Has the immigrant blog series been useful for you? I hope so and also hope you are having fun reading it. To be honest, I did not think about writing this blog until I hurt my knee and I realized that I have to share this type of information with you all. When moving to a new country you HAVE to make sure that, no matter what happens to you, you will be covered. Some utilities are indispensable.
When you are an immigrant in the US you basically have rights to nothing. Everything you do needs to be within what your visa allows. No, I do not know the different rights in between all visas, but before moving here, you should inform yourself very carefully about everything that your status will allow you to do. Depending on your visa, you can go after health insurance, work authorization, and bla bla bla.
Regardless of your visa, here are some indispensable utilities that I suggest you look into before moving anywhere.
1. Health Insurance
A lot of people come to the US without health insurance and do not look for it when they get here. You never know when you will have an emergency and medical emergencies are the most expensive and dangerous, especially in the US.
I had to go to the doctor consecutive time here and, thank God, I had health insurance to cover my appointments, but this past week I hurt my knee really badly (skateboarding) and I had to see a general practitioner, an orthopedic doctor, and do an exam which, by itself, would cost $6000.
So honestly, do not play around when it is about health insurance and making sure you are taking care of yourself. I know health insurance in America can be expensive, but there are options you can look into and avoid medical expenses.
I know that a lot of schools provide health insurance for international students in the US and a lot of companies also provide that (in case you are allowed to work). Some health insurances cover international expenses, so maybe check with your health insurance before moving to America and see if they can get you cover in case something happens to you while you are here - I know that in Brazil some banks can provide you with international health insurance.
2. Rent Insurance
As I mentioned in previous blog posts, when moving to the US (NYC in particular) it is most likely that you will be living with roommates and you will probably not know who they are until you move in with them. It is important to be protective of yourself and make sure you and your things are secured.
I was always lucky to live with amazing roommates, but one time a roommate forgot the bathroom sink open. I got home for a bathroom that was more of a swimming pool. Imagine if nobody caught that before… The whole apartment would be a swimming pool, including my room with my shoes, computer, and clothes.
Even being blessed with amazing roommates, shit happens! Sometimes we forget the door unlocked (including me) and somebody can forget the oven overnight (also happened with one of my roommates). It is better to be prepared in case any situation happens and you can find renters insurance and home insurance for a decent price. Some companies can offer prices from a monthly cost of $22. It is not the biggest expense you will have and it is worth it.
3. Phone plan with international calls
Me, in particular, I talk to my family and friends from Brazil through WhatsApp. It is super easy and works amazingly, but there were situations where I had no internet connection and had to talk to my parents.
International calls can be super expensive, so making a phone plan that includes international calls is actually a good idea and does not cost that much extra.
4. Next steps - if you decide to stay in the US and need to change your visa
Once you arrive in the US, spend some time here and do your thing, you will know if you are actually in love with this country and want to stay or not. If you decide to stay, you have to be aware of your visa situation and what are the next steps for you to be allowed to stay here without a problem.
This includes a lot of internet research, which is great, but will also include a bunch of legal fees and lawyer fees. My suggestion, from the very first moment you decide to stay here, find a lawyer, do all the research you can, and start accounting for the money you will need to have to be able to move forward with your status.
Now I am getting better, trying to rest and recover, but honestly, my knee injury was really serious. Thanks to that I realized I should create this post for you. We always think we are fine until things happen and we learn that these kinds of details (aka utilities) matter.
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