Advice from Expats Living in the United States!

Get tips and advice from real expats!

International AutoSource has surveyed Expats from around the world who moved to the United States over the past three years. We asked them a number of questions, including what advice would you give to a friend and fellow expat?

Below we collected some of the best advice these Expats shared!

“Be patient, explore. Don’t be afraid to ask, try. Don’t compare what you had before but look to the new life you have ahead of you.” – Fernando B.

“Always read the fine print on a deal that sounds great ($89 a month, is the pretax, pre-service fees and charges advertised amount…). Check the mobile reception in any apartment before signing up to the lease. Yard sales and estate sales are a fun way to pick up things on the cheap, especially for the kids!” – Allan K.

“The transition preparation is very important, some of the processes are in sequence:

[A] SSN is the very start

With [a] SSN, you can have credit card, [and] driver license

- With [a] driver license, you’re almost settled. So try to get SSN/DL as soon as possible Another important thing is the car – either rental or buying, it has to be prepared early as possible. From my perspective, the other things like apartment rental, home appliance, furniture, those were pretty easy as shopping here is not so different than Shanghai” – Sibo Z.

“Yes – Plan, Plan Plan! Do not think that you can just arrive and all will be well. Think about every element of your “new” life from the simplest to the most complex. That way you only have to implement your plan rather than trying to work it out once here and then having to deal with the additional stress on the move. It will also save you a lot of time and effort!” – Marc L.

“All Expats have the same problem. Listen to other colleagues and as they had the same problems that you have and try to make things simpler and have time with family and friends. It will be helpful in order to manage the stressful moments.” – Magali N.