Category Culture

Advice on Moving to the USA as an Immigrant or Expatriate

Everyone wants a piece of the American dream, but immigrating to the United States can be as intimidating as it is exciting. The United States is full of opportunities, but there are a lot of things you’ll need to do before you make the move.

You’ll need to secure the proper visa (or green card if you are looking to become a lawful permanent resident), decide what city to live in, find a job, and find proper housing. The cost of living varies in every region of the country. While there is a lot of information available, it can all be overwhelming.

To help you figure out which advice is most relevant to your particular situation, we put together this guide. Read on for advice on what you need to do to emigrate to the U.S. as an expat.

Quick Facts About the U.S.

• The U.S. is home to over 321.6 million people, with the highest concentrations of expats living in New York, Washington D.C., and San Francisco.
• The U.S. Dollar (USD) is the standard currency in all fifty states, and American English is the standard language in every region.
• The second most common language spoken is Spanish (Español), but you’ll likely only hear it in cities and select towns.
• If you move to a major city such as New York or Los Angeles, you’ll hear over 500 languages spoken by people from all around the world.

Unless you’re moving to a city with a high concentration of ex-pats from your native land, you’ll want to learn English. Most Americans expect everyone to speak American English. Learn to speak American English and your life will be much easier in the states.

How do Americans spend their leisure time? Most major American cities are thriving with art museums, music venues, bars, and restaurants.

Professional and college sports are also an American ritual nearly everywhere you go. Football, baseball, basketball, and hockey are favorites in every American household.

As for crime and safety, the statistics vary from state to state and city to city. In almost every state, you’ll find areas of high crime and neighborhoods with almost no crime at all.

Do your research to find crime statistics by zip code so you’ll know what to expect from your new home.

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U.S Visas and Travel Documents Required of Immigrants

Temporary Relocation in the USA

There are a variety of different types of U.S. visas, so the one you’ll need will depend on your situation. Some of the most popular employment visas are the H-1B visa, the O-1 visa, and the F-1 Student visa.

If you plan to work in America and have a “specialty occupation,” you’ll need to complete an H-1B visa application for skilled workers. Specialty occupations need at least a bachelor’s degree in a specialized field.

You must have the appropriate degree to be considered for any job you apply for. This is one of the requirements you’ll need to meet to be able to apply for the H-1B visa.

The O-1 visa is for individuals with extraordinary talent in art, science, business, education, or athletics. It also applies to those who have made significant achievements in the television or motion picture industry.

There are different categories of the O-visa and requirements vary depending on what type of work you do.

Students looking to move to the U.S. will need an F-1 visa. With an F-1 visa, you can pursue a full-time academic career or seek vocational study anywhere in the United States.

In addition to work and student visas, there are also a variety of family-sponsored visas that can help you gain entry into the United States. Regardless of what type of visa you seek, you will need to meet all the requirements for that particular visa per your situation.

Once you know which visa is right for you, you’ll need to file the appropriate forms, pay an application fee, and schedule an interview. Different visas have different sets of rules and guidelines that you must follow.

Keep in mind, you’ll also need to file forms for employment authorization. If you’re moving to America for work, your prospective employer should be able to guide you through the process.

For a full list of immigrant visas and categories, click here.

Seeking or Applying for U.S. Citizenship

There are also several steps you can take to become a permanent citizen of the U.S. The first step in the immigration process obtaining a Green Card in order to declare permanent residency. In order to fill out the required forms, you’ll need to first determine your eligibility status.

Most people apply as a foreign relative, a foreign worker, or a refugee seeking asylum. Once you have a Green Card and the U.S. is your permanent residence, you can decide if you’d like to take the next step to naturalization.

Naturalization is the process through which a legal immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen. You’ll need to pass the naturalization test, but there are some things you’ll need to do before you can even take the test.

You have to hold a green card for a minimum of five years. In some cases, if you’re married to a U.S. citizen, you can take the test after three years. You must be at least 18 years old, and you need to be able to read, write, and speak English before having your interview and taking the test.

To become a naturalized citizen, the U.S. Government and Homeland Security require you to go through a ten-step process. You’ll need to determine your eligibility, fill out the proper forms, have your biometrics taken, and sit for an interview.

The final step in the legal immigration process is to take the oath of allegiance to the United States. If you’re serious about becoming a U.S. Citizen, keep in mind that it can be a lengthy process that takes a lot of preparation. For more information about applying for U.S. citizenship, click here.

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The Cost of Living in America

The cost of living in the U.S. varies a lot from city to city. Expats can expect major cities such as New York, Washington D.C., and San Francisco to cost roughly the same—and they can be expensive.

