Thinking about moving to the US...

[News Bot]

Well, I'm going on a trip to the US for about two months in the summer. And... now I'm thinking about moving altogether for a year or two some time after that. However.. I don't have any experience with moving that far despite my age. I don't know how much money I need for it or how I'll sort out living space, internet connection, job etc. I will probably be living with someone for a while but after that I don't know. :/ I was thinking about finally learning Japanese too, something I've been planning for years but haven't gotten around to (mostly due to the sheer lack of it here).

It's still in the concept stage, I just really need to think about it, so any thoughts/info/ideas etc will be very helpful. The thought excites me, but it also scares me absolutely shitless.

I'm thinking west coast. North California, Oregon (Portland is at the top of my list right now), Washington, something like that. Those places actually get my preference because it snows there.

[Scream]

Fly to Mexico and jump over the fence. I heard it's a lot easier that way.

[Darkmoon]

I didn't especially enjoy my time in the states. The only thing I miss is Arby's...

If you're only planning to go there for a short period, only a year or two, then I'd honestly suggest not taking much and selling or storing what you can here.

Also, the bits of the States you've mentioned are...expensive areas, sorta like the South compared to the North here. You might wanna think about heading to one of the cheaper parts of the country.

[nemesiswontdie]

Fly to Mexico and jump over the fence. I heard it's a lot easier that way.

Holy shit this is the greatest post I've seen in a long time. Well done Scream.

But as Darkmoon said the places you listed are pretty damn expensive. If you don't have a job set up here either thats another problem. Its hard as hell to find jobs here in the US.

You might have to end up being a man-whore for a bit. Or sell weed/cocaine/meth/heroin.

[REmaster]

Well, I'm going on a trip to the US for about two months in the summer. And... now I'm thinking about moving altogether for a year or two some time after that. However.. I don't have any experience with moving that far despite my age. I don't know how much money I need for it or how I'll sort out living space, internet connection, job etc. I will probably be living with someone for a while but after that I don't know. :/ I was thinking about finally learning Japanese too, something I've been planning for years but haven't gotten around to (mostly due to the sheer lack of it here).

It's still in the concept stage, I just really need to think about it, so any thoughts/info/ideas etc will be very helpful. The thought excites me, but it also scares me absolutely shitless.

I'm thinking west coast. North California, Oregon (Portland is at the top of my list right now), Washington, something like that. Those places actually get my preference because it snows there.

It's not too bad here, but I've always lived here so I'm dying to get out and explore somewhere else like the U.K. perhaps. I would aim for some cheaper areas though, I live in Kentucky for instance which isn't the most exciting part of the U.S. but it's pretty cheap and we make some damn good chicken

The only thing I miss is Arby's...

Hell yea, I get a beef N' cheddar with some curly fries once a week lol.

But as Darkmoon said the places you listed are pretty damn expensive. If you don't have a job set up here either thats another problem. Its hard as hell to find jobs here in the US.

You might have to end up being a man-whore for a bit. Or sell weed/cocaine/meth/heroin.

TRUTH, he speaks it. After graduating from college in 2008, I just starting working last week. It's very hard to find a job, especially one that can support a living space, bills, transportation, etc. I'm sure it will be no problem, just plan it carefully.

Welcome to America
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZdJRDpLHbw

^ Not the best description lol.

[randomwab]

Don't you need a reason to relocate to the US? Like, for a job or something, or else they don't give you a visa? At least, that's what I thought. I mean, I don't think you just pack up, jump on a plane and rent an apartment.

[Darkmoon]

No, you need a visa. Which cost a good chunk of change.

[Agent_Wong]

If you like Arby's you'd probably love Lion's Choice as well. They actually use real roast beef and flash steam cook it so it's like uber fresh. As far as living expense goes, there's not really a cheap place per say to live. Some places are cheaper than others but there's nothing really dirt cheap unless you like dirt floors. I live about 20 minutes from St Louis and it's fairly decent housing wise but across the river is way expensive.

[Scream]

No, you need a visa. Which cost a good chunk of change.

Get a fake birth certificate and run for President.

[Agent_Wong]

Or, tell them your from Austria and you can be the new Governor of California.

