Settling In USA

To Settle in America, people migrate to different countries and continents in search of jobs, for ambitions and even travel. Those who travel for work, have many time struggled to find right information in one place.

Hundreds of immigrants come to this land of opportunities. They find it little difficult to settle in america, as all data is not available at one place. On this blog, you shall find tips to help fast settle in America (USA).

These posts are targetted at those immigrants who come with their family, and want to make a mark in dream land of America (USA).
Yes, its for those non-immigrants, who want to settle down here, but don't know how to start. In fact, this shall help you start off before even you land in USA.

The site goes to the extent of explaining and providing data as to where you can get information about rental cars, social security, opening a bank account, getting credit cards, credit history, getting driving license, shopping, grocery, getting free stuff, mailing, finding an apartment, housing tips, tipping in restaurants and work culture.

One can get details about states and their abbreviations, capital cities, general abbreviations used, etc.
One can find data about what terms are used at various places in America.
For eg., you may ask for a bill(check) in some other country like India, after your food in a restaurant. But bill in USA refers to a Dollar note.

Articles related to above information and much more are not on the site, but shall be posted soon, as they are updated regularly.

There are some basic things which a non-immigrant will require to get even live for first few days in America (USA), can be found on the First Visit post.

Kindly use the links below to travel through the posts on use the archive links.

Shopping	Work Culture
Mailing	Tipping
Car Rentals	Buying a Car
Free Stuff	First Visit

Search Engine Submission - AddMe

USA : First Visit

Non-Immigrant visiting First Time to USA :

If you are coming to USA for the first time, then there are some basic activities which need to be taken care of without delay. Else this will affect your day to day activities.

The list is as below :
- Social Security
Official site for Social Security can be visited at http://www.ssa.gov/

- Bank Account

- Photo ID
- Drivers Licence
- Car
- Credit Card
- Insurance
- Apartment
- Cell Phone

USA : Free Stuff

What's Free In USA

Well, there is a famous saying : "There is no Free Lunch".
But thats not true completely in USA..
:-)

Here goes the list of Free things which you can get.
1) Freecycle is a website where you will find locals have put things to be picked up for free. Search your area and you may get something for free.. YES, Absolutely free.

2) There are Hindu temples across USA. They offer free prasadam or subsidized food on festival days or weekends. Its a big boon for Bachelors, who are dying to get good Indian food.

3) Many pubs & Dance floors have free entry before 11.00 and free entry for girls. For eg: Webster hall in New York City, Manhattan is free for for everyone before 11.00, if they take some charge, its for complimentary drink you get inside.

4) Free Internet (Wi Fi Hotspots) are available at most Hotel chains across USA.

5) Last but not the least, keep your eyes open for local offers.

USA : Car Rentals

Rental Cars

Rental cars are leased to people who don't have access to their own cars, such as when traveling. Rental cars can often be found in Rental Car Centers typically found near airports.

The major car rental agencies found across USA are :

Enterprise

Hertz

Avis

Dollar

Budget

Thrifty

Car hire in the USA has become a highly competitive market with the arrival of online booking and cheap air tickets offering a car hire package deal. As a result prices are very keen. The major rental companies are having to readdress their online strategy in order to keep up with recent developments. Another growth area is the decision many people have made to give up their private car and opt for renting when they need one. This has given rise to home deliveries and one way car hire in the USA, proving to be a very popular sector.

When booking a car, the following points should be made clear:

Airport Surcharge - car hire companies have to pay an airport an additional fee and this is sometimes passed on to the customer. Make sure this is included in a quote if applicable. 

On collection of a car, a full valid driving licence and identification is required. Any age restrictions will be checked.

Car rental companies charge for periods of 24 hours. Late returns can be subject to an additional charge, so also make sure you book a car with hours and dates within 24 hour units. 

Damage Waiver or "super Cover" is often offered. It is also possible to purchase insurance from an independant insurance agent that will cover you for damange caused to the car. Third Party Insurance is nearly always included in the quote but you will not be covered for yourself or the vehicle. Check the terms carefully. 

