Moving to any new country can be a challenge. This includes moving to the US – while many of us think that we know the country beforehand from pop culture and vacations, there can turn out to be many differences once you actually move there. Here are just 5 things to consider before deciding to make the move so that you’re fully prepared.
Decide where in America you want to move
America is a huge country and every state is different. If you haven’t already got a specific state or city in mind, it could be worth doing your research into different locations across the country. A few factors to consider include the climate, the cost of living and the local state laws. Different parts of the US are also likely to have different opportunities in terms of work and leisure.
Know which visa/paperwork you need
Immigrating to America involves a lot of paperwork. Depending on how long you plan to live in the US, you’ll either need a visa or you’ll need to apply for citizenship. There are experts that can help you with this process such as these H1B visa lawyers. You can also find helpful guides online on the types of paperwork you need. Finding a job before you arrive is recommended and you may need separate paperwork for this.
Learn the local lingo
Learning English is likely to be essential when moving to many parts of America. Spanish is becoming more popular across the US, but even so English is still predominantly used. Even if you come from another English-speaking country, you may still want to brush up on some of the American slang. For instance, terms like chips, moot point and homely all have very different meanings in UK English and US English.
Understand the cultural differences
There are also cultural differences worth researching including laws and customs. Some of these can vary from state to state such as laws towards substances and even road laws. Work culture in the US can also be very different to many other countries. Americans tend to have a hardworking attitude and tend to put in more hours than other workers in many other countries. While salaries can be more generous than many other places in the world, the US does not offer the same compulsory work benefits as many other countries such as entitled sick leave and entitled holiday, so this is worth weighing up.
Be prepared to reset your credit score
When moving to the US, your credit score will be reset to zero. This can make it initially difficult to apply for loans and even to take out a credit card. Fortunately, there are lenders out there that cater towards new citizens. Credit cards are commonly used across the US – in many cases, more so than debit cards – and you may want to do your research into different credit card providers.
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