Unknown Future

[naseersadeq]

Dear Friends,

I had at the last years great help from this forum, previously I had all procedures done after won the lottery first notification, and now I reached the final step I am going to interview soon.

but I am afraid from the un known future when I arrives US land, I have wife and three children one young man with 20 years and daughter 18 and the boy with 6 years old, all family members face difficult life at the last 10 years.

I am engineer with 25 years experience international business( sales and marketing), 50 years old and i am looking for answers for below questions:

1- Did the applicant winner and family members should arrive US to gather?
2- what’s the expenses should the winner cover in addition of visa and plan tickets.
3- what’s the benefits of having GC.
4- could applicant winner and family travel from US to another countries such as Sweden with OR with out Visa.
5- what’s the range of income to the family to have normal life ( no owned residence ).
6- what’s the estimated money should have while arriving USA.
7- what’s the fields which US government will help such as health insurance ,education fees ,find job, etc.
8- After having the GC could the family travel for home country and what’s the allowed time to be back with out losing the residence.

Thanks for your help in advance and I am waiting your advice specially from who is living in US now and face the same conditions.

god protect you all

Thanks again

 

[Gerindo]

1- Did the applicant winner and family members should arrive US to gather?

They don't have to. Each family member can come separately to the U.S as long as each of them come before the DV visa expired (6 months).

2- what’s the expenses should the winner cover in addition of visa and plan tickets.

The cost of living in the U.S and the cost of establishing a residence in the U.S (food, housing, car, etc) for each of the family member.

3- what’s the benefits of having GC.

a) Almost unrestricted permit to live, work, and study in the U.S.
b) Almost unrestricted permit to enter and leave the U.S
c) Path to become a U.S Citizen
d) Same benefit as a U.S Citizen like social security, medicare, etc, except the ability to vote for the government, hold a U.S passport, work in government contract jobs, and sponsor immediate family member to the U.S.

4- could applicant winner and family travel from US to another countries such as Sweden with OR with out Visa.

Only Canada allows U.S Permanent Resident to travel to their county without a visa. For other countries, it would depend on your citizenship.

5- what’s the range of income to the family to have normal life ( no owned residence ).

This would depend on your living standard and where you be living in the U.S. I would estimate for the size of your family to have a normal life, you want to make at least $60,000 per year. Only you will know how much income needed to live the life you wanted. Most people in the U.S doesn't support their children anymore once the children reach the age 18.

6- what’s the estimated money should have while arriving USA.

This would depend where you will be staying in the U.S. For starter, you roughly want to have at least $10,000 in your bank account to help establish a life for your family. The more is always the better. Depending how fast you can get a job and start earning a regular income, the more money you have, the longer you can survive in the U.S while finding a job.

7- what’s the fields which US government will help such as health insurance ,education fees ,find job, etc.

There is no help for health insurance, at least not at the moment. You have to purchase your own health insurance or get it from the place where you will be working.

For College/University education fees, there is Federal Student Aid agency. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ But, there are many criteria you need to fulfill in order to qualify for this. Read the website for more info. If you don't qualify, the other ways is to get a scholarship, student loan, or pay from your own pocket.

For Kindergarten until 12th grade education, they are free in the U.S as long as your children goes to Public School. For Private School, there will be some tuition/education cost involved.

For finding job, there is no government help. You're on your own to find a job.

8- After having the GC could the family travel for home country and what’s the allowed time to be back with out losing the residence.

Yes, the family can travel to the home country. The maximum time allowed to be back in the U.S without loosing the Perm Residence is 6 months - 12 months. 6 months is the maximum safest time to be out from the U.S. Beyond 6 months, you might find some difficulty getting back to the U.S. If you or your family going to be out of the country for more than 1 year, apply for a travel permit that allows you to be outside the U.S up to 2 years.

 

[Tazmania]

They don't have to. Each family member can come separately to the U.S as long as each of them come before the DV visa expired (6 months).

Short remark. The main applicant (DV winner) must enter the U.S. first (alone or with the dependents).

 

[Bongthom]

Represent of naseersadeq
Thank a lot to hero Gerindo and Tazmania.