Smaller cities and rural areas are much more affordable, but they offer fewer opportunities for employment. If you’re planning to move to a major city, here’s what you can expect to spend on the basic necessities.

According to MyNewPlace, the average one-bedroom apartment in New York City is $2,842 per month and the average two-bedroom apartment is around $3,600 per month. In San Francisco, the average one-bedroom apartment is $3,281 and the average two-bedroom apartment is around $4,431.

Monthly rent in major metro areas is high compared to other cities around the globe. For the same apartment in London, you would pay $2,178. Living in Sydney, Australia will cost you less than $2,000 a month.

These prices don’t include utilities, food, or basic living expenses. On average, you can expect to spend another $1,100 per month for that.

Food prices vary as well.

Lunch for two people at a mid-range restaurant in New York City or San Francisco will cost you $75. There is something for every budget, you just might not be able to live in certain areas if your budget is smaller.

One thing that people love about living in a major city is the ease with which you can get around. In New York City, a monthly transit pass costs $119 and offers unlimited access to subways and buses.

In San Francisco, the same monthly pass costs $73.50. Compared to other cities, this is quite affordable. A monthly pass in London will run you $170 each month.

Where you decide to live will dictate what your cost of living will be. Major cities cost the most, but if you consider moving just a few miles outside the center of a city, you’ll pay much less.

Smaller cities are typically more affordable and you can travel to bigger cities with ease.

For a more affordable cost of living, consider other cities such as Seattle and Philadelphia. In most of these cities, you’ll be able to find a one-bedroom apartment well under $2,000 per month.

In Seattle and Philadelphia you can expect to spend about $60 for a mid-range lunch for two and under $100 for a monthly transit pass. As with large cities, these cities have excellent transit systems that make it easy to get around.

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U.S. Job Market

With the right skills, a strong resume, and the proper work permits, expats will find lots of opportunities in the U.S. job market.

Aside from exploring U.S. companies, many expats look for work with international corporations. You might also want to explore opportunities with an overseas consulate office that represents your native land.

According to Linkedin, the most popular jobs for college graduates in the U.S. are:

• software engineer
• administrative assistant
• account executive
• recruiter
• financial analyst
• marketing coordinator
• research assistant
• business analyst
• account manager
• project engineer

To find the U.S. career that’s right for you, visit usa.xpatjobs, Just Landed, and Indeed. With millions of jobs at your fingertips, you’re sure to find an opportunity that’s perfect for you.

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Managing Your Finances as an Immigrant to the USA

As an expat, it’s crucial that you figure out your finances before moving. Do your due diligence by talking to your bank about transferring money.

Research what’s involved in changing banks. Always ask if there are banking fees involved or finance charges for U.S. transactions.

The rules and criteria for transferring money or opening a new account will depend on your current financial situation. In addition, make sure you know what your expat tax status will be.

Meet with a financial adviser or planner to learn how to manage your money and how to organize your current investments. If you plan to open a bank account in America, you’ll need a social security number, which will also be necessary for employment.

Depending on where you’re from, you may have the option to open an international account with the currency in U.S. dollars. Keep in mind that some international banks need you to maintain a minimum balance.

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Understanding the U.S. Healthcare System

Unlike other countries, most hospitals in the United States are privately owned. There is no nationwide healthcare program or a federal government-owned medical system like you’ll find in Canada or Europe.

But this private operation of hospitals allows for the use of the best medical technology.

American medical facilities are world-class. Doctors are highly trained and often have multiple certifications. Many of the world’s best specialists practice medicine in the United States.

There are several advantages to the public health system. Wait times are short whether you need to make a doctor’s visit or schedule surgery. Specialists compete for patients, so you have a variety of options to choose from. The downfall is that these advantages often come with a hefty price tag.

Medical coverage in the United States is expensive, especially if you plan to pay out of pocket, so most Americans hold private international healthcare insurance. This insurance is usually provided by their employer or purchased through a private insurance agency.

Through healthcare programs, an employer may pay all or part of an employee’s medical expenses. What the employer does not pay, the employee has to cover on their own.

Even for healthy individuals, it is highly recommended that you hold some form of health insurance.

Best International Health Insurance in the USA for Foreigners

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U.S. Schools and Educational Institutions

Navigating your way through a foreign school system can be intimidating and overwhelming. It’s essential that expats do ample research before deciding on what schools are right for their children or family members.

If you move to the U.S. with young children or teenage students, you may want to consider public education. As Government-funded institutions, public schools are much more affordable than private schools.

These schools provide educational resources to all students. The quality of public education varies, so decide what school district is right for you before you move.

There are other schooling options as well. In some areas, you’ll find magnet schools that focus on a particular course of studies such as engineering or the arts. Some cities have charter schools, which are partially funded by the government and partially funded by private donors.

