Arrivals to USA

Get a social security number from the local social security office. You need this number for most official forms and you can’t even open a bank account without a number. All your family need a number.

You will need to get a driving license and depending on what state you are going to be living will depend how long you will be allowed to drive on an international driving permit. Your driving license also acts as your ID which even at my age was sometimes required at bars and restaurants. You will probably be required to take a driving test. This will involve some sort of a multiple choice computer driven test and being able to drive park and stop a car. In most places you can drive at 16.

Get your medical health insurance sorted out as soon as possible and get registered with a local doctor, dentist and any other specialist you require.

On delivery day, label the doors of your house so the crew know what room to put things in. It’s a good idea to position yourself near the front door where you can tick off the items as they come in and you can tell the crew where to place the items.

The delivery crew will unpack as much or as little as you prefer. It is not always a good idea to have all your cartons unpacked unless you are sure where everything is going. Be very careful and sort through empty packing materials and cartons to be sure small parts do not get thrown away. In the unlikely event of damage, make sure this is noted on the delivery documents and packing list that you will sign at the time of delivery. If like most people you don’t have everything unpacked then note on the delivery documents that not all items inspected for damage at time of delivery. Most insurance companies allow 30 days after delivery time for you to make a claim.

 
If you are moving to America for the first time you will unfortunately have no credit rating as they will have no history on you. Having no credit rating is the same as having bad credit. You now get into the catch 22 where they wont give you credit until you get some credit history and you cant get any history because they wont give you credit ! This is a very frustrating problem and I have three bits of advise.

First of all make sure you apply for an American Express or Diners card in England before you go. Then when you arrive in the USA you call up the American number and ask them to transfer your billing to your new home in America. That gets you a credit card in America and more importantly starts you getting a credit history (as long as you use it and pay it on time.)

Second, if you are planning to buy or rent a house or a car when you get there, get your employer to agree in advance to your arrival to co-sign the finance agreement otherwise you may well have trouble getting these under your name with no credit history.

Last of all, once you are settled after a couple of months, apply for a fuel card with one of the gas stations. Getting a ‘gas’ card is one of the easiest ways of starting a credit history but don’t be offended if you get refused the first couple of times.

If you still have a problem getting a card then ask your bank for a secured card. You can deposit a set sum into an account and you can then use your card up to that amount. This will start building up your credit history.

You always know after at least 6 months that you have some good history when you start getting credit card offers through your mail box and your really doing well when you start getting calls from stock brokers !

If you are moving to a major city you can probably transfer your bank account or set up a new one with the same bank as you have here. If however you are moving to a not so major city then you will have to open up an account with a local bank. I would not suggest however that you close down all your accounts here as an account here may be useful for visits here or if you had to come back in an emergency.

It is also worth noting that you can not usually open a bank account without a social security number so this must be obtained from the local social security office first.

 INTERNATIONAL COACHING AND ADVICE www.dianehewat.com
 

EMERGENCY: 911

SOCIAL SECURITY MAIN OFFICE: 1 800 772 1213

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE: 1 800 829 3676

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS: 1 202 383 1000
Can advise on local realtors in your area

CONSUMER HEALTH: 1 800 DOCTORS (1800 362 8677)
Can help find and advise on doctors and dentists

AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (AAA): 1 800 763 6600

BANKCARD HOLDERS OF AMERICA: 1 540 389 5445
Help in choosing a US bank that offers credit cards etc

NATIONAL AUTO INSURANCE CONSUMER HELP LINE: 1 800 942 4242
Tips on insurance costs and what you need to insure against

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS: 1 800 541 5908

ALAMO RENT A CAR: 1 800 906 5555

AMERICAN EXPRESS CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1 800 492 3344

BRITISH AIRWAYS: 1 800 AIRWAYS

KENO ELECTRONICS: 1 800 422 5366
Supplier of transformers and dual voltage appliances

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Last modified: November 21, 2005