The Journey Starts

[Qewty]

It may be. If it isn't, it's the universe telling me I have other things to take care of first (probably my degree, just sayin'). I have wonderful memories of SF, as we lived in San Jose. Heading up to the market was one of my favourite 'hobbies'. Hubby works for a firm in Fremont (offshore of course) but his ideal would be Mountain View. Probably not on a new immigrants budget but hey, you have to make plans in life.

Q

 

[Princedriss]

Momo next week there will be some days with good weather bro, that is gonna be a great time to hit some tennis, waiting for ur number bro

 

[mikettl]

If I take this offer I'll be working by Golden gate Park. Just looking at homes around Berkeley and the East bay in general. I spent a lot of time working around SF ...

We should stay in contact and network . Our plan is to move into the bay area where I'd worked training on the job for a couple of months...

Best regards
Mike

 

[muthoni]

Hey momo..thanks for the insight. My question is how do you determine you POE? Is it assigned to you or how does it work. And for someone who doesnt have family in the Us and have never been there, what would be your advise in terms of living space before you get SSN? I am thinking that will require quite an amount of money :-(

 

[Britsimon]

Hey momo..thanks for the insight. My question is how do you determine you POE? Is it assigned to you or how does it work. And for someone who doesnt have family in the Us and have never been there, what would be your advise in terms of living space before you get SSN? I am thinking that will require quite an amount of money :-(

The POE is simply the first place you land on arriving to the USA - it is where your visa will be processed. It isn't assigned to you, it is your choice (and depends on flight routes of course).

YEs you do require plenty of money. If you don't know anyone there then you have to pay for temporary accomodation (like a hotel) until you can secure an apartment or room. Either way, you need thousands of dollars (which is variable depending on the area you choose to settle.

 

[Princedriss]

Britsmon, i just checked in my place that there are several healthcare centers almost for free, they givve u consultation and medicines if u are sick for free or in total 5 dollars, beside vaccin anti flu are free too, just u need to be registred and legal resident or citizen, Obama really did a good job in this field.

 

[Britsimon]

Britsmon, i just checked in my place that there are several healthcare centers almost for free, they givve u consultation and medicines if u are sick for free or in total 5 dollars, beside vaccin anti flu are free too, just u need to be registred and legal resident or citizen, Obama really did a good job in this field.

Hey Princedriss. It's good you have found free healthcare, albeit a bit limited. Some states have those sort of laws. In fact Mass had "Romneycare" which is a pretty good model on how to do things....

 

[Princedriss]

Hey Princedriss. It's good you have found free healthcare, albeit a bit limited. Some states have those sort of laws. In fact Mass had "Romneycare" which is a pretty good model on how to do things....

Yes bro, in this country there is always solution for a prob, it really well organized country with huge space, nobody will lose his rights here, it is just matter of hard work, because there are so much opportunities

 

[Britsimon]

Yes bro, in this country there is always solution for a prob, it really well organized country with huge space, nobody will lose his rights here, it is just matter of hard work, because there are so much opportunities

Glad to hear you sounding so upbeat!

 

[Momo1980]

Dear Friends,

I sincerely apologise for being MIA over the last two months and for my tardy responses to personal messages. Believe me it has been unbelievably busy settling in.

I am currently back in Tanzania on business and will be returning home to the US in two weeks.

I'm not certain where I left off on my last post but I'll give an update/insight/info:


Lodging/Accommodation - I was very fortunate to get an apartment in the same building where my brother lives with his wife albeit due to my lack of credit history, my sister-in-law acted as a co-signer for me to apply for a lease. Logistically it is very conveniently located (15-20 minutes from Washington DC and Georgetown) and minutes away from Arlington and Alexandria so the rent is a little higher - $1,375 including utilities (excluding items such as internet, phone etc.).

Banking - I personally recommend Bank of America as they are quite user friendly and have a personal approach towards clients. Choose one of the smaller branches where there isn't too much traffic for personalised service.

Health Insurance - I personally am waiting for Obamacare to kick in. There are other insurance companies out there but may be more pricier. I am covered with AETNA at the moment and they do offer US coverage but I am waiting to see what Obamacare will offer before I decide.

Credit History - I am gradually building my credit history and I found the easiest way to do so was to have a secured credit card to pay for items such as fuel, shopping at the supermarket etc. The key here is to pay the bill promptly before or by the due date. I have already started receiving offers for unsecured credit cards with limits ranging from $500 to $1,000. Once you receive your first unsecured card, I recommend it be used just like a secured card and the bills be paid promptly. The greatest way to build a credit history however is to purchase a car (have a co-signer) and go for a lease.

Speeding Ticket - well I lost my virginity on the roads so to speak lol...on my way back from New Jersey I stupidly was doing 45mph in a 35mph zone in DC and got slammed with a $92 fine but no points knocked off. In a nutshell don't speed! Of course on the highway nobody will bother if you're doing 5mph over the limit and 10mph you could get away with but its risky.

Money Transfer - my bank manager told me that money can be sent from overseas provided it is a wire transfer/TT showing the origination of the funds. Large amounts of cash may lead to questions unless one is credible. This is purely to ensure there is no money laundering or drug money flowing into the US banking system.