 

[bmx88]

don't aplay for credit cards and loans from the bank once in the US -thats my advice -you just gonna create problems for yourself and your family -many new immigrants rush into that before thinking twice and end up paying for years for that mistake ; also avoid buying anything on credit -and when opening bank account ask if any fees aplay and when ; save money on everything by checking prices in various supermarkets ; if possible travel home for any kind of medical treatment (if not urgent ) ;medical insurance is maybe best to buy in your country before leaving for US (international ); do all the dental work (for you as well as for all your family members) in your country before coming over ;

 

[Gerindo]

don't aplay for credit cards and loans from the bank once in the US -thats my advice -you just gonna create problems for yourself and your family -many new immigrants rush into that before thinking twice and end up paying for years for that mistake ; also avoid buying anything on credit -and when opening bank account ask if any fees aplay and when ; save money on everything by checking prices in various supermarkets ; if possible travel home for any kind of medical treatment (if not urgent ) ;medical insurance is maybe best to buy in your country before leaving for US (international ); do all the dental work (for you as well as for all your family members) in your country before coming over ;

Be wise with credit. Just because credit cards and loans are risky, it doesn't mean they are bad. In most cases it is almost impossible living in the U.S without having credit.

Get credit cards but be smart on them. Pay them on time and don't accumulate too much credits that you can't pay. A credit card in the U.S is a start to build credit. Without having credit in the U.S, you wouldn't be able to rent or buy a house/apartment, get a phone, buy a car, or even get a job. You'll see this more clearly once you start living in the U.S.

As far as medical insurance, it is a good idea to buy them from outside the U.S but you HAVE to make sure that it can be used or accepted in the U.S. If suddenly one of your children or yourself is sick and need immediate medical attention, it would be very difficult to go back to the home country just to get a medical treatment. It is highly recommended that you get a medical insurance in the U.S. It will be pricey, but you can't really put a price on the health of your family.

If you have the chance, do the medical routine check up like dental in your home country. Depending how often you will be going to your home country, it is also not practical to go back and fourth just to do some simple procedures. It's only practical if you happen to be going back to your home country for visit or vacation.

 

[vsm-007]

Dear Pak Gerindo
I like the way you explain and advise, clear and detail - thanks a lot for everything.
Oops, I have few silly questions sent to your inbox, apprecate if you can spend a minute or few minute to review and advise - thanks

 

[HKAndy]

Depending how often you will be going to your home country, it is also not practical to go back and fourth just to do some simple procedures. It's only practical if you happen to be going back to your home country for visit or vacation.

Tijuana, Mexico could be an option if you live in San Diego or somewhere close by. However, I personally have never been there and have no idea of the quality of dental work performed.

 

[bmx88]

forgoth to mentioned stocks and bonds -stay clear from that -do not fall for it -in the US there is a culture of "get rich" systems and there is well synchronised "play" to push though that kind of idea and even brain wash populice in whole in order to force them to invest in "full proof systems" and "guranteed profit returns " -Mind you stock exchange is basicly most prominent of all of it -but only people who will and are making money in that game are insiders (traders) and people with really lots of money -lots of ordinary working people I meet here in the US lost life savings in late 90s by "playing" stock exchange -they fell on big talk by politican and economist and all kinds of "experts" who apeared on TV practicly every 5 minutes to urge people to invest (gamble in fact) all the money they have in order to get on the "train "-i.e. buy stocks of various up start internet companys and force them to invest in "new" industries -these days there is again a talk about "new industries " which would create millions of jobs -don't fall for that - very few people would end up making money that way and certanly not recent immigrants or so called "small people"

 

[Tazmania]

Why don't just move back to your home country?

 

[Pizarro]

With all the respects,

All these questions should be already thought and clear once one decides to apply for DV program. Not doing so just reduces the chances for other people who have everything decided and clear years ago to get a NL.

I still don't understand why so many people start to come up with these kind of doubts after receiveing a NL, I think it's a big act of unresponsability.

Regards,

 

[HKAndy]

With all the respects,

All these questions should be already thought and clear once one decides to apply for DV program. Not doing so just reduces the chances for other people who have everything decided and clear years ago to get a NL.

