The American Dream: Essential Things You Need to Know Before Moving to the U.S.

Millions of people worldwide work hard to achieve the American dream. Millions more move into the U.S. for the same reason. However, moving into the U.S. without a single idea about the laws and concepts that govern the country can be problematic. You can be sent back to your home country before starting your life.

There is a long checklist of what you must do before living in the U.S. This article will deal with your essential laws and necessities. For the rest, you’ll have to consult your closest U.S. embassy.

Consult The Nearest U.S. Embassy

The U.S. embassy in your country is the leading representative of the U.S. on your soil. It’s a place you’ll be visiting a lot if you want to live in the U.S., and it’ll provide you with the necessary knowledge to move to the U.S. There are about 307 U.S. embassies spread worldwide, and there is a good chance that your city has one. If not, consider traveling to a city near you with one.

If your country does not have a U.S. embassy, you should consider traveling to the nearest land on your continent with one. You must get the necessary information from them before anything else because they are the experts in moving you into the U.S.

The information you can get from visiting a U.S. embassy is vital for your move. They can teach you how to get your green card and even give you references to help you in the right direction. Moreover, visiting the U.S. embassy is the right step in the right direction.

Getting a Job Makes the Move Easy

It’s possible to move to the U.S. without getting a job, but getting a job makes it a lot easier. Getting an appointment ensures that you can get easy access to a work visa, which can help you gain permanent residence in the country. However, many job scams are out there right now, telling you of an easy job to get you into the country.

If a job requires you to pay for a visa or any administration or training fees, it’s likely to be a scam. The Federal Trade Commission has a website that identifies scams, so visit them when you can.

Essential Paperwork

Immigration lawyers will require a decent amount of paperwork from you. It can vary by state and the country you are coming from. Here’s a short list of them:

• Visa documents
• Passport
• Documents for your job, such as your curriculum vitae and signed contract
• Academic certificates from your university
• Bank statements or proof of billing
• Driving license or Universal ID
• Medical certificates

This is just a shortlist, and other immigrant lawyers and officers might ask from you. It’s good to have access to all your documents in a cloud-storage service, just in case.

Get Medical Insurance Beforehand

The healthcare system in the U.S. is different from other first-world countries because they don’t have universal healthcare. Moreover, healthcare in the U.S. is also expensive, so you can quickly get bankrupt if you need medical attention. Some states also require you to get the minimum medical insurance coverage, or you’ll have to pay the penalty.

Thankfully, employers are required by law to give medical insurance to employees, or else they’ll have to suffer increased penalties. So if you get into the U.S. through a work visa, there’s a good chance you already have medical insurance. If not, then you should get one immediately before moving in.

Laws Vary From State to State

Before you move, you must know specific laws unique to your state. Certain states might have different directions from one another, and you might break a law that might not exist in other states. This makes the entire process of certain legal proceedings confusing. However, only focus on your state’s rules for the first few years of your move, and you should be fine.

Get a Credit Card

Lastly, it would help if you considered getting a credit card. Indeed, your credit score goes back to zero once you’ve moved to the U.S., but some expat-friendly banks are willing to help you get a credit card.

Credit cards are essential in the U.S. because they can be your primary option in starting a business or getting a mortgage for your house. So get a credit card, and don’t be afraid to use it. Just don’t use it too much.

So there you have it, the essential things you need to know when moving to the U.S. Remember, we’re just scratching the surface here, and there are some laws you need to see by yourself, so make your inquiries in your nearest U.S. embassy.