Taxation - britsimon this one is for you particularly. I met an accountant/tax consultant and what he said to me was all foreign assets of which you have ownership must be declared i.e. items such as bank accounts, car, house etc. The matter here is that if one disposes of these assets then there has to be evidence of what those proceeds pertain to. Also from what he told me, new immigrants need not pay taxes as they are new immigrants and aren't registered so to speak. However, any income generating assets overseas must be declared. I will be meeting him again upon my return so feel free to shoot any questions at me and I can ask him.

Loyalty Cards - guys I highly recommend trying to get these. For example, at Safeway supermarket without a loyalty card, I pay the full amount on what I purchase however with a loyalty card I save $10 to $20. Every penny counts so make sure you look into these when you are in the US and settled in.

Store Cards - stores such as Best Buy or Macy's have their own credit cards. For example at Macy's if there is a sale going on then an item which costs $100 would have a 50% off offer and with a Macy's card it would have another 20% off so you would have a very decent saving. You will need to build a credit history for a few months before trying to apply for one of these.

Cars - there are some fantastic deals going on at the moment because the 2014 cars are in and the dealers are trying to get rid of their 2013 stock so make sure you bargain hard particularly if you are buying outright or paying a decent chunk of downpayment and also ensure your purchase comes with the warranties and service agreements. This is important because something like the computer/GPS in the car costs $7,000 and without the warranty/service you would have to fork that money from your own pocket if something goes wrong with it.


On another note I also recommend that once new immigrants are settled in, move around. See different states and don't glue yourself to one state because all are unique and have their pros and cons. The DMV area is great but quite expensive and my friend in Chicago told me that it is a nicer city and much more cheaper than the DMV i.e. a house in Virginia or Maryland will cost a basic price of $650,000 and the same house in the Chicago suburbs will be $350,000. The beauty of America are the highways so make the most of your driving and get out and about. All states have different taxes (and weather) so see where your preferences take you. By the way the state with the lowest taxes is Wyoming from what I read last!



Case No - DV2013AF0007XXXX (applied the first time and got it the first time - lucky me!)
Entry Checked - 1st May 2012
Forms Sent To KCC - 10th May 2012
Received By KCC - 12th May 2012
Confirmation From KCC - 25th May 2012 after I sent them an email
2nd NL - 14th June 2013
Police Clearance (TZ) - 13th June 2013
Police Clearance (UK) - 21st June 2013
Medicals - Completed 24th June 2013
I-134 - 16th July 2013
Bank Statements - 22nd July 2013
Interview - Wednesday, August 7th 2013 @ 8am - US Embassy Tanzania - SUCCESS!!!
Visa Pick up - August 14th 2013 - PICKED UP
Departure Date - August 17th 2013
Port of Entry - Washington Dulles - August 18th 2013
Social Security - 26th August 2013
Driver's License - 28th August 2013
Green Card - 20th September 2013

 

[SusieQQQ]

Hey Momo! Good to see you back and thanks for the update. We all thought you'd got arrested for stalking the lady from KCC

Eek, that is a heavy speeding fine!

Can you double check with your tax man re taxes payable as the IRS website is very clear that you're liable to file a tax return as soon as you get your green card, even if you are only resident for one day of the tax year.

 

[Momo1980]

Hey Momo! Good to see you back and thanks for the update. We all thought you'd got arrested for stalking the lady from KCC

Eek, that is a heavy speeding fine!

Can you double check with your tax man re taxes payable as the IRS website is very clear that you're liable to file a tax return as soon as you get your green card, even if you are only resident for one day of the tax year.

Hey Susie! If I was to be arrested, it'd be for bugging the lady at Social Security lol

Indeed the IRS website does state you have to file a tax return as soon as you get your Green Card but as I have discovered the IRS is a little ambiguous and unclear i.e. they say one thing and mean another.

I did actually ask my accountant this and he said "if you don't have an income stream or job, what taxes can you file a return on?"

Simple answer but quite practical. Nonetheless I will check with him again once I return to the US.


Case No - DV2013AF0007XXXX (applied the first time and got it the first time - lucky me!)
Entry Checked - 1st May 2012
Forms Sent To KCC - 10th May 2012
Received By KCC - 12th May 2012
Confirmation From KCC - 25th May 2012 after I sent them an email
2nd NL - 14th June 2013
Police Clearance (TZ) - 13th June 2013
Police Clearance (UK) - 21st June 2013
Medicals - Completed 24th June 2013
I-134 - 16th July 2013
Bank Statements - 22nd July 2013
Interview - Wednesday, August 7th 2013 @ 8am - US Embassy Tanzania - SUCCESS!!!
Visa Pick up - August 14th 2013 - PICKED UP
Departure Date - August 17th 2013
Port of Entry - Washington Dulles - August 18th 2013
Social Security - 26th August 2013
Driver's License - 28th August 2013
Green Card - 20th September 2013

 

[Mijoro]

Hey Momo. Good to see you have settled in well. God bless

 

[Britsimon]

Hi Momo Great to hear from you.

