EXPAT LIFE: Whether you are a young person wanting to travel the world, a family transferring to another country for experience/work, or an international retiree, it appears you can never be too old to be an expat. While expat life still retains a somewhat glamorous, jet-setting image, you should know that it is not challenge-free. […] Continue reading →
RELOCATION: For expats moving to New Jersey or elsewhere in the USA, a common problem that arises is inconsistent spellings and presentation of their names in key documents. Avoiding this can be critical for a smooth relocation process. This may sound a bit trite but I come across expats regularly who experience much frustration due […] Continue reading →
RELOCATION: When you’re relocating, there always seems to be an endless list of things to do. This applies to before you move, when you are moving and of course, just after. It may be tempting after moving to New Jersey and actually settled into your new home, to think ‘Woohoo!! It’s finally over!’ Well, not to […] Continue reading →
RELOCATION: Amongst the key attributes that expats and others moving to New Jersey look for when choosing a town to live in, is the presence of a great downtown. To put this into non-American parlance, this simply means municipalities or cities with a great town center area. What makes a great downtown though? Opinions vary on this […] Continue reading →
RELOCATION: Having access to a working mobile these days is like having oxygen for most of us. Getting your first cell phone in the USA after arrival is going to be one of your highest priorities. Many new arrivals will still have their own mobile (or cell phone, as it is usually called here) from their home country. Others […] Continue reading →
RELOCATION: Probably the most important document to obtain when moving to the USA, after actually getting your visa, is a Social Security Card which provides newcomers with their Social Security Number (SSN). For reasons explained in an earlier post ‘When is a Social Security Number Needed in the USA?’, SSN’s are not necessary for everything […] Continue reading →
EXPAT LIFE: For most new expats arriving in the USA, getting a Social Security Number (SSN) is usually a big priority. Even when they are eligible, it can often take up to one month or more before new expats receive their SSN. Unfortunately during those first 4-6 weeks, there are many settling in tasks to do […] Continue reading →
RELOCATION: Although some expats will end up buying a property when they relocate to New Jersey most will end up renting, at least to begin with. When you rent a house or apartment here, you will usually be asked to sign a rental lease agreement. Rental leases are usually setup to run for a minimum of one year, […] Continue reading →
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: If you haven’t read any of my other blog posts on the DMV or the NJ MVC yet, then you may be forgiven for thinking getting your NJ driver license is a shoe-in. Not to disillusion you too soon but there are many expats who could disagree. They, like myself, know from […] Continue reading →
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: Before we left for the USA, we sold off or gave away nearly all our Australian appliances. It was a strangely discomforting feeling, ridding ourselves of all this consumer materialism; like we were taking up some weird middle age vow of poverty. Once we arrived in New Jersey though, we were […] Continue reading →
EXPAT LIFE: Whether you are a young person wanting to travel the world, a family transferring to another country for experience/work, or an international retiree, it appears you can never be too old to be an expat. While expat life still retains a somewhat glamorous, jet-setting image, you should know that it is not challenge-free. […] Continue reading → 
RELOCATION: For expats moving to New Jersey or elsewhere in the USA, a common problem that arises is inconsistent spellings and presentation of their names in key documents. Avoiding this can be critical for a smooth relocation process. This may sound a bit trite but I come across expats regularly who experience much frustration due […] Continue reading → 
RELOCATION: When you’re relocating, there always seems to be an endless list of things to do. This applies to before you move, when you are moving and of course, just after. It may be tempting after moving to New Jersey and actually settled into your new home, to think ‘Woohoo!! It’s finally over!’ Well, not to […] Continue reading → 
RELOCATION: Amongst the key attributes that expats and others moving to New Jersey look for when choosing a town to live in, is the presence of a great downtown. To put this into non-American parlance, this simply means municipalities or cities with a great town center area. What makes a great downtown though? Opinions vary on this […] Continue reading → 
RELOCATION: Having access to a working mobile these days is like having oxygen for most of us. Getting your first cell phone in the USA after arrival is going to be one of your highest priorities. Many new arrivals will still have their own mobile (or cell phone, as it is usually called here) from their home country. Others […] Continue reading → 
RELOCATION: Probably the most important document to obtain when moving to the USA, after actually getting your visa, is a Social Security Card which provides newcomers with their Social Security Number (SSN). For reasons explained in an earlier post ‘When is a Social Security Number Needed in the USA?’, SSN’s are not necessary for everything […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: For most new expats arriving in the USA, getting a Social Security Number (SSN) is usually a big priority. Even when they are eligible, it can often take up to one month or more before new expats receive their SSN. Unfortunately during those first 4-6 weeks, there are many settling in tasks to do […] Continue reading → 
RELOCATION: Although some expats will end up buying a property when they relocate to New Jersey most will end up renting, at least to begin with. When you rent a house or apartment here, you will usually be asked to sign a rental lease agreement. Rental leases are usually setup to run for a minimum of one year, […] Continue reading → 
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: If you haven’t read any of my other blog posts on the DMV or the NJ MVC yet, then you may be forgiven for thinking getting your NJ driver license is a shoe-in. Not to disillusion you too soon but there are many expats who could disagree. They, like myself, know from […] Continue reading → 
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: Before we left for the USA, we sold off or gave away nearly all our Australian appliances. It was a strangely discomforting feeling, ridding ourselves of all this consumer materialism; like we were taking up some weird middle age vow of poverty. Once we arrived in New Jersey though, we were […] Continue reading →