In the next few months I will be migrating on an E3 with my spouse. - How do I go about finding a good and safe place to rent which is walkable to Uber HQ. How does one go about finding a place without any prior history in the US. - What tax surprises should I be concerned about? - Any tips for things I should tick off before moving - Any tips for things I should do as soon as I step foot. Thanks heaps.
As soon as possible, get a back account and credit card to start building credit score. You essentially don't exist in the US until you have a credit score. BofA gave me a cc with no history when I applied in person. For an apartment, you probably want to start with a shared flat, or a lease in a newer (overpriced) building where they will be less worried about your lack of US rental history
Sure. Looking at hsbc as an option as they seem to let me open an account from aus.
That's what I did. Also get your social security number as soon as possible.
I recommend doing a long term Airbnb for a month or two while you look for apartments in an area you feel safe and tour in person. Uber HQ isn’t in the best area.
Open an American Express card now if you haven’t already. They will transfer it to a good US rewards card after six months, which is great because without credit history you basically won’t get approved for a reasonable credit limit (I got $500 from Capital One but outright denied by Chase and Citi) on any good card. They don’t care about what your income is.
Sure. Will look into it. Thanks
Do you already have an Aussie AMEX? AMEX are well known for being global, and if you’ve already established a good rapport with AMEX here it’ll be easier to get one there
Reach out to the Australian Consulate in SF to get info on immigrating to the US. They should have explicit info that can help. For housing prices, it’s similar to Sydney in the Bay Area. Renting seems to be cheaper than owning but to get anything of reasonable size, you will either need to pay a high(we) price or be willing to travel a greater distance. Eat meat pies before you leave and stock up on good chocolate. And... your recruiter partner at Uber should be able to set you up with a relocation specialist that understands the unique challenges of international relocation. They can help you out with things like US banking, credit scores, driver licenses, etc. you’ll do the work but they’ll point you down the right path.
Thanks for this. Will certainly address the meat pie issue. Let me know if you are missing anything from down under. Shall try my best to bring it over when I come.
Join this Facebook group, there’s a lot of Australians that will have better answers for you: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1399551966968123
Cool. Already part of it. Thanks
We are full. Why are you moving here? Traffic is unbearable. Housing is expensive. Everyone is competing for scarce resources. People like you moving here just make it worse. Fuck! Tc or gtfo.
If you're ok catching public transport or Uber express pool, instead of only walking then you've got a lot more options for a 30-40 minute commute. From HQ, the furthest you can go and still be in SF is about 8-10km. I combine walking with the bus most days, and it takes about 35-40 minutes from about 6km away.
Cool. Any particular suburbs/regions I should check out?
Richmond district or outer sunset district have less crime and poverty than inner areas, and are "affordable".
Make sure you’re actually in Uber hq(1455 market) and not 555 market where most engineers are.
Good point. Brb sigh!
Ok it's 555. My bad. But is the landscape going to change siginificantly?
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There are no safe places to live within walking distance of Uber HQ. I would look at something along the BART instead.
Nonsense, Hayes is fine
How far is a safe place? Don't mind a under 30 min walk. I know rental prices are astronomical, what ballpark should I expect?