Noorah101

Yeah, I think that other wrong forum was referring to a totally different visa/process than you are doing. It's OK, the I-765 you submitted will be ignored by NVC, since you don't qualify for it.

Rene

Bob

Wiki for credit info, it's really very good.

Car insurance, budget $1 k per six months. If you live in NH, don't leave the state and are mental, there is no requirement to have it in that state.

Drivers licence, you need proof of residence in most states and a ssn or proof your not eligible, so not something you can do in advance.

Jobs, LinkedIn.com indeed.com and network.

Groceries, well in Maine at least, fruit/veg very expensive out of season. Fish/pork cheap, everything else not. Trader Joes or Whole foods and organic foods and budget could be tight, especially in winter, but if less bothered, Hannafords, Shaws, Walmart are all much cheaper and have their pro/con.

JHolden47

Bob thanks that is useful, I have read that elsewhere about insurance in NH

JHolden47

Thanks for all the input so far, it has been really helpfull. For cell phones I have been looking at the Verizon website they seem to have some good combined packages (1 bill 2 phones) are these normally good deals?

Bob

Everyone has a deal like this or other.

Is only good if the area you are in has reception for the company you go with, or have the credit history to be eligible for their plans, unless it's PAYG.

JHolden47

Bob thanks for your assistance, how long does it take to build a credit history?

Pulaski

It starts when you engage in reportable transactions, soon after you arrive, and the process lasts a lifetime.

Some things you need credit for will be possible within a few weeks, most will be possible within a year. It might take two years of responsible credit usage to get the best loan and credit rates with the lowest down payments.

JHolden47

Ok fair enough so it shouldn't be too long before we can buy a house!!

Pulaski

Probably within a few weeks or a couple of months with 20%-30% down payment, BUT I and most others here would strongly recommend waiting for at least 12 months until you have settle in to life in the US and got "the lie of the land".

We had wanted to buy, and were preparing to do so shortly after we had arrived, but fortunately our house in London did not sell as quickly as expected, so we were unable to do so. If we had bought quickly it would have been a huge cluster, and in fact I was in my second job in my third state before we finally bought our home, 16 months after we arrived.

JHolden47

thanks for the advice. We are keen to buy, we have been planning this move for 2-3 years with multiple trips out and getting advice from family out there.

Pulaski

If you have family "there" (here) already, that would make a huge difference!

JHolden47

My wife is duel nationality. Her US father and his side of the family live there and are helping us out where they can.

Rusty Chainsaw

Bear in mind that, although property is cheap, there's a lot more hidden costs involved with owning property in the US compared to the UK. Property taxes in much of the country are astronomical compared to what you've been used to paying in council tax. You may well have to pay extra for refuse and recycling collection. US houses usually have far more "gadgets" - central air, grinder pumps, etc - which can go wrong and are expensive to fix. And, for want of a better expression, newer US houses tend to be less sturdy than their UK counterparts, due to cheaper/flimsier materials like vinyl siding and asphalt shingles compared to our more usual brick and tile so you'll be maintaining the exterior more often.

JHolden47

Ok that's usefull to know.....better get my DIY skills up to scratch