You’ve earned your university degree. But instead of following the rest of your school friends by settling down in a job in your same city (or even elsewhere in your home country), you want to try something different — living and working in the US.
If so, you’re not alone. Young adults the world over dream of moving to America. But what goes into the process?
The short answer is — it’s complicated. You’ll need both persistence and patience in order to earn the work visa required for you to take a position with an American company.
But we want to help you do it! That’s why we’ve created this guide to moving to America as a fresh grad. Read through to learn about everything from the practical nuts and bolts of relocation to bigger questions of culture and settling in.
We’ll cover:
We hope you’ll find all of this useful. Let’s dive in!
Before getting into the details, let’s start with the big picture. Do you want to try living in America?
The US is the world’s oldest existing democracy. A cultural and technological powerhouse, the country as a whole ranks first in global GDP while individual cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco serve as hubs of the international economy.
American companies like Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are some of the largest on Earth while the country’s military and political influence are second to none. The overall population is highly diverse and almost 14 per cent of Americans are first-generation immigrants.
However, the US also has the highest level of income inequality among developed nations. Americans are 22 times more likely to die from gun violence as EU residents (and 200 times more likely than people living in Japan) and face both higher healthcare costs and poorer outcomes.
Also significant is that American democracy itself is on slippery ground. The country is grappling with political forces actively hostile to the promise of equal rights for women and ethnic minorities and has dropped six points on the annual Freedom House democracy rankings in the last five years alone.
In other words, living in the United States today is a decidedly mixed bag. We’ll take you through some of the salient details below.
As of this writing, fresh grads moving to the US would find a strong job market. While the overall economy is facing considerable uncertainty — including high inflation and significant indicators pointing toward a recession — unemployment has been under 4 per cent for nearly all of 2022.
In fact, demand for hiring has been so high throughout the year that one economist described the overall talent market as a “burning inferno.” Trends like remote work have also given many educated professionals a newfound sense of flexibility and possibility that has translated into a workforce that is less willing to put up with poor job conditions than in times past — and quicker to seek out new employers.
Long-term indicators also look promising. As a whole, the country is expected to add over 8 million new jobs by 2031 and the American government has recently passed legislation aimed at investing roughly a trillion dollars into renewable energy, infrastructure, and fighting climate change — all of which create substantial new employment opportunities.
If you’ve got a STEM degree, congratulations! Career opportunities for those with a science, engineering, or mathematics background, especially, are expected to grow considerably over the next decade. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that nurses, statisticians, information security analysts, software developers, data scientists, operations research analysts, and actuaries will all be among the positions that are most in demand through 2030.
You’ll likely find that living in the US (especially in major cities) is expensive. On the global cost of living index from Expatistan, 13 American cities appear in the top 25. This includes New York (which checks in at number two on the list, ahead even of infamously expensive London), along with major commercial centers like Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
While by one metric, the US is just the 20th most expensive country to live in overall, we feel that focusing your cost of living comparisons on the major cities is a more useful approach. This is because the international firms or fast-growing tech startups that you’d most likely be working for tend to be clustered around large urban areas — which means those are the prices you’ll have to contend with.
Housing costs are a particular area of concern. The average monthly rent has risen 18 per cent over the last five years and due to a shortage of new construction in many major urban areas or their surrounding suburbs, housing prices are unlikely to drop significantly anytime soon.
If you’re considering a job offer, be sure to investigate the cost of living in the specific city you’d be moving to. As in most countries, highly developed coastal regions are typically the most expensive.
If you’re a university student or a fresh grad, you’re likely a member of Gen Z. In the US, Gen Zers make up about 21 per cent of the total population of 331 million while the broader pool of people under 40 constitutes a majority.
Gen Z is also the most ethnically diverse generation in US history:
Americans who describe themselves as ethnically mixed make up about 4 per cent of their generational cohort.
A majority of American Gen Zers enrol in college (57 per cent, up from 52 per cent among millennials). They are also typically politically progressive, support the government taking action to solve society's problems and improve quality of living, and are likely to say that black Americans are treated less fairly than their white counterparts.
Interestingly, (although unsurprisingly, given housing costs), over one-third of Gen Z Americans live with their parents. This is a major shift from previous generations, where it was typical to leave home at 18 for college, a career in the military, or just to experience independent adulthood.
Like most countries, the US has at best a mixed track record when it comes to how society as a whole treats women and minority groups. A host of isms — racism, sexism, religious hatred, and more — are very much a part of American life — but so is a widespread desire to build a more accepting, welcoming nation.
This issue is far too big a subject to dive into here with any real depth. However, if you plan on moving to the US, it is worth understanding that only in the last 60 years has American society made any consistent effort to extend equal protection under the law to people who aren’t white men — and that today, the country is still living with the longstanding consequences of discrimination.
