Are you ready for your new adventure? Maybe now is the right time for you to relocate abroad. If you are considering moving to America and you are ready to call it your new home. Moving to America is a very exciting prospect for a lot of Irish citizens even before the country was officially founded. The fourth largest country in the world is the United States of America and it is a very popular destination choice for thousands of Irish students.
Before moving to America, it is helpful to understand even the basic statistics:
- Population Total: The current population of America is 326.5 Million as of 2018
- Capital: Washington DC
- Currency: US Dollars
- Climate: The weather can vary across the central USA, as well as Hawaii and Alaska. Summers are humid and hot in the southern states, while the southwest is quite dry and very hot.
- Official languages: English and American English
This article I have put together will help guide you in the right direction and will offer you helpful tips, so you can get set up for moving to America.
Legal Requirements for working in the USA
For moving to America like any other country you do require a visa. There is a range of different visas and it depends on the purpose of your travel. It is the biggest hurdle when moving to America to require a visa or green card. You should allow yourself several months for your application process before you move. The process usually starts with a visa petition to US citizenship and Immigration services. If your trip is lasting only 90 days for business and leisure you do not require a visa. For people moving to the US on a permanent basis, you will need to apply for a green card or visa. When traveling to the USA all Irish passport holders must carry a machine-readable passport.
You may be traveling over as a student, you must have proven funds to support yourself while in the states and you must have been accepted by an educational institute. The most common student visa is the J1. If you are taking part in a wide range of visitor programmes sponsored by schools, institutions, etc you will be issued with one of these.
Setting up somewhere to live
Before your big move, you really need to think about where you are going to live and set up home. Do your research online and if you find somewhere suitable you will need a lot of documentation to go with it. The documents you may need are your birth certificate, marriage certificate if this applies, and medical records. You should also remember to let people know where you are and consider your utility bills, etc in your budget for a living.
Moving your belongings
Transportation needs to be arranged to move all your belongings before you move away. The USA is far away so it will take some time. There are many options and a lot of ways to transport your valuables and the most popular ways would be by Air or by Sea.
- By air seems the most convenient way as it will take as little as 1 day for your items to get to your new home. Air transport can be quite costly all the same but very quick and efficient.
- By Sea is the least expensive transportation however it can take the longest amount of time. However, by sea, the cargo units can carry a large number of items depending on which size you would go for.
Reducing your moving costs
There are many factors to consider that could lower the costs of transporting your belongings. Here are some that make your move vary in cost:
- Household Size: Of course, bigger houses with more belongings will mean higher costs.
- Type of Transport: Moving your belongings by air is more convenient and faster but it will mean higher costs.
- Additional Options: Storage and Packing, these extra features can help with your move but will come at a cost.
- Insurance: It is an important factor to make your move stress free. However, it can cost you.
Controlling the costs of all these factors above can help reduce your costs. However, sometimes going the cheaper route can cause unnecessary stress. If you are willing to pack all your belongings, assemble and disassemble everything you will save a lot of money.
Tips for Moving
America is a long distance away so taking out insurance is advisable as sometimes things can go wrong. Packing your belongings, the correct way is important organising is the key. Labelling all your boxes will make life easier for you when unpacking everything into your new home.
Things not to Forget
A Visa is the number one priority on your list as it is essential to get into the country. A few other things that would need to be arranged are:
- Social security number
- Tax
- Pets vaccinated if you are carrying them over
- Health insurance
Hiring an International Moving Company is essential
Hiring a professional international moving company really is essential and will benefit you in the long run. It is important to do your research and price around a few international moving companies and get a quote. The right moving company will mean you can have more time for other tasks that need doing and let them do all the hard work. Movers will help make your move straight forward and as easy as possible by co-ordinating with shipping companies, supplying storage facilities if needed, packing and unpacking, the list goes on. To help you choose the right one they should have a great reputation for previous work, friendly and responsive, cost-effective, and offer a very professional and quality customer service.
Never underestimate how important it is to feel at ease with the company you have chosen, after all the,y will be transporting all your possessions to another country. Hiring a moving company really is the best thing to do it will be a great advantage to you during your move.