!
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Old Jun 9th 2008, 11:13 am
  #26  
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

I was told that I had to get my drivers license within so many days of being a permanent resident however, if you are staying in a hotel prior to moving into your new home then you are not classed as a permanent resident, only when you move into a 'permanent abode' does the permanent resident clock start. Besides you will need to get your SSN (apply after 14 days in US, receive after 28 days minimum) and a utility bill or rent contract to be able to apply for a driving license.
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Old Jun 9th 2008, 4:28 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by kelzm
What an excellent thread!

You said you have a temporary one until you can sit the test, is it normal to wait a couple of months to sit the test, can you do it earlier?
So in short you just need to wait for your social security number before taking the tests for your drivers license.

In long:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/new_driver.htm
Just in case you havent seen it yet is a great site for getting driving info, as well as the handbook you're expected to know for the written test.
I was a tad concerned about the 10 days thing too, and quite obviously I have been in violation of that for a while.

There are two tests to take to get a drivers license.
The first is the written test. When you go to do this you will have to fill out a form which needs your Social Security Number (and also your weight and height so best check those too before going!).
As Vimto pointed out for immigrants its unlikely that you will get your social security number within the 10 days. That rule I think was made more with out of state drivers in mind (although thats not to say it'll be ok if you get stopped, I wasnt so I dont know!).

Anyway, after passing the written test I was issued a temporary license and I now have two months to take and pass the pratical test. After which the temporary license expires. I could have taken the test the day after the theory test but I hadn't bought a car/insurance then.

Hope this helps.
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Old Jun 9th 2008, 4:53 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by ImmortalNinja
Heh, we're living on a reclaimed marshland
Wife's kinda concerned about Tsunamis as well as quakes. And the giant pylons.....
I have just spent the last 10mins looking up snakes in CA only to re-read the above and notice you said 'pylons' - not being a great fan of the slithering beasts I'm a little less worried about waking up next to the lamberth worm.

Thanks for the feedback about quakes etc... I've decided not to pass any of this on to the significant other...

mr C
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Old Jun 9th 2008, 4:58 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by mrcarrot
I have just spent the last 10mins looking up snakes in CA only to re-read the above and notice you said 'pylons' - not being a great fan of the slithering beasts I'm a little less worried about waking up next to the lamberth worm.

Thanks for the feedback about quakes etc... I've decided not to pass any of this on to the significant other...

mr C
Well....
we were in the Los Altos hills last week and there were notices about Rattle snakes and mountain lions....
On the plus side, we've seen humming birds, possums, racoons (we thing), squirrels, black squirrels, woodpeckers, long eared hares and all sorts of cool animals in the wild!
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Old Jun 9th 2008, 5:02 pm
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Default Re: Moved UK->US: Some tips!

Originally Posted by mellybrown

I have found (so far) that utilities seem to be cheaper here than in the uk...we budgetted for more than they seem to be coming in at, i hope it stays that way!!!!!
I think it all depends on where you live...we found the opposite.
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