Before arrival:
My company arranged with a relocation specialist and had them line up car suppliers, insurance, I could have even had them arrange a mobile phone for me. The thing to remember is that when you arrive in the USA for the first time you will have a poor or non existent credit rating, that makes it difficult to get anything especially credit cards.
I arranged these items before arrival:
- Car - I leased a car via the relocation service and chose the car I wanted and supplied all the paperwork and the holding deposit, I would not be able to collect the car on arrival as I needed a Social Security number so I knew I would have to rent one on arrival.
- Realtor - I had visited many times before and had previously met a realtor who was helping me find a property to rent, if you do all the paperwork before hand it makes it easier on arrival, we picked 10 properties to view on the day after my arrival. it took about 7-10 days to get into the property once I chose one.
- Temporary accommodation - I was lucky and a colleague was already here so I managed to stay with him.
The priority was to reduce cost, so get a house and car ASAP to cut down on outgoing costs. The following was the items I then carried out:
Week1:
- Met with realtor and viewed 4 houses, by then we had made the decision on the property we wanted (I was calling back to my wife and getting her to look online so she knew which property I was talking about). Paid the deposit now I wait to get checked out.
- Tried to sort the lease on the car but it was delayed I needed the Social Security Number.
- Visited the US Social Security Office and found out you have to wait 7 days for your information to get into the system before you can apply - This causes a delay as everything requires the SSN as it is used for a credit check.
- Arrange a mobile phone, tried to do it on my own but they wanted a $500 deposit due to no credit history, so my colleague got myself and my wife a phone on his contract, now it only cost me the hand set - Problem with this is that it does not help get a credit history, you have to acquire debt or contracts such as phone etc to prove you can pay, so as soon as I can I need to change this to my own contract.
- Back to the Social security office, made the application all very easy, am then told I have to wait 7 days for it to arrive in the post. I still can not get the car.
- Arrange Car insurance, in the USA it is based on 6 months and was about $500, I drive a Ford Escape or I will when I get it!
- Realtor - I am confirmed that I can rent the property and have a move in date of 1st May, furniture due on the 9th May so OK blow-up mattress for a few days, no problem.
- SSN number arrives on the 2nd May.
- Inform car company of My SSN pay the final deposit and arrange collect of Car.
- Collect Car from the garage on 7th May and drive to the airport to collect my wife and children, pretty good timing!
- Off to the Water company and register, another $150 dollar deposit
- Off to the Electricity company and register, another $150 dollar deposit
- Contact AT&T for the phone/Internet/cable - yep another deposit must check how much but somewhere around $300-$400.
- Finally time to catch my breath!
From here on in it is just bits and pieces:
- Gardner - Arranged a gardener $35 every two weeks, I think I am paying over the top but it will get me by until I can get a lawn mower!
- Driving License - You have 3 months to get a Texas driving license, in June I booked for the test, it is two parts written followed by practical road test. The written is not particularly difficult but they have recently changed it and the last 5 questions are based on fines and punishments for DWI (Driving whilst intoxicated - Adults), DUI (Diving Under the Influence - under 21) and DWLi (Driving Without a License). I scrapped through the test (30 questions 70% needed), but a pass is a pass :) Then went straight out and did the practical (Pflugerville new office has the ability to just turn up and test) failed the parallel parking in fact I gave up as they wanted me to park between two poles and I could not get it so I just said fail me on that and lets drive on, a failure on a task is 3 points and you need 30 to completely fail, so off we went on the road, I was only out 10 minutes when told to go back as I had passed, now I wait 7 days for it to come in the post. My wife was a different story!
- Driving License - Wife - When we turned up they search the system for an I-94 record, mine was in my passport but when my wife flew in on the 7th May they stopped allocating them, they supposedly put them online in 7 days, not surprisingly she is not found in the system so can not take the test, we then go to the USCIS site for the I-94 and search ourselves, sure enough we can not find her, we then contact the Deferred Processing center in San Antonio, over 5 days I speak to 3 or 4 people and get told finally to go to Austin airport and speak to customs, I call first and speak to an office who is really helpful, he searches and can see her entry but not the I-94, after 30 minutes he says OK drive over to the airport ask for him and he will allocate a new I-94 - So today we are off to the airport.Mission accomplished both now registered.
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