Companies are highly competitive on the basis of price, product, and service. Advance reservations are advisable, especially during holiday periods when companies may be sold out. A current, valid, unrestricted driver's license and major credit card are often required, and customers under 21 or 25 years of age may face restrictions or additional charges, so if any of these items are an issue, it is recommended to inquire with the company in advance. Customers are also advised to consult in advance with their auto insurance provider to determine whether their private auto insurance extends to rental cars and what limitations may apply; generally car rental companies offer additional insurance. Taxes and airport surcharges can add a significant amount to the quoted price. Customers may also encounter additional late charges or gasoline charges if the car is not returned before the specified time or without the gas level specified in the rental agreement.

Important Note :
You can get good car deals at even $10/day, on sites such as Hotwire and Carrentals.

USA : Mailing

Mailing in USA

Posts are handled in US by United States Postal Service. Every address in the US belongs to a specific zip-code district, and each zip code has five digits. Some addresses include a second sequence of four numbers following the first five numbers, but although this speeds mail delivery for large organizations, it is not necessary to use it. Each zip-code district has at least one post office, where you can buy stamps and aero grams, send parcels, or conduct other postal business. Occasionally you may find small stamp-dispensing machines in airports, train stations, bus terminals, large office buildings, hotel lobbies, drugstores or grocery stores, but don't count on it. Most Americans go to the post office to buy their stamps and the line can be long. Mailboxes are either the stout, royal blue steel bins on city sidewalks or mail chutes on the walls of post offices or in large office buildings. A schedule posted on mailboxes and mail slots should indicate when the mail is picked up.

Post hours in the US vary from 24 hours a day in central, big-city branches to the 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM schedule, normal in smaller cities and towns. On Saturdays, post offices only open half a day, if they open at all. Postal services only are performed here: for telegraph facilities, you could go to the nearest office of Western Union, an organization which specializes in telegraphic communications worldwide. One service helpful to foreign visitors is General Delivery. If you do not know where you will be staying in any particular town, simply have your mail addressed to your name, c/o General Delivery, at the main post office there. You must pick up such mail personally. Red, white and blue mail boxes are prominent on city streets. Sample current postage rates:

* Airmail letters to India: 84 cents (1 oz), $1.65 (2 oz)

* Postcards to India: 75 cents

* Letters within the USA: 39 cents (1 oz or fraction and 24 cents for each additional ounce)

* Airmail post cards within the USA: 24 cents.

USA : Tipping

Tipping in America

Tipping as a reward for quality service is a necessity throughout the Unites States. Unless tips are included in your package or bill, you will be expected to tip when the service merits it. It is customary to tip from 15% to 20% of the bill for meals served in hotels and restaurants. The percentage you tip depends on your opinion of the service provided to you by you waiter or waitress. Wait staffs in restaurants throughout the United States make less than half of the declared minimum wage and depend on tips to complete their income. Ordinarily, no tips are required in cafeterias where a person serves himself.

At hotels, tips between 50 cents and $1 per bag or suitcase handled are in order for bellboys or porters. Tip the doorman, who unloads your car in relation to any service he performs; you need not tip the chamber maids unless your stay is several nights. Do not tip the desk clerk. Most hotel bills in the US do not have a service charge added to cover gratuities. As stated above, tips are in order for any special service.

On trains, no tips are expected from passengers traveling in day coaches, or second-class, except when they eat in the dining car. Passengers traveling in Pullman cars (sleeping or parlor cars) usually tip the porter of their car when they leave the train, one dollar per night. Passengers who eat in the dining cars usually tip the waiter 15% to 20%. Of course, the porter who carries your baggage at the station receives a tip, usually 50 cents to $1 a bag.

Stewardess (flight attendants or air hostesses) and other airline employees are not tipped. However, the porter who carries your bag at the airport should be tipped. Taxi drivers are usually given a tip of 10%.

In barber shops, men tip for a haircut, a shave and for a shoe shine. A women tips her hairdresser and the assistant who washes her hair. This would be 10% of the charges. 

USA : Buying Car

Buying used car in USA :

There are several points you want to be aware of while buying a used car.

1)Get the car checked/inspected from a professional mechanic.
At http://www.pepboys.com or Midas http://www.midas.com 

For e.g. Pepboys has a 100 point inspection plan for around 50$. Its good value. They check the car for any previous damages (hidden problems - which are not visible to you externally).
Check the engine, tranmisssion brakes, a/c systems, etc.

You can even get car checked at specific Car showrooms, for eg., Toyota, Nissan.

2)You can compare the price of the used car by looking at the KBB value online at http://www.kbb.com or at http://www.edmunds.com.

