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The "been there done that" thread: life in the US after DV

lottic said:
Has anyone had any experiences with opening accounts with Citibank and transferring credit history? I have an Australian Citibank account and plan on opening a US Citibank account when i make the move. Just wondering if my credit history would be transferred over/make applying for credit cards easier etc?
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According to this page, if you are a Citigold member then yes.

The AMEX global transfer program is well regarded. You could get an Australian AMEX now then use its history to get an american AMEX.

I can't overstate how important credit history is in the US. They check your credit score for getting jobs and renting houses.
 
guestgulkan said:
The DMV in Nevada is third-world. The queue to get your queue number (yes, there is a queue for the queue) is one hour, and then the wait is anything from 3 to 7 hours. I'm not exaggerating for effect. They have a screen that shows the queue time and last visit it was 7.5 hours. I've never seen less than three. I normally queue for my number, then go home, grab lunch, watch a movie, then go back with a book.

In Australia the DMV queue is 3-7 minutes.
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Well most DMV offices (if not all) have an online process for booking appointments which eliminates the need for waiting in line for 7.5 hours. But then if everyone decides to take their chance and simply show up, they should be prepared for the long wait then because those with confirmed appointments will always get attended to before them.
 
guestgulkan said:
Hi Wingpin, you can get SSN and Bank account immediately, however the AMEX, secured credit card and drivers license (depending on state) require SSN first. Drivers license often has some residency requirements so you probably need a bank statement and lease as well. Also you may want to wait for the physical greencard or the DL may end up with a short expiration date.

If you are a bit OCD like me, you can check all the requirements online, put them in a spreadsheet and then order them like a project plan.
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Hi @guestgulkan, can you please describe the process of obtaining the SSN immediately? I've requested a SSN on my DS260 but have read sometimes they don't send it anyway and you'll have to go to the SS offices to request it (which could take a while).

Thanks
 
guestgulkan said:
According to this page, if you are a Citigold member then yes.

The AMEX global transfer program is well regarded. You could get an Australian AMEX now then use its history to get an american AMEX.

I can't overstate how important credit history is in the US. They check your credit score for getting jobs and renting houses.
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Thanks @guestgulkan ! I have an Australian AMEX - the basic "essentials" one. Do you know with the global transfer, will they give you a similar American AMEX to whichever Australian card you had? Thinking whether it's worth upgrading to a better card.

With credit history, should i be putting EVERYTHING on my AMEX and citibank accounts now? E.g. salary deposit, everyday purchases. Would that make a significant difference? Right now i'm just using them occasionally.
 
lottic said:
Hi @guestgulkan, can you please describe the process of obtaining the SSN immediately? I've requested a SSN on my DS260 but have read sometimes they don't send it anyway and you'll have to go to the SS offices to request it (which could take a while).

Thanks
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"They don't send it anyway" is a bit of an exaggeration, 80 to 90% of those who ticked the box for the SSN to be processed did receive it.

The trick in the past used to be to visit the nearest SSA office (Google will show you which one), feign ignorance about the process and present an application form without indicating there's a possibility one could have been applied form on your behalf.

If it's your lucky day, they will collect the application form and enter your information into the system. From then, they will be able to tell if there's an existing application in your name and write down the number for you while telling you to expect the card itself in the mail. If it's not your lucky day, they will ask you to leave and wait for about two to three weeks, and if nothing shows up in the mail, then come back with a new application.
 
lottic said:
Thanks @guestgulkan ! I have an Australian AMEX - the basic "essentials" one. Do you know with the global transfer, will they give you a similar American AMEX to whichever Australian card you had? Thinking whether it's worth upgrading to a better card.

With credit history, should i be putting EVERYTHING on my AMEX and citibank accounts now? E.g. salary deposit, everyday purchases. Would that make a significant difference? Right now i'm just using them occasionally.
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Citibank gold membership requires 150k in investments or similar, so I'd probably go the AMEX route. Also I know HSBC have something similar.

With AMEX they don't care about the volume of transactions, just how reliable you are in paying it off.

With SSN and GC we didn't have a problem. Both arrived within two weeks.
 
I dont need my birth cert when arriving at the border for the first time do i? I leave next week have my xray sealed envelope and passport.
 
Chriso said:
I dont need my birth cert when arriving at the border for the first time do i? I leave next week have my xray sealed envelope and passport.
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No you don't, just your passport and the sealed envelope, they rarely look at the x-ray but have it in hand.
 
Chriso said:
I dont need my birth cert when arriving at the border for the first time do i? I leave next week have my xray sealed envelope and passport.
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You don't need it however if you're traveling with critical documents like that it's always better to keep them in your hand luggage.
 
If i didnt check the box.. would i need the birth extract for the ssn.. or would my immigrant visa and passport be enough?
 
No i didnt think i needed to... actually one more question.. i have everything i need the xray disc the sealed envelope and passport... did u need the 2x passport size photos still? Because i only seem to have one left.. or were they only required for the interview phase?
 
Chriso said:
No i didnt think i needed to... actually one more question.. i have everything i need the xray disc the sealed envelope and passport... did u need the 2x passport size photos still? Because i only seem to have one left.. or were they only required for the interview phase?
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You don't need photos for your entry
 
Chriso said:
Thanks so much to all of you for my last second questions. im on my way to the airport now, melb today l.a tomorrow :) And you were right guest i loged into the ds260 page and i did request a ssn. :) thanks again guys
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Give us an update when you arrive. imho LAX immigration are total jerks.
 
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