Estimate of Money to Take to Migrate?

[Jamie06 1]

So I just have a general question. My partner who is an American citizen and myself from Australia are both looking to move to America on a CR-1 visa. We are both not sure on how much we need to save I'm 25 and she is 21 so we don't own any houses here or have alot of money. However we both work full time and can save but we have no idea how much we will need. What have some people taken over when they migrated ? Also how strict are banks on home loans etc? It seems a lot different here in Australia. We were just over on holidays and she was approved for a credit card even though she does not work there? Any help would be great thank you!

I know it's a vague question and the amount varies with every individual person/couple but just wanting to get an idea.

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

***** Moving from General Immigration to Moving here forum for more answers ******

A lot will depend on your personal circumstances; living in New York, you will need more starting money than in Iowa. Willing to live in a rented one bed apartment in a not-great part of town will cost less than if you want to buy a house right away, want to live in a great school district or need a large yard because you have two dogs. If the USC has family that will give them a job, or work experience in a much sought after field, so they can be pretty certain to get a job within a month of moving back, you need less savings and so on. To minimise stress, I would save enough to be able to live for 6 months without getting a job, just in case, but of course for many that is not possible.

Your USC partner probably got the credit card based on her still-existing credit score. The form to be filled out may not have specified the location of the job.

[mallafri76 1,012]

If you want to buy a house, you usually need 20% downpayment or you'll have to pay a higher interest plus a "mortgage insurance". A decent credit score helps too.

I'm bringing all our savings and I'm counting on using from our savings for the first two months, as it usually takes a while to find a job and get the first paycheck. So count to cover rent, insurance, food, gas, cell phone, electricity etc for two months plus the money to buy a car and furniture. The amounts depend on where you'll live, but you can google your way to the amounts. If you haven't done so already, you should definitely start putting together a budget for your move to the US and at least the first few months in the US.

[Jamie06 1]

Thank you both for the advice! It's going to be a long but enjoyable journey

[MrsCanuck87 2]

Thank you both for the advice! It's going to be a long but enjoyable journey

We're in the same predicament as you, but we're moving from Canada to the US. Right now, we're aiming to have about $10,000 saved up between the both of us. I figure that will get us through at least the first 3-4 months comfortably when we factor everything in. It also helps that my hubby has his car paid off and we're driving back to the US to relocate.

[EmigratingSwede 16]

If you can get support from your partners family while you get on your feet that is a great way to not spend too much of your savings. I lived with my in-laws for four months while we were getting settled. I ended up getting the first job I applied for. However the hiring process took over three months from start to finish... (International background checks are tricky I guess)

[Udella&Wiz 325]

The things that come to mind for me (esp. as a mum of 3 20-somethings) are the following:

• you're both young so neither of you likely has a high paying job currently or will obtain a high paying job initially upon moving here
• since the US citizen is 21, she should check her credit rating in the US now. If it's low or non existent (not sure how long she has lived outside the US?) you will run into problems possibly with renting apartments, leasing/buying cars with decent loans etc....it can be overcome, but just be prepared. Her US credit card if used wisely helps her build good credit. My daughter for example paid a higher rate of interest on her first car loan since she had non existent US credit
• you will have no credit rating upon arriving in the US - you need to build good credit...lots of threads here discussing how to achieve it
• you're not likely buying a home any time soon unless you have gobs of money to put down as a downpayment....but again neither of you likely has good enough credit for the loan
• prepare your resumes (CV) now, look at the areas you're moving to to see the job market

That said - prepare for you both to be unemployed a minimum of 3/4 months - go for worst case.

• 4 months of rent
• 4 months of food
• 4 months of daily expenses (and be realistic what they are in US dollars)
• 4 months of $$$ for immigration related expenses - i.e.: fees for things you'll need to apply for possibly... SSN/Drivers licenses for you both (unless hers hasn't expired and you're moving back to her home state)...any number of other things
• Money to buy a car and larger household items if you're not traveling back home with furniture etc...

**prepare now for the immigration application fees and immigration medical fees involved and the cost of moving itself now - this all happens before you even move!**

So I just have a general question. My partner who is an American citizen and myself from Australia are both looking to move to America on a CR-1 visa. We are both not sure on how much we need to save I'm 25 and she is 21 so we don't own any houses here or have alot of money. However we both work full time and can save but we have no idea how much we will need. What have some people taken over when they migrated ? Also how strict are banks on home loans etc? It seems a lot different here in Australia. We were just over on holidays and she was approved for a credit card even though she does not work there? Any help would be great thank you!
I know it's a vague question and the amount varies with every individual person/couple but just wanting to get an idea.

[Jamie06 1]

thanks for the advice everyone, much appreciated.

[DaisyD 12]

As well as rent do not forget that you will need a security deposit. This can vary from 1 - 3 months rent depending on where you are and what you rent. Also you can check if there are any furnished apartments available which might not be a bad idea if you are starting from scratch, that way you do not need to buy everything at once. Though lots of things can be gotten fairly cheaply from craigslist or thrift stores. Different cities have different websites to use for housing, but I would suggest doing some research on craigslist as a good place to see what rents might cost and what kind of jobs are available in your area. Also if you are in a big city and can avoid having a car that will save you a lot of money (though it may limit your job search area). Also remember to bring clothes to wear to interviews.

If possible arrange to stay with family or friends (or a hostel/hotel) for at least the first 2 weeks so that you can go and look at apartments in person so that you get a good idea of what is available to rent and the areas and avoid online scams. Alternatively if you do have contacts in the area that you trust and that are willing to help, ask them to look for an apartment for you so that it is ready when you arrive.

[TBoneTX 43,376]

Larger cities have businesses that specialize in helping renters -- Google "Apartment Locators" and see what comes up. Talk to a few, and attend particularly to those that seem most frank and forthcoming.