AmericanAussie

I have a cheat sheet above my desk at work. One column with the Queen's English, the other column listing the American variation.

License/ licence; canceled/ cancelled; etc

Be great if you have a chance to post it here please...

For those of you who wished me well for my driving test - thank you!! And, yes, I passed lol. i

Congratulations!

I had to do the written and driving.

Well I definitely recommend Florida! Although that was based on my New Jersey one, where truthfully I should also mention, my stubbornness in having had my license for a number of years in Australia, when I sat the test in NJ, I did have to sit the written test 3 times as I did not study the handbook (for the first two tests) and am a strong believer in the metric system...so all those fluid ounces, feet and inches were my downfall... Amazing what study can actually do, lol.

Keep the advice for prospects coming!

We liked Planet Hollywood buffet the best. LV best fun in USA according to my wife.

Disney World is pretty fun too though!

Hello,

Building credit can be difficult...I'd suggest a mix of a few things, as mentioned above and also including perhaps a store card such as Macy's. Usually they are given with a small limit for use in the Macy's store only and by making regular payments, this will help to build a credit score (they may end up offering you a Macy's branded Visa credit card down the line - as long as regular payments of the bills are made).

Also perhaps joining a gym with a regular membership, such as Bally's (if that's your thing) can help, as they will post it on your credit history with the organizations mentioned.

Ofcourse, it almost goes without mentioning, but big ticket items such as TVs with in-store financing or car loans are another (dangerous) way to go, and I would not recommend either of these - for anyone considering these, be very wary as usually without a decent credit score, they will charge some seriously high interest, even then the contracts are pretty tight. Nobody wants a repo man on their doorstep.

Most importantly however, to build the credit history, you have to actually do that - build it. No use in getting a loan, then not paying it off - you'll end up having terrible credit and may need to declare bankruptcy and never get a loan again for anything.

Other than trying to get a mortgage for a house, if you can't pay for it now (from savings) my policy is to always ask myself do I really need it? If it helps me sure...

Best of luck!

Hi there,

You were inspired, got the visa, the PRC, then your SSC, now what? What are some of the things that you've learned since settling in the US? Could be small, could be big, in anycase I'm sure it's useful for anyone wanting to move to a new country, in a totally different environment - visiting is one thing, living here, well that's a whole other kettle of fish.

So I'll get the ball rolling from some key points I've learnt (ok is learn't' or 'learn-ed' well I'm gonna use both now and then, gimme a break ok? - I'm originally from Australia - we use the Queen's English afterall):

Credit Cards

If you had them in your home country originally, the bank may initially offer you one. Checking accounts are still very big here and used as the main transactional account and usually offered with a debit card to access your funds at ATMs or POS (grocery stores, retail stores, etc). Otherwise a store card from Macy's may be an alternative to initially create a credit history that will develop a credit score (when accounts are paid on time) and perhaps a membership to gym or other organization that has monthly payments (that are met without late payment penalties).

Groceries

Whilst beef is relatively expensive, chicken is exceptionally cheap - usually on sale for 99c/lb for thighs/legs/wings or $1.97/lb for boneless skinless chicken breasts.

I recommend the 99c Store though, as they usually will have fresh vegetables for... you guessed it 99c! Anything from lb of tomatoes to watermelon, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, etc plus many other items like cookies, cereal, etc, etc way cheaper than the grocery store - but still you need to know your prices as occasionally on some items Ralphs (in SoCal) will be cheaper.

Driver's Licence

It may depend on your experience, but I only had to show my home country licence then sit the written test in NJ and when I moved to FL I just had to hand over my NJ licence, then when I moved to CA sit the written again - no practical driving test.

Cars

In CA they are subject to smog test (unless new), even when bringing and registering from out of state. New cars are offed with $0 down and 0% int on loans, but you'll need a credit score in excess of somewhere around 740 (at the dealer's discretion). Used can be a good deal, but remember the odometer reading is in miles so a 50k miles reading is 80k kms.

Car Insurance

Can come with:

Property Damage Liability (to others)

Bodily Injury Liability (to others)

Unisured/Underinsured Motorist

Comprehensive

Collision

Rental Re-imbursement

Roadside Assistance

You may have to look a policy that takes into account how long you've had your licence in your home country, as some insurance companies only accept history in the US.

Health Insurance

Tough one - your employer (for F/T positions) will most likely offer you this and is deducted from your paycheck, but not to be confused with medicare that is for old age pensioners. Otherwise you will need private insurance (unless you would want to risk paying a fortune for basic treatment - ERs will treat you but will charge you for any treatment in an emergency. Private Insurance will tend to include, with your monthly payments:

a Deductible

Co-insurance (how much % of the bill you pay - up to the maximum out-of-pocket for the year)

Co-payment (usually a smaller fee for doctor visits e.g. like $35 for each visit up to 4 per year)

Maximum Out-of-Pocket (how much you will be required to pay in total per year until the Ins. Coy. will pay the total of any further bills over this amount.

Many online sites will give you quotes based on the info you provide. Obama's healthcare eliminated lifetime maximum payout limits, so the ins. coys must now pay regardless of the total bills incurred over a lifetime of medial services used (in my understanding). However I believe the coys can still increase policy premiums based on your age and thereby increase premiums yearly.

Clothes & Electronics

Very Cheap - go to factory outlets and even cheaper, though Old Navy, H&M are good too, Macy's always has big sales - 99c stores sell ties and socks too! Best Buy is a large electronics retailer (there used to be Circuit City too, but the recession), though a great deal of online retailers, depending on which state you live in, don't charge tax and have free delivery a lot of the time as well.

Wi-fi - Internet - Libraries

Libraries (the first free libraries started by Benjamin Franklin) are a great resources for using free wifi and even borrowing DVDs (free)! Generally though, starbucks, McDonalds, Apple stores all supply free wifi and most malls too, so almost anywhere you go out to, providing you have a laptop, tablet or ereader, you should be able to find internet access.

A lot of little things are different here though, from street crossings to the language used, but this is also a regional thing - Bostonians will be more familiar with english terms (the Queen's english) than Angelenos or Texans...

In the spirit of this forum and caring for my fellow human, if I can offer a word of advice, first time when/if you go to Las Vegas, go and be in awe of the magnificence of the man-made creations, enjoy a buffet or two (Wynn is fantastic, Paris is good value), maybe a show (I really like the Cirque de Soleil Elvis), but don't let the machines take a hold on you...

Cheers

How's it going guys,

Thought I'd just pop my head in and say g'day!

All the best for 2012!

Cheers

Received mine in the mail the same day as the PRC.

My thoughts would be unfortunately no... as the visas are issued in numerical sequence based on first come first served, it would be in my opinion unlikely as the whole process is very precisely administered - you can never really "win" against bureaucracy either...

Basically I'd also suggest once the visa is approved, other items are put into motion such as the PR card itself, aswell as the SS card awaiting your arrival in the US. Perhaps also best not to confuse the issue at the interview as they may take the question like "do you want the visa or not?" sort of attitude as there's plenty of people ready to go asap... Things go pretty quick after the interview, in terms of preparing yourself to leave.

Americans love accents!