The United States of America is a land of opportunity, freedom, and a promising future. Thousands of people every year seek to immigrate to the States. But, unfortunately, not many of them think about what mistakes they can make while doing this.
So what are the main mistakes of immigrants in the United States?
- Hope that in any situation someone will help you. Perhaps, many immigrants are “in the clouds” thinking that someone should always help them, inform, give advice, etc. Yes, of course, if you ask for directions on the street, you are more likely to get an answer. But what concerns more serious questions – lies on your shoulders. This is everyone’s personal responsibility. Besides, where is the confidence in the reliability of the information that you can get from other people, even if it is possible? Everything related to documents, moving, immigration, as well as many everyday issues – you need to look for information on your own.
- Don’t plan your expenses. This is especially true for those immigrants who move to the States with their whole family. While you are settling your life in a new country, you need funds for much of the initial spending. For example, renting a house, buying a car, getting insurance, paying for kindergarten or school, etc. But even if you are moving alone, you need an airbag. This is necessary for at least the first couple of months.
- Don’t be serious about choosing a place of residence. All states in the country have different prices, living standards, and even some laws may be different. It is necessary to take into account many factors that are important for you, as this is individual. For example, for some, the most important thing will be the house near the place of work, while others have children who need a school and a kindergarten near their home. There can be a lot of such factors.
- Don’t do state papers. These include ID or driver’s license. Keep in mind that the cost of insurance depends on how long you have been a local driver’s license holder. To find out how to get an ID, read the information on the state website.
- Don’t build your credit history. In America, your credit history is very important. As you know, often in order to rent a house, buy a car, or a house, you need to have a good credit history. It is very important not to skip payments, as this will negatively affect the story. You can go to a bank and open a Secured Credit Card and it will help you build your credit history. How does it work? You can put $ 300 on this card and the bank issues you a card with a $ 300 limit. You can use these funds and repay the loan on time. This will give you the opportunity to create a good credit history. After a while, the bank will see that you are repaying the card on time and will increase your loan at the expense of bank funds. In this case, you can pick up your funds. The sooner you open a credit card, the faster you will get the opportunities that this country is ready to provide.
- Do not deal with health and American insurance. Before going to the States, it is better to undergo a full medical examination in your country in order to avoid large expenses in the States. In addition, you can make yourself travel insurance for the first time. It will be much cheaper than in the USA. You can also study what free insurance is in America and use them at first.
- Don’t watch what you eat. Everyone knows how much fast food and other extremely unhealthy food in America is. Many immigrants recover greatly during their first time in the United States.
- Do not study English. Of course, America is a country where you can live without any level of English. But in order to lead a full life and obtain citizenship in the future, one cannot do without knowledge of the language. Moreover, there are many opportunities to study English in the USA. Both in religious schools, which offer free lessons, and inside American colleges, where free courses can also be found. And of course, communication with Americans will give results much faster.
- Disrespect US laws. Some immigrants try to get around the laws. This is definitely not worth doing in America. Perhaps you will not be imprisoned for some petty crimes, but if you want to get a Green Card or citizenship here, then in the USA there is such a point as moral crimes. And American law will not approve of even minor blunders on your part. This can be an obstacle to obtaining citizenship. You may need any additional documents and this process can take a long time.
- Stop at what has been achieved. Many immigrants, having lived in the States for some time, having achieved some success, believe that this is enough and there is no point in further developing. The USA is a country of opportunities, including for visitors. Therefore, continue to develop and reach new heights. America loves ambitious and motivated people.