Private schools are also an option and tend to provide better resources than other schools. But if you send your child to private school, you’ll have to pay tuition, which usually doesn’t come cheap.

If you’re looking to attend a college or university in the U.S., there are thousands of schools to choose from. Applying for college involves taking standardized tests, writing essays, and completing applications.

Different schools have different requirements and prerequisites for admission.

Once you are accepted at an American university, look for services that can help you make a smooth transition. Many American schools have resources to help expats adjust to their new environment.

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Do Your Research

As with any big move, it’s crucial to do your homework before you decide where to go. Life in the United States is different in every city and every state.

Job opportunities may dictate where you go, but before you settle on a place to live, do your research. The cost of living can change drastically within a short distance.

Research schools to find the best opportunities. Understand the health care system and what that process looks like. Before you move, focus on your finances, establish bank accounts, and talk to a financial expert about your investments.

With so many great places to choose from, you’re sure to find an American locale that’s perfect for you and your family. When you do settle on an area to live in, connect with other expats to help you make the transition.

Search Facebook groups or MeetUp to find activities and events with other expats in your local area.

Moving to the U.S. offers excitement and opportunity, but it can be an overwhelming experience. Do your homework before you make the move so you know what to expect when you arrive.

Before you board a plane and move, make sure you have the proper visas and travel documents. You won’t be able to start your new life without them.

Did you know that Indians form the second largest group of immigrants in America, with Mexicans taking the top spot?

Although Indian expats may enter the US with a typically high level of education under their belts and a strong work ethic, they often find cultural differences between the US and India quite a challenge.

We’re going to share with you three of the most common cultural differences that Indians are likely to experience when they arrive in the US and give you some tips as to how to manage them.

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3 Common Cultural Differences Indians Experience in the USA

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1. Harmony versus Honesty

Unless they are prepared, then it’s not unusual for Indian expats to find their American colleagues quite offensive.

Whether it’s online or face to face, in American culture, Americans tend to ‘say it as it is’, or to use a popular acronym WYSIWYG, what you see is what you get.

They see giving their opinion directly, maybe dressing it up a little to soften it, to be a good thing.

Indian – “I’ve pulled together a design for the conference invites which I think will really appeal to people.”
American – “I had a look at the design and I don’t think it reflects our company culture very well. I think we should revisit it.”

To another American who values directness, what their colleague has said probably won’t be taken offensively.

To an Indian however, who is more likely to value harmony, the directness of this feedback could be taken very offensively indeed.

In Indian culture, Indians tend to be indirect in what they say.

Even if they don’t agree with their counterpart, they are still unlikely to openly confront their counterpart or to say anything which might damage harmony within the relationship.

Indeed, they are far more likely to give clues to their feelings through what they don’t say, rather than through what they do say.

If you’re an Indian expat, then be careful not to take offence to such direct speech when in America as such direct statements are generally not intended to be disrespectful.

Instead, it’s an American way of putting honesty and outcomes objectively over personal feelings.

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Relationship building is different in American and Indian business cultures.

Click here to read how NOT to go about relationship building in the USA!

Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels

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2. Explicit versus Implicit

Americans also tend to be far more explicit than their Indian counterparts.

To ensure that everyone is of the same understanding, they might reiterate things, emphasise, check understanding and then commit details to paper.

For Indians however, they are more likely to communicate implicitly by making use of body language and non-verbal cues. They expect their counterparts to ‘read between the lines’ and infer meaning.

Where someone is from a similar communication culture, then this may not be an issue but for Americans, it can cause confusion and might well be met with the reaction, ‘But they didn’t say that!’.

Indian expats therefore, should bear in mind that their American counterparts are likely to be less able to read between the lines and they should, as such, try to express things verbally whenever possible.

Where a shared understanding is important, then don’t assume your counterparts know what you mean. Verbally reiterate things and check their understanding. 

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3. Individual versus Group

One of the challenges that Indians often take a while to acclimatise to is American individualism.

Americans are more likely to think about themselves than the group or the team. It’s thought that this behaviour is rooted in the, quite literal, dog eat dog survival struggle for the original European settlers in the US.

Life was incredibly tough and mortality rates were high. Indeed, if you weren’t equipped to look after yourself then there was often very little in the way of support systems to ensure your health or safety.

As such, it was essential that people put their individual needs first. The enduring nature of this shared experience is reflected in many ways in America.

For example, businesses place considerable value on individual achievement awards, employees often have career growth plans which involve moving from employer to employer to gain greater experience and to progress their careers, rather than staying put for the sake of team harmony. Married couples are also likely to live independently, while, young adults are more likely to leave the home fairly early in life to ‘make something of themselves’.

