What kind of checklist should I prepare before moving to the US?
Know where youre going. You hear lots of awful things about the US, re: guns, crime, drugs, bad schools, etc. This stuff entirely depends on where you live. In many parts of the US people dont even bother locking their doors, and leave their keys in the ignition, so they always know where to find them. You odds of being murdered will be very low if you avoid illegal drugs or the neighborhoods where theyre sold. Stay away from meth-heads and junkies and youll be fine. America has some amazing public schools, too (like mine, Ridgewood NJ, or the magnet schools in New York City, which have produced more Nobel Prize winners than any other school system, anywhere) Have health insurance. They way we do it in the US is FOOBAR, so get the best plan you can, with very low deductibles. On the plus side, if you get cancer or have a traumatic accident, youre in the right place - depending, again, on where you live - our survival rates are the worlds best. If youre here on a green card, DONT SMOKE POT. Even if youre in a state where its legal, its still federally banned, and getting busted (or having a family member busted) can get you deported. If you like cars youre in the right place. Cheap gas. Some amazing roads. If youre a gun buff, or have ever wondered what it would be like to shoot one, and have a green card, oh boy are you in the right country. Even if youre just a tourist, there are ranges where you can rent all kinds weapons and shoot them. Enjoy your stay. People in New York City have a rep for being rude, but they can be very friendly. In the rest of the country, we enjoy chatting with new people, and our smiles and have a nice day arent fake - we genuinely mean it.