How to succeed in your expatriation in San Francisco? follow the guide
Expatriation in San Francisco Laura and Pierre are two young French expatriates in San Francisco for several years. They give you some tips to make your first few days expatriation to San Francisco a success.
Employment opportunities in California
Ah California: its sun, its beaches crowded with surfing, its wild nature and its sweetness of life ... But we would be wrong to fall only in this cliché. California is also dynamic big cities recognized around the world like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose and San Diego. An immense territory recognized as the cradle of innovative companies.
There are many head offices of globally recognized companies in Silicon Valley: Facebook, Google, Uber, Adobe Systems, Chevron, Symantec, Appel, Ebay ... Moreover, if it were an independent territory, it would be elsewhere the 6th world economic power. You will understand, if you know how to code or handle numbers with ease, you will have a good chance of finding a job in the Bay.
But California isn't just a land for geeks, it's also a land for artists: Los Angeles has seen the birth of the world's greatest actors and directors. There are very many schools to be trained in these trades and the biggest companies such as Warner recruit very hard… that said, the competition is very very tough!
Finally, know that Californians love French cuisine; more and more French gourmet restaurants and bakeries are springing up in all of California's major cities. And when we see that despite the price of the baguette set at $ 3.50 and that of the croissant at $ 4, bakeries are always full, we tell ourselves that there is potential!
Personally, what brought us to California was our geek side, and that's why we moved to San Francisco.
So if your visa is ready and you have just landed in this new city, follow the few tips below and you will see that your first expat steps in SF will be crystal clear!
Your arrival as an expatriate San Francisco
The visa stamped in one hand, the passport in the other, 11 hours of flight in the legs, 1 to 2 hours of waiting at immigration, the glassy eye, the hair in disarray but whatever because you are there : San Francisco! Luckily, the glow in California will soon wake you up and your excitement that you've finally arrived too.
After a few days of adaptation, you are now in your temporary apartment thinking about the next steps. Where to start to find accommodation, open a bank account, obtain a work permit (if your visa does not allow it), obtain a social security number, ensure your health… don't panic, we tell you everything!
Open a bank account
We were told that without a social security number it would be difficult to open an account. Honestly, we went to Wells Fargo and had no problem. We went to the agency without an appointment and we were taken care of right away; we obviously had to present our identity documents, a contact address, the contact details of our employers and $ 300 to deposit into the account as a first deposit. That's it that's all ! It took half an hour to open a joint account and two personal accounts.
At the end of this account opening, you will get a debit card; it is a classic card that allows you to pay merchants and withdraw money (this is the card we mainly use in France).
Americans use credit cards more. A credit card is, as its name suggests, a credit made with your bank. With this card, you spend the money from the bank that you pay back as you go. This system allows you to build your credit score faster and accumulate benefits (such as $ 1 spent, 1 mile accumulated, or 10% cashback…). This is why Americans are so fond of it. But you won't get this until later, when you've built up some history with your bank (usually 6 months).
We are personally very satisfied with Wells Fargo as the 1st bank. There are agencies on every corner, lots of ATMs and very professional service so no complaints.
It seems that all banks work the same as we have never heard of anyone in our expat entourage being refused to open an account. And if this ever happens to you, try another bank, you have the choice: Citibank, Bank of America, Bank of the West ...
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