I still don't understand why so many people start to come up with these kind of doubts after receiveing a NL, I think it's a big act of unresponsability.

Regards,

No matter how much one claims to have considered all the possibilities, there is no denying that moving your whole family to a new country is a huge undertaking. There is an inherent risk of losing everything!

Many foreigners have not a clue how things work in America until you get here. Things like buying a house, renting an apartment, establishing credits, finding a job, getting insurance coverages (liability for automobile, health, dental, home owner if you buy a house . . .)

It's not easy to comprehend all of these issues all at once, and it's normal to have the anxiety after getting selected. We call this "culture shock!" With all due respect, I think it's disrespectful to judge the original poster without knowing anything about his / her circumstances.

 

[Pizarro]

No matter how much one claims to have considered all the possibilities, there is no denying that moving your whole family to a new country is a huge undertaking. There is an inherent risk of losing everything!

Many foreigners have not a clue how things work in America until you get here. Things like buying a house, renting an apartment, establishing credits, finding a job, getting insurance coverages (liability for automobile, health, dental, home owner if you buy a house . . .)

It's not easy to comprehend all of these issues all at once, and it's normal to have the anxiety after getting selected. We call this "culture shock!" With all due respect, I think it's disrespectful to judge the original poster without knowing anything about his / her circumstances.

Excuse me, but once one decides to play the DV program a very long list of things should be already taken under thought and decission. I understand that one where receiving the NL can get confused about all the procedure, what to fill up, what to send, where to send, what to say the interview's date, etc..

But I can't understand that once got the NL, one starts to wonder BASIC questions like if life in US will be what expected, or what to do in US when there, or if life there is easy, etc... All this should be taken into account much much time before sending the online application.

We are a lot of people out there that we have decided to move our lifes to US with all these questions and decisions already taken, but we did not received any NL. This is why I still think that playing the DV program without being 100% sure is just a BIG ACT OF IRRESPONSIBILITY.

Thanks.

 

[Gerindo]

Excuse me, but once one decides to play the DV program a very long list of things should be already taken under thought and decission. I understand that one where receiving the NL can get confused about all the procedure, what to fill up, what to send, where to send, what to say the interview's date, etc..

But I can't understand that once got the NL, one starts to wonder BASIC questions like if life in US will be what expected, or what to do in US when there, or if life there is easy, etc... All this should be taken into account much much time before sending the online application.

We are a lot of people out there that we have decided to move our lifes to US with all these questions and decisions already taken, but we did not received any NL. This is why I still think that playing the DV program without being 100% sure is just a BIG ACT OF IRRESPONSIBILITY.

Thanks.

Let me ask you something Pizzaro, have you ever lived in the U.S or know what do you need to do to survive in the U.S?

 

[gemie4us]

I would disagree with the topic "unknown future". As if anyone knows his/her future

 

[Pizarro]

Let me ask you something Pizzaro, have you ever lived in the U.S or know what do you need to do to survive in the U.S?

I have never lived before in US, but I travel there twice a year 2 months each visit since 5 years ago. I know how is life there, and not just from these visits, but from investigations, from colleagues who are living there, studying, etc... Also I already have my future waiting for me there in case I am lucky and get a NL. I already have a job proposal there, I already know where to live, I already have American friends there, etc..

I know very well what country I am applying a Resident Permit, and my wife and I have talked about this for long time, deciding and thinking every small decision.

Right know I am a Permanent Resident in Spain, and that is why I will move to US only if I get a Green Card. I have been offered to apply for a work visa, but I don't want to lose my status in Spain just for a 1year H visa. This is why I would move there and lose my current Spanish status ONLY if I get there a Permanent Resident status.

So yes, I know very well where I would be going in the case I get a NL, in fact I knew it at the very beginning moment before applying online.

Regards,

 

[drMBA]

Pizarro,
Just remember that not everyone has the opportunity to travel to US or have friends in the US.
This forum is about learning from others and helping each other. Unless the questions have been asked over and over again in which case I expect the person to use the search forum for answers, I don't think it is wrong to ask about this.