Moving from Toronto, Canada to Sunnyvale
Hey guys, I will be moving to Sunnyvale from Canada in the next few weeks. I was wondering about: 1) How do I go about getting an apartment - eg. I don't have any credit history in the US or a US drivers license - will that be an impediment? What other documents should I have in order (eg. Do I need a SSN?) Are there any tips/tricks that worked for you guys to make this process smoother? 2) Which apartment complex would you recommend? They all look nice online and of course I'll check them out in person, but would be good to get some personal experience. I'm looking for a studio/1 bedroom for under $2500. I want to be in a safe quiet place that is walkable or bikable to Google Sunnyvale. Parking is a plus. 3) Any other tips related to.moving from Canada are welcome! Thanks :)
Browse yelp for apartment reviews for apartments that you like. If you find one near steven’s creek trail then you can easily bike to google. The trail is beautiful. If you like quite apts then go for either 1-2 story apt complexes or top floors of bigger complexes. Read yelp to assess noise levels. Also look at mountainview city for apts.
You’ll also need to most likely bump up your expected monthly rent cost. In Sunnyvale, most apartments start around $2800-3000/month. You can probably find some older ones for $2500, but just a heads up.
Ouch! These prices will take some time to get used to!
Yes, most landlords will check your credit rating but you might be able to talk them into accepting your Canadian credit rating
This did not work in Seattle. They asked us to pay an entire month of rent as deposit, which we got back when we moved
So, I need to get a bank account and get Canadian funds transferred (so I can write a cheque against it) before I can look for a place then?
American Express will port your credit reporting between Canada and the US - if you have a card from them in Canada now, you can call them after moving and tell them you’re now living in the US then they’ll give you an equivalent credit product. The bonus is they report your US credit account as if you were there all along and will go easier on re-approving you, so if you had this card for 10 years you’d end up having 10 years of credit history in America just after moving. Or if you had it for 1 week, you’d just have to worry less about getting an unsecured card.
You can indefinitely defer taxes on earnings within your RRSP as long as you don’t take any distributions, but the TFSA is considered by America to be a “foreign trust” and the tax treatment is insanely complicated. Sell and liquidate your TFSA before leaving to keep your life simple. You can put money in a Roth IRA in the US which is also post-tax (but doesn’t allow withdrawal of earnings until retirement years).
If you’re coming to the US this late in the year you’ll probably be on the cusp of meeting the Substantial Presence Test (183 days in US = you’re a US tax resident that year) which allows you to file as a resident in the US and may be material.
1 remember you have to get the California driver license. You will have to go through the whole driving test stuff again. Don't worry it is super easy. 2. empty your TFSA. keep your rrsp 3. get a amex card in canada. switch to American version after 3 months to get decent credit card and build credit history. you can also discover. 4. my apartment complex was able to use my Canadian credit. I recommend Airbnb for a few weeks so you can go look in person. feel free to DM I did the same move a few months ago.
1) I can't just do a written test and transfer my Canadian license? Also will I need to give up the Ontario license and go through g1/g2 etc again to get it back when/if I return to Canada? 2. Done 3. Can I do this while still in Canada or after I move to the US? 4. Did you take a printout of your credit history with you or get a US bank to pull it? Would TD USA do this for me? Thanks!
1) California doesn't recognize Ontario license if you become a California resident you need to start from scratch in California. I still have my Canadian license . You have to wait for your ssn before you get California license. I was able to buy a car with insurance with my Ontario license. I had to do this because DMV out here is slow. 3. you should apply for amex card in canada. after 3 months you need to call amex and tell them you moved to USA and they will send you the usa version of that exact card. 4. I did not bring a canadian credit report. my leasing company in the background had a way to do it I guess? Regardless, be prepared to put down 1 month rent deposit.
Thanks dotart... I just applied for the amex :) how did you guys handle the banking situation - just open an account with TD Bank us and transfer funds?
yea use RBC or TD. make sure you get the debit card/cheque book so you have a way to access your money. no TD usa branches in the west.
You can use TransferWise as well... I did the td thing and TransferWise is much more convenient. Has better exchange rates as well
Regarding apartments, so far I found mission pointe, the bungalows (126 west ahwanee Ave), macara gardens and sands studios to be within walking and biking distance of the Sunnyvale campus. Any of those any good?
Liquidate TFSA. Prepare to donate CA tax board gains on rsp. Rivermark appartments in Santa Clara was able to use my sin to check my Canadian credit history. They allegedly have property in Canada as well.
Hey Guys, thank you so much for your advice so far! :) Based on your feedback so far I have taken the following actions/decisions: 1) Liquidated TFSA. I have no RESP. Only RRSP remains where I plan no sales for the foreseeable future. I will consult an accountant once I'm in the US to confirm the status of dividends in the RRSP 2)Opened an account online with TD Bank USA. I'm waiting for them to send me a debit card. Going to ask them for a US credit card too. 3)Applied for a no fee Canadian AMEX. Waiting for it to arrive in the mail. The plan is to then call AMEX in about 3 weeks and ask them to convert it to a US card 4) I plan to book the Days Inn for 9 days. It is super close to work and I can just walk. If at the end of those 9 days I do not have an apartment, I'm considering booking a 60 day stay at extended stays America. It comes to about $3000/month if I book for 60 days. 5) I plan to rent a car using Turo for the first 2 weeks to allow me to quickly get to apartment hunting, banks, DMV, Social security office etc. Open Question: How much in advance of your start date did you enter the US (for those on a TN1 visa). The visa says I can enter up to 10 days in advance, but the attorney advised me to enter the friday before the monday start date to be 100% safe. This means I'll be dealing with setting up bank accounts/DMV/apartments etc while going through orientation. This is less than ideal. I intend to fly out of Pearson airport. What has your experience been?
Are you Canadian born citizen? Taxes will be a pain. Your rrsp will be taxed in USA if you have gains or dividends
This. Suggest resetting your cost basis (by selling and buying back) before your move.
Yes Canadian citizen. I thought I just wouldn't sell anything in the RRSP but hadn't considered the dividends! Thanks for the tip - I'll look into rebasing.