General Miscellaneous Issues/Questions for All - Feedback Welcome

[Momo1980]

1) Medical - when should I schedule my medical? How long does the medical process take for an African country?

2) Bank Statements - I am the self-petitioner on my forms (and will also have I-134 from my aunt and uncle who are US citizens) therefore how many months bank statements do I need to show?

3) Financial Background - Will the consular officer really bother with my financial background (my company is also a registered US Federal Government supplier in Tanzania and does work for major NGOs such as USAID/ICF/IOM) if I have been to the US more than 10 times and stayed there for as long as two months?

4) Driver's License - upon entry into the US can I simply go to the DMV on my second day and do the test then apply for a license? Can I use my international license to move around in the meanwhile?

5) Car - how long would it take for me to buy a car? Can I walk into a showroom and pick up a car as soon as I arrive and use my international license until I get my US license?

6) Bank Account - how long would I have to wait to open a US bank account?

7) Credit Card - how long would I have to wait for a credit card and what are the starting limits?

8) Taxes - I will be receiving foreign income from Tanzania. How will the taxation on this work as I am already being taxed in Tanzania for it.

9) House - how long would I have to wait to purchase a home? Do I still need to build a credit history if I don't want a mortgage and can purchase a home outright?

10) Traveling - I believe DV winners are allowed 90 days out of the US (unless they get special extended permits). Is this correct?


Feel free to fill in any missing items as this thread is a general one for all prospective DV selectees/winners.

 

[darkelf]

4) Driver's License - upon entry into the US can I simply go to the DMV on my second day and do the test then apply for a license? Can I use my international license to move around in the meanwhile?

It depends on the state. Some states (CA, TX) let you drive for 6 months or so on an international license.

5) Car - how long would it take for me to buy a car? Can I walk into a showroom and pick up a car as soon as I arrive and use my international license until I get my US license?

Assuming you are buying it without taking a loan, I can't imagine buying a car taking more than a few hours.

6) Bank Account - how long would I have to wait to open a US bank account?

I assume you would need a social security card before you can open a normal US bank account. I opened one when I was a student and there wasn't one required at that point.

7) Credit Card - how long would I have to wait for a credit card and what are the starting limits?

Again, depends on the bank. You will I assume have no credit history so you would have to get a secure line credit card initially. The limits may be anything from $500 to $2000 for this.

9) House - how long would I have to wait to purchase a home? Do I still need to build a credit history if I don't want a mortgage and can purchase a home outright?

If your money is good, I don't see any problems until you get your SSN.



I repeat: As long as you are bringing money into the U.S. legally and have a paper trail proving that, it shouldn't be a problem to buy or do anything. A credit history is essentially primarily if you need "credit". A SSN on the other hand is used to track all of your financial history.

 

[Dziecka]

I dont think you can get your DL the next day. When i was getting mine i needed two "letters" that would confirm my address. Then there was a short test an DL issued in 15 min. (Illinois)