I agree with Susie about filing for taxes. Of course it doesn't mean that you will file the day you arrive, but later, when you do file, it should cover the whole year that you became an LPR. So, for me, I am planning to liquidate some assets before the end of this year just because of the complexity of calculating tax burden on those assets at a later date. I also am going to get hit with some pretty big tax bills in 2014 because a company I contracted for previously is going to IPO shortly (they gave me some stock options which I exercised a few years ago). Anyway, in short, my midset is that I will be an American taxpayer in 2014 so I am getting my house in order for Jan 1 2014.

 

[c1984]

Hey Momo,

It's good to see you're back and enjoying your time.

Store Cards - stores such as Best Buy or Macy's have their own credit cards. For example at Macy's if there is a sale going on then an item which costs $100 would have a 50% off offer and with a Macy's card it would have another 20% off so you would have a very decent saving. You will need to build a credit history for a few months before trying to apply for one of these.

I advise everybody not to overdo this. It can potentially hurt your credit history if you have numerous "hard pull" credit inquiries. The 50% discount offer may not be worth it in the long run. Educate yourself on how credit score works and make your choices smart. If you think you'll be doing frequent shopping at the particular store, go for it by all means given you know you'll be approved.

 

[BurundiWinner]

Hey Momo,

It's good to see you're back and enjoying your time.



I advise everybody not to overdo this. It can potentially hurt your credit history if you have numerous "hard pull" credit inquiries. The 50% discount offer may not be worth it in the long run. Educate yourself on how credit score works and make your choices smart. If you think you'll be doing frequent shopping at the particular store, go for it by all means given you know you'll be approved.

+1

If you have AmEx card in your country for 12 months or more you can transfer it to the US. They also backdate your member from date to whenever you had your initial AmEx, that does wonders to your credit score. I got mine, without a job, just my social, permanent address and savings and they approved it within 60 seconds. Then I applied for Discover It card and that got approved too, so I will probably keep the secured card on top of the two.

Keep the credit utilization at below 30% preferably 10%, either by not using it a lot or making multiple payments on your credit card and ensure that you have only a low balance when the closing date approaches. Above all else, pay the balance in full just after you receive your statement and DON'T buy things that you cannot afford at the time of purchase. Credit cards and store cards are not free money.

 

[pose]

The POE is simply the first place you land on arriving to the USA - it is where your visa will be processed. It isn't assigned to you, it is your choice (and depends on flight routes of course).

YEs you do require plenty of money. If you don't know anyone there then you have to pay for temporary accomodation (like a hotel) until you can secure an apartment or room. Either way, you need thousands of dollars (which is variable depending on the area you choose to settle.

Hey @britsimon thanks for all the information you have given us to date, I do hope that you will not go underground once you make the big move. I hope you stay in touch and give us more information endlessly lol. I have a question ok, few qtns.

1. Did you go for your interview already?If affirmative, please share with us your experience?

2. It seems from your above post you already have secured another job already, am assuming your profession has alot to do with it?Congrats for that by the way. My question is how can we try to do something like that well?or atleast attempt to?

3. I have read from some threads that the CV structure in US is slightly different from other areas, I would love to try already to format/edit mine. Any help/leads/tips on how to do this, I have tried google and will keep trying but any help is welcome.

 

[Britsimon]

Hey @britsimon thanks for all the information you have given us to date, I do hope that you will not go underground once you make the big move. I hope you stay in touch and give us more information endlessly lol. I have a question ok, few qtns.

1. Did you go for your interview already?If affirmative, please share with us your experience?

2. It seems from your above post you already have secured another job already, am assuming your profession has alot to do with it?Congrats for that by the way. My question is how can we try to do something like that well?or atleast attempt to?

3. I have read from some threads that the CV structure in US is slightly different from other areas, I would love to try already to format/edit mine. Any help/leads/tips on how to do this, I have tried google and will keep trying but any help is welcome.

1. I haven't had my DV interview - I had an H1 interview at London - and that is how I am moving next week.

2. Yes I am in IT, in a niche skillset. From 2005 to 2010 I was commuting to the US (alternating 2 weeks working in the USA , 2 weeks working at home). The expenses for that travel worked out at about $50k per year - so the fact that the clients were prepared to pay those expenses for 5 years running shows there was a shortage of my skills in the USA. However, even then, the fact that I have the H1 visa is because my brother is a USC and hired me to do what I do, for his company. So that made things a lot simpler. In the end I have mentioned I am going to be back in the USA and three previous clients are currently wooing me to come back to contract with them (which is within the terms of my H1). Typically getting sponsorship for a job before going there is not easy. The sponsoring company will pay a lot of fees (my brother has paid over $10k), and there is no guarantee they will get the visa. So - unless your skills are very much in demand - you are best waiting until the DV comes though.

3. I do have some resume templates which I obtained from the internet for a few dollars. Google for resume templates and you can get some good ideas.

 

[pose]

Thanks @britsimon for all the replies. They have shed light. I will google some more for templates and do the waiting game!!Thanks again!!