[Xander Ashford]

Personally, I don't know why you'd want to come to the United States, especially over living in Europe. Though I have to admit that the idea of living in a foreign country has always appealed to me also. And I'm probably only saying the above because I always have living in the United States and I just don't see what the wonder and amazement is to the rest of the world. If you live in some poor country, then yes, I can fathom the appeal.

Anyway, if you want to actually live in the United States, I would recommend picking a non-major city near the major cities you are interested in. I think the generall concensus is that if you've heard of the city, it is probably expensive to live in. I'll give you an example: I lived in Charleston for about two years, which is one of South Carolina's major cities, and my rent was $650 (the total cost of my apartment was $1300 per month). This is just the rent, mind you, and from what I've heard this was below average for my city (My roommate knew the woman we rented from so she discounted our rent). Most people my age I don't think have jobs that let them pay that kind of rent and live comfortably. Most of my friends lived in areas of town I would not and paid about $200 for rent. My point being that if you want to live in a nicer part of the cities you're interested in, it probably will be quite expensive.

My best advice to you is to probably visit the places you are interested in, and see what it's actually like there. I wold recommend asking yourself a few questions also as you visit:

1) What is the local job market like? Do I have the credentials to get a decent job right away or will I probably be working in a fast food restuarant for a while?

2) How much does the typical apartment cost to rent in this area? Is it in an area that is prone to crime?

3) Will I need to have a car or is everything I need in the city? Or is there public transportation?

There are more things I would ask, but these are the main ones that are coming to mind at the moment. I just think if you do a move on whim, you will get yourself into a bit of a mess financially. You don't have to plan every single second of what you do, but yes, I would recommend a visit before a move.

|AA|

[VirusPunk]

The USA sucks.

Bad music.
Bad cultures.
Horrible quality of life.

Why in the world would anyone want to live here? I wish I could live somewhere like Norway or Finland. Hell I'll settle for even living in the Ukraine over this crap country.

Oh yeah by the way, rent in southern California for a run down apartment can cost you up to and over $900/mo. I'm not sure if northern California is the same but I would imagine so.

The only "cheap" places to live would be a small town, but good luck finding a job there.

[Inferno04]

The USA sucks.

Bad music.
Bad cultures.
Horrible quality of life.

Why in the world would anyone want to live here? I wish I could live somewhere like Norway or Finland. Hell I'll settle for even living in the Ukraine over this crap country.

Oh yeah by the way, rent in southern California for a run down apartment can cost you up to and over $900/mo. I'm not sure if northern California is the same but I would imagine so.

The only "cheap" places to live would be a small town, but good luck finding a job there.

It's similar in Northern CA, cheapest is $600, most is around $1200, at least where I am.

[TheSelfishGene]

Although I've never visited the USA long term, I can offer some general advice on moving.

I guess the first thing would be to get a visa, and make sure it's the right one. If you enter on a tourist visa you won't be able to work. So you may be able to enter on a tourist visa, queue up some work, then change visa before you begin. I don't know if it's possible, but speak to the embassy / consulate about it.

Once you're not at risk of deportation, you can look for work. I don't know what the entry requirements are to the USA, but you may not be able to gain employment in some fields. If you have any qualifications and/or skills, I would gear my quest for work around that. The more you save up before you leave, the larger buffer you have before you have to find a job, or keep working a job you don't like. The more attractive you are to prospective employers, the better off you'll be. Once you're established you will probably be able to move around.

Another thing is health insurance. When in Japan I didn't have the national service available to me (and I think everyone in the USA has private insurance anyways), but you should be able to find an insurer which caters to overseas long term workers. You're better off doing this than getting short term travel insurance (what you'd get say if you were going on a 2 week visit).

Before you leave, call the tax office, and make sure you don't have to lodge any returns or pay anything outstanding while you are absent.

It's a pretty big thing to just pick up and move to another country for a while, and there are alot of loose ends to chase up. If I think of more things that I needed to do before I went to Japan, I'll let you know.

Most of your belongings (especially Electronics and stuff) are probably better to accquire over in the US. (You're in Ireland right?) It's alot easier than worrying about PAL/NTSC conversions on some things, as well as power adapters.

If learning Japanese is a large motive for going to the USA, I know that alot of Japanese visit Hawaii and Guam for holidays, as well as to study (at least in Hawaii, not sure about Guam). Although I don't know much about how many Japanese courses are offered there, there is at least a population of native speakers there you could try to befriend.