Planning on moving to the USA? Then here you will find some useful information to help you prepare for the move.
International Movers to the USA
International moving can be a nightmare to co-ordinate. Compared to domestic relocation, there is always a higher chance of things going wrong as your goods will likely go through many different hands.
In addition, the shipping and custom clearance documentation and procedures too can be a headache you will not want to deal with. Hence hiring a trusted international mover in Singapore is a must.
Immigration Matters Including Visa Petition and the Process of Naturalization
This falls under the purview of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The process usually begins with a visa petition to the USCIS. You can find more information on the process from their website below. You can find too, information and guides on the process to eventually obtain your US citizenship or what they call naturalization in the States.
DHS website: http://www.dhs.gov/how-do-i/move-united-states
For Singaporeans, the US Embassy here has collated these information together in their official visa information website. On the site, you will find filing instructions for Singaporean petitioners, information pertaining to the compulsory medical examination as well as things that you can and cannot take along for your interview at the embassy.
The US Embassy Official Visa Information website: www.ustraveldocs.com/sg/sg-iv-visaapplyinfo.asp
Healthcare
Unlike in Singapore, where cost of healthcare is extremely affordable, the same cannot be said about the USA. Health insurance is therefore a must have. This therefore brings up the question of whether you should get your health insurance coverage in Singapore or the States? While there are policies issued in Singapore meant to provide for global healthcare needs, the States would be a better place to get your coverage, There, you will find a wider range of choices available and better suitability of coverage.
Note too that if you already have health insurance policies meant to provide coverage for hospitalization in Singapore, including those that provide “as charge” type of coverage, they may not be sufficient while you are in the US. Some of these policies only provide for emergency coverage for life threatening type conditions when abroad while others may pay only for what is “reasonable and customary” in Singapore. It is thus important to read the fine print to assess if more coverage is needed.
Insights of Others who have Moved to the USA
Here is an interesting blog post we chanced upon. It is on the insights from someone who moved over to the USA sometime back. While his advice on investments, taxes and money management matters are based entirely on his own views and experience and is in no way reflective of our views, we feel his insights are still worth a read.
The blog post:www.onecentatatime.com/moving-to-us-for-work-a-few-money-tips/
And for those who would want to read about advice, insights and concerns of fellow Singaporeans who had experienced moving to the USA, this thread from the SGForum is worth a read. It was started by a Singaporean with a Singapore PR spouse who intended to move over to the US. He wanted advice on whether to terminate his CPF account, dispose of your Singapore property and whether it is possible for his spouse to hold on to her Singapore PR status etc. In short, these are real concerns from real Singaporeans
SGForum website: www.sgforums.com/forums/2163/topics/325965
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And if you have some advice of your own that you wish to share with our readers, why not drop us a comment to let us know your thoughts? We are sure our readers will be happy to hear of your experience too.
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