JCC Living in US

I'm super excited: there is a non-zero probability that in few weeks I will go to work in US (precisely Yorktown, NY). It would be a dream that comes true, I would finally see with my eyes things that I only know from movies

The problem is that I have no idea of how things work there. So I decided to open a thread in which everybody can feel free to write whatever they feel like regarding the topic "living in US".

I will start with my most urgent question. What should I do for the Visa? I have very confused ideas. When filling the application they ask me whether my "Visa Status" is active or inactive, but I don't even know what a Visa Status is... and then there are all the codes, F-1, H-1... I understand nothing. I don't even know what to ask and where to ask it

I hope I've created the thread in the correct place.

 

For the love of God turn back!

Also welcome.

 

Maybe don't bring children.

 

When I was in high school we broke into groups for our government class and the topic was what to do about immigration. This one student in my group who was not known for being intelligent suggested making America so bad that people didn't want to come here.

I think he managed to get this idea to somebody in power.

 

I'm sorry you went to high school with Stephen Miller, @Lord Vivec

 

Go to the Town Hall or the American Embassy.

 

welcome threesome wonder, i have compiled for you a list of important things you should know about living in the usa.

the cuisine - american cuisine is just a giant hamburger patty sandwiched between two large pizzas this feeds a family of five but single people have been known to just sort of chew on one at all times. deviating from this primary food source is discouraged, but if you do you can always make a food american by putting it inside another food or using it as the bread part of a sandwich.

dress code - as long as you are wearing a fully loaded handgun or rifle somewhere on your body you are dressed enough for american standards. you can accessorize with pants or a shirt that says "god don't make no trash", but it's not necessary.

politics - in the us there is a great political divide between "conservatives" who think that politics should exist to serve a few of their petty selfish interests and "liberals" who also think that.

language - the language spoken in the us is still technically called english, but it's better imagined as english if it were a good way down the road toward devolving into guttural ape sounds. if you are having a hard time with the language, trust me it's not you.

pop culture - lucky for you this garbage is already exported all over the world to make very few people very excessively rich. now you can be even more immersed in the ever-festering cesspool.

sports - amercans play football with our hands so now as a rule we can't play handball. sorry.

okay i think that's all i got for now. hope it helps. sorry i don't know anything about your forms and stuff.

 

I was going to give you a snarky welcome package, but I think @Ender Sai is better suited. Also, @tom ninja'd me and did it better than I could have. Though I was going to have more emphasis on outrageous portion sizes for "cuisine"

 

If you are invited to someone's house it is customary to gift them a cheeseburger when you arrive.

 

You will from time to time see people, even in very large and cosmopolitan cities like New York, wearing t-shirts and/or hats festooned with the word "America" on them. Usually the word is emblazoned over an image of an eagle that's somehow clutching firearms and bumming the statue of liberty.

These people are not merely confused about where they live and using the clothes for visual reminder. They're unironically displaying them because they're idiots.

 

Thank you guys, you're lovely. It's nice to feel welcomed.

So the take-home messages for now seem to be
1) don't eat too much
2) don't feel guilty for misunderstanding american English
3) learn the rules of football (the one with hands)
4) bring cheesburger to friends
I've signed everything in my notebook.

 

Okay, the first thing you need to know is: Yeah! Uh. Get up, now! Oww! Knock it out!

Secondly: Super highways, coast to coast, make it easy to get anywhere. On the transcontinental overload, just slide behind the wheel. How does it feel?

Thirdly: When there's no destination that's too far, somewhere on the way, you might find out who you are.

Fourthly: got to have a celebration.

Furthermore: All night diners keep you awake on black coffee and a hard roll.

You might have to walk a fine line, you might take a hard line, but everybody's working overtime.

You may not be looking for the promised land, but you may find it anyway. New York City is one of the places you may find it.

Source: I live in America. I feel good.

 

Don't do #3. It's a terrible sport not played anywhere else in the world and you're better off not dumbing yourself down for it.

As for #2, try and suffer a stroke. Their dialect will make much more sense this way.

 

I'd love to help, but my expertise is more on the naturalization process for people who are already here. If the employer you're going to work for has experience recruiting overseas, they might have information to guide you in the right direction to determine what visa you will need.

If there's a US Embassy or Consulate near you, they would probably also be a good first stop for information on immigration requirements.

Another resource that might be helpful since you're moving to Westchester is Catholic Charities of New York. Some people feel uncomfortable contacting a religiously affiliated group, but CCNY works with anyone regardless of background. I used to do citizenship coaching at the Brooklyn Public Library and we would always refer people to them for legal questions.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

@BeesInABar thank you very much for the advise, it's very helpful. I will go to the closest embassy for more infos.

Sounds very cool but I don't know what this expression means. "walk a fine line"

Is it taken from a song?

My English is precisely not good enough for True Detective but fine for How I met your mother and Stephen Colbert I hope I'll get used to difficult accents.

 

Spoiler

 

Whatever you do, never go to the hospital. Something as benign as a broken toe nail could leave you bankrupt.

 

@3sm1r

Don't forget that things are usually more expensive than the price tag.
==> Our sales tax isn't worked into the price, and sales tax varies from state to state and sometimes even between cities in the same state. So if you buy a new shirt that's only $10, but you're in a place with a sales tax of 10%, you will actually have to pay $11. As for knowing what the sales tax is, you'll probably just have to google it.
==> Also, if you go to a nice restaurant (not fast food like McDonald's), waiters and waitresses make LESS than our minimum wage. So it's expected to leave them a tip (either cash, or there's usually a space on the receipt after you get your card back, near where you sign). It's expected to usually be 15%-20%. And if you're in a large group, I think more than 6, it's actually legally required.

Look into our drinking and smoking laws.

We also have horrible public transportation, and if you want to travel just look into travel times and expenses beforehand. It might take half a day just to get from one part of New York State to another depending on traffic.

Get used to not using the metric system.

Ask your American friends and double-check your insurance before going to the doctor, urgent care, emergency room, anything health-related.

Don't assume something about all Americans based on a few, we can be really diverse.

Stay away from political talk with people in-person that you don't know well, or in public. Or ethnic jokes, sexual jokes, etc.

Never joke about using a gun, or being a terrorist, etc. in public or on the phone/internet. Even if you're being obviously sarcastic.

Also, here's a video

 

I mean, Ramza won the thread with the second post, so I don’t know why the subsequent posts aren’t all just congratulating him.

 

1. Local accents vary wildly. Just because you do/don't understand accents from one area, doesn't mean the same will be true of other areas.

2. Portions are big. Ask for a bag or box and save the rest for later.

3. You don't need to understand American football, but much like regular football, root for the right team if you find yourself in a sports bar on game night

3a. Don't visit sports bars on game night.

4. Travel. New York, New York is vastly different from Portland Oregon which is worlds away from Cheyenne Wyoming.

 

Before entering NYC you must announce your gang affiliation. Will you align with the Gramercy GriffZ, the Warriors, the Rogues, the Turnbull ACs, etc.

Choose wisely or your entire life can be ruined.

 

@Ghost
Thank you very much. With the tips I've already had a weird moment on holidays few years ago. I had a breakfast for like 8 $ and he told me something that I didn't get but was implying that I needed to leave additional money in cash. When I finally understood I felt ashamed and tried to leave 5 $ but he stopped me again saying that it was too much and I just needed to leave 2 $.

@vin oh I don't know yet! Any advise? Tell me your team, I will cheer for them!

EDIT: @anakinfansince1983
Absolutely! Actually, these are precisely the infos I was looking for. Thanks so much!