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Welcome to USA for expats! We aim at smoothing the arrival of foreigners to the USA by summarizing the administrative burdens and providing useful links to the appropriate administration services.

A quick reading of this blog might save you precious time when it comes to administrative tasks. For the rest, it’s up to you to make a treat out of your stay here! We hope you enjoy it 😉

 Before your arrival, make sure to identify the most appropriate visa which depends on your departure country and your future work/study situation in the USA. The large variety of visas and conditions is detailed on this official website. Depending on the nature of your activity in the USA, you might have to contact your future employer or university to ensure they will “sponsor” you. To apply for your visa, you will need to compile all the documents required by the US consulate in your home country. You will then go through a physical interview with an immigration officer at the consulate who will assess your application. Prepare yourself to accurately answer to all the possible immigration questions. Here you can find some question examples and tips.

The largest banks in the USA are Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Truist, PNC, TD-Bank, Capital One, HSBC. Most banks require an address, proof of identification, and your SSN (if you already have it) to open a bank account. You might open, through the USA consulate in your home country, your bank account before arriving. If you need help or advice in choosing a bank, read about these here. Check what deposit insurance and what type of accounts are available (checking, savings…) at your bank. Debit cards and credit cards are not the same. A debit card spends money from your checking account while a credit card works like a loan with interest from your bank. Credit cards are useful for hotel reservations, car rental, and to build a credit score if you intend to settle long term in the USA. Applying for a credit card before having an SSN might result in better payment conditions. Check conditions and fees at your bank.

 To find a place to live, you will need to search on online real state databases such as Zillow, Rent.com, Appartments.com, or Craigslist. It is best to start this process before your arrival.  In most of the cases, after the visit, the real estate agent or the landlord will ask you to provide the following:

• ID documents (Passport, Social Security Card, Driving license, ID card).
• Proof of income (Paychecks, Bank statement, etc.).
• Letter from your employer.
• Security deposit: generally equivalent to one monthly rent.
• Credit history or rental history (if you have one).
• Application fees, might be non-refundable.

If your application is approved, you will need to sign a “rental lease agreement.” Read it carefully. This document will establish the rent amount, duration of the contract, terms for terminating the contract and general conditions. You should get and keep a copy of it after the signature.

In bars or other places, you might hear, « can I see your ID, please? ». By ID, Americans generally refer to a US state driving license. Showing your passport is fine, but carrying it all the time with you might be unsafe. Even if you have no idea how to drive a car, you can get an ID card from your local DMVs (Departement of Motor Vehicles), city, or the county you live in the US.

Documents needed to apply for it might depend on the local authorities. In general, you will need to provide your SSN and passport. This local ID card does not come with the same benefits as a state ID or a green card. In the case of police check, we advise you to have your passport’s main pages, and your immigration documents scanned in your smartphone. Here are some links to get an ID card in New-York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Denver, Baltimore.

If you’re staying less than three months you may use your non-US driver’s license. You will need to ask for an international driving permit which has to be issued by the country who issued your driving license.

If you need to take your driving test, the official information’s is here. Once you have passed the test you will need to get your vision tested.

A selection of states have a driver’s license reciprocity with Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan. So, if you’re from one of these countries and in the correct state you should apply to exchange your current driving license instead of geting a new one, the official information is here.

Federal taxes: depending on your country, there might be exemption treaties which allow you to pay your taxes in your origin country. You can check this official form to see if your country is elligible. If you have to pay taxes, you can do it on the IRS website. You will have to obtain a filled W4 form from your employer. This is a form has all the necessary information to fill out the tax forms of the IRS. The official information is here.

State taxes: generally, your taxes are withheld from your salary. Depending on the state where you live/work, you might have to pay your taxes according to different rules. Here are official websites for state taxes in California, Texas, Pensylvania, New York, Illinois. Some states like Florida do not have income taxes. For the other states, please check the local tax center websites.