For Indians however, the group is of precedence and identity is often very much integrated into the group. Team awards are far more celebrated than individual awards, young adults are unlikely to leave home, extended family members are more likely to live with each other and employees tend to stay put with the same employer for far longer periods of time.

It’s important that Indian expats relocating to the US appreciate the greater sense of individualism in the country. It might take some getting used to but don’t assume that this means that individuals care any less about their family or friends.

It’s just expressed differently. Likewise, teams are still important to American employees, but loyalty is demonstrated differently.

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Stereotyping

For the sake of brevity and comparison, we’ve used some quite binary descriptions of the Indian and American cultures.

This is merely intended to give you a fairly general picture that you can use to help inform you in different situations.

If you imagine cultural preferences as sitting on continuums, then cultures are fairly fluid – you will find that most cultures occupy the same general point on a continuum but there are a number of people who have quite different preferences sitting at very different points of the cultural continuum.

So, when starting your assignment in America, then be aware of cultural differences, be careful not to judge your American counterparts against your own cultural standards and be prepared for a period of assimilation and adjustment.

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Main Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

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National holidays in January include New Year’s Day (1 January) and the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. This holiday, which is observed on the third Monday in January, honors the civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968. Because Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is on 12 February and George Washington’s birthday is on 22 February, Americans honor these two presidents, and others, on Presidents’ Day, which occurs the third Monday in February.

Many Americans celebrate Easter (in either March or April) by going to church and getting together with their family and friends. Children often go on Easter-egg hunts to search for hidden dyed eggs and other treats. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May. It honors those who have given up their lives in defense of their country during wartime. The Fourth of July is celebrated with fireworks, picnics, and outdoor barbecues. Also known as Independence Day, this holiday celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, when the American colonies separated from Great Britain and formed the US.

On the first Monday in September, many Americans take a day off work to mark Labor Day. Trade unions initiated this holiday to commemorate the achievement of improved labor conditions and a shorter working day. Columbus Day (honoring the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World on 12 October 1492) is now observed on the second Monday in October, although in recent years Native Americans and others have protested against the celebration of this day. Veterans’ Day (11 November) honors those who gave their lives for their country during World Wars I and II. On the fourth Thursday of November, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. The origin of this holiday is associated with the Pilgrims, who settled in New England in the early 1600s and shared a feast with members of the indigenous Wampanoag people. These days, Thanksgiving is celebrated by sharing an elaborate dinner, often including turkey and several other dishes, with family and friends.

The Christmas season often begins the day after Thanksgiving. Many people take this day off work to begin their Christmas shopping. During the month of December, Americans traditionally decorate their homes with a Christmas tree, colorful lights, and wreaths. They send greetings cards to their friends and family, sing Christmas carols, and shop for gifts. On Christmas Eve (24 December), children traditionally hang stockings by the fireplace for Santa Claus, whom they believe will come down the chimney during the night and leave presents for them. Christmas Day (25 December) is celebrated as both a religious and secular holiday. Many Americans who are practicing Christians go to church on this day to honor the birth of Jesus. Many Americans also celebrate Christmas by joining their family or friends to exchange gifts, share a meal, drink egg-nog, and observe other traditions, which may vary according to region or family heritage.

There are also special days that, while not official holidays, are still widely observed. Groundhog Day (2 February) is a rural tradition that claims if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on that day and sees its shadow, it will go back inside and there will be six more weeks of winter. On Saint Valentine’s Day (14 February), sweethearts and friends give each other greetings cards, flowers, and chocolates to show their affection. Saint Patrick’s Day (17 March), the feast day of the Irish patron saint, is celebrated by Irish Americans with parades, parties, and the wearing of the color green. Mothers’ Day (the second Sunday in May) and Fathers’ Day (the third Sunday in June) are days for children to give greetings cards and gifts to their parents, and to perhaps prepare them a special meal, or help around the house. Flag Day (14 June) celebrates the adoption of the US flag in 1777. Halloween (31 October) has its roots in ancient British autumn festivals for warding off evil spirits and celebrating the harvest; in the US it is a night for children to dress up, often as ghosts or witches, and go from door to door asking for sweets.

Many Jewish people in the US observe the High Holy Days, which begin in September or October (according to the lunar calendar) with Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and end with Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), a day of confession, repentance, and prayers for the forgiveness of sins committed during the year. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated in December by many Jews. Gifts are exchanged and a special ceremony is conducted around a candelabrum, called a menorah, with nine candles. The number of candles lit each day corresponds to the particular day of the eight day festival-for example, five candles are lit on the fifth day. The ninth candle is used to light the others. While the candles burn, songs are sung and games are played.

The main holiday months are from June to early September, when the schools take their summer break. Many US workers get only two weeks of paid holiday a year, much less than most Europeans.