3) Get the VIN# of the car and should see the CarFax report at http://www.carfax.com - $35 per month. It provides information about the Accident history of the car if there are any and the no.of owners for the car. (Try to buy a car which is owned by a single person)

Before taking the membership at CarFax try to see if anybody is selling the carfax at Sulekha. Usually they sell a single carfax report for 1$/ 3$.

4)If possible try to avoid buying car from dealers. Buying cars from dealer will be more expensive. Also the amount of tax you have to pay will be higher. 

The best site to search for used cars is http://www.craigslist.org/.

5)http://www.sulekha.com is a good resource.

6) When you are buying a used car from a private party, do ask the person if they personally own the car. Many times there are people who sell the car on behalf of the real owner. To be sure before you finalize the price, ask the seller to show the Title Document, or atleast a copy of the Title Document (and also the driver's license of the seller). This way you will be sure that the seller of the car is the actual owner. In case the person you are dealing with for the car is not the actual owner, insist on paying by check. In the worst case what could have happened is that the car may be a stolen car & the title transfer document may have been forged. 

7) The actual Title Transfer Document should not have any cancellation marks (just like a check). 

8) Last but not the least, prefer a Japanese brand car, such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc, as they provide better mileage and less wear & tear over years. Also, it would give better returns, when you sell it.

USA : Shopping

Shopping

Departmental stores are opened 24 hours a day. Shopping Malls generally open at 10:00am and close down at 9:00pm. On weekends and on holidays, these timings may change. Generally, on weekends malls close down at 6:00pm.

If your stay in a particular city is very short, then it is better to consider buying 2nd hand furniture etc. Places where you can find them are: Thrift Stores, Flee Market, Garage Sale, Goodwill Stores and Other Yard Sale. 

You might get a booklet for local classifieds in your mailbox on one of the weekdays, it has lots of adds about the items people are selling. Some will be Moving out sale, Garage Sale (these will be put in the persons garage, or yard mostly on the weekends). You will find almost everything in each edition of this booklet from kitchen items to cars, to computer stuff etc. 

Other than this, you will find the sales information on internet classified like Yahoo classified, Excite Classified and also on the display board of the Temples and Indian markets. 

You can buy small things like hangers, dairies, tools for daily use etc. from One Dollar Shop. 

Eventually, try to find out the comparative prices of all daily groceries and household items. With time you will notice the price differences even at the reputed markets basically due to some kind of sale going on. There can't be a standard declaration as to which is the place where everything is cheaper. 

Few stores have a membership card which is free of charge. If you are frequent purchaser from that store, then it is better to get the membership card, as they provide some bonus buy program for their members (i.e. members get some advantage and rewards).

Few shops don't accept debit/credit cards for payments less then 5$ or 10$. Or in some cases they don't accept cards at all. Hence you may find the display board saying "Cash Only". 

You will be getting some discount coupons of some items of certain stores, in your mail box. Don't hesitate to show them at the respective count.

USA : Work Culture

Work Culture in USA

The American workplace may seem less hierarchical than the workplace in other countries. For instance you may be able to call your boss by her or his first name...but be careful! Your boss is still your boss and although relations may seem, this informality of friendliness is an American form of politeness only. 

Make sure to help coworkers if they request it, and don't be afraid to request help if you need it. 

In the United States, the work environment is both professional and causal as well. Don’t be surprised if you see people bring their pets to work! The work culture and dress code here are different than in India. Schedules are flexible, and the atmosphere is informal especially in software/ programming jobs. 

Time is very important, being on time means arriving 5 to 10 minutes earlier, especially at interviews and meetings. Getting the work done and getting to the point is generally the most important thing. 

It is acceptable practice in the US to discuss problems you are having at work with your supervisor. Express your desire to learn more , change of departments and fulfill higher goals. 

Sometimes, Americans are very open about the actions of employees that are seen as unsatisfactory. Do not be afraid to politely present your point of view or to admit a mistake. This is most of the time a chance to make things better, and not a prelude to being fired! 

American work culture involves a lot of meetings. These meetings need not deal with big decisions, but are more like discussions, and are centered on the analyzing, planning and review of any project. Opinions and ideas are shared, and objections are made. 

Water, aerated drinks, tea, coffee, light snacks and vending machines are generally available at offices.