For example, the typical white family has eight times the wealth of the average black family and is five times wealthier than the mean Hispanic family. Black Americans (most of whom are descended from people kidnapped from West Africa and brought to America as slaves during the 17th and 18th centuries) are also 2.5 times more likely to be shot to death by police officers than white Americans and make up roughly one-third of US prisoners despite being less than 15 per cent of the overall population.
Meanwhile, women earn on average 83 cents for every dollar that men make. Women’s rights are also more broadly threatened by many right-wing politicians — who in 2022 successfully eliminated a nationwide right to get an abortion that had been in place since 1973 — and 81 per cent of American women report having experienced sexual harassment at some point in their lives.
However, women are also more likely to both enrol at and complete university than men (almost 60 per cent of university students are women). They also now make up almost half of all new entrepreneurs (49 per cent in 2021) and vote at significantly higher rates than their male counterparts.
American society has also become dramatically more accepting of LGBTQ rights. Same-sex marriage has been legal across the US since 2015 and is backed by 71 per cent of Americans — up from just 27 per cent a generation ago.
Attitudes towards gender identity have also changed drastically in the last decade, and mainstream America is now increasingly welcoming of transgender and non-gender-conforming people.
Now, all these data points are all just that: pieces of the greater puzzle. In cities and among millennials, Gen Zers, and most college-educated Americans, contemporary culture places a high priority on equality and social justice — in principle, anyway, if not always in practice.
But there is also a great deal of debate about what true equality really looks like and how best to shape society in order to make that happen. Many Americans also disagree with, resent, or simply feel left out of changing cultural norms — feelings that are driving a great deal of the country’s intensifying political conflict.
America, like humanity, is messy and remains a work in progress.
If you’re living and working in the US, you’ll need to pay American taxes on all of your worldwide income. (Be sure to also research your home country’s tax laws for citizens working abroad.)
Unfortunately, the tax system in the US is complicated. In addition to sales tax, which you’ll pay on most purchases at the time of purchase, you’ll also need to pay a tax on your annual income to the federal government, which will require navigating several complex tax forms — and unlike in many countries, the US federal tax agency (the IRS) won’t calculate what you owe for you.
Most state governments and some cities also tax their residents on income, so you’ll probably have to file additional forms there as well. To make things easier, most US taxpayers use some form of tax prep software, although these usually cost money.
Taxable income includes both income earned from employment and long-term capital gains or investment returns, although these are taxed at separate rates.
You’ll also need to pay what’s called Social Security and Medicare or payroll taxes. This comes out to 7.65 per cent of your wages and is deducted from your regular paycheck by your employer (who will also match your tax contribution). This counts as a pre-taxable income, however, which means that you won’t have to pay additional income taxes on that 7.65 per cent of your total salary.
Likewise, if you receive health insurance through your employer, as most Americans do, any money you contribute towards your monthly insurance premiums will not count as taxable income.
Overall, you should expect to pay roughly 30 per cent of your total income in taxes. Your employer will deduct all of your estimated income taxes from your paycheck and send that money along to the proper tax authorities — so unless you are earning additional income elsewhere, you probably won’t have to pay either the federal or your state government anything come tax season.
No matter what, though, you will still have to fill out both federal and state tax forms and submit them by April 15 (Tax Day).
If you want to live and work in the US, you’ll need a visa. Citizens of many nations are allowed to visit America for up to 90 days as tourists, but if you plan on staying longer — or want to be able to support yourself — you’ll have to apply for and be granted a work visa.
The first step to getting a work visa is getting a job. However, this isn’t as simple as hopping on a flight to Denver, staying with that friend you met backpacking in Thailand, and filling out job applications until you get an offer.
First off, you must be sponsored by an employer in order to apply for a work visa. Second, you can’t actually apply for a work visa while you’re visiting the US as a tourist.
Instead, you’ll need to submit your application at a US embassy or consulate in your home country. Then you’ll have to wait for your visa to be granted before packing your bags.
While the US offers several different kinds of work visas, you’ll probably want to apply for what’s called the H-1B specialty occupations visa. This is the standard temporary work visa for educated professionals and if granted, will allow you to come to America and begin your employment with the company that sponsored your visa application.
Per the US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency (USCIS), in order to qualify for an H-1B visa, you’ll need (among other things):
What this means is that as a fresh grad, if Deloitte’s office in Chicago wants to hire you for a risk management position, you should qualify for an H-1B visa. But if your backpacking friend runs a restaurant and offers to bring you aboard as a cook, you won’t — because you wouldn’t need your university degree and knowledge background to fill the latter role.
H-1B visas are expensive and time consuming. A single visa application may cost as much as $30,000 and can take up to six months to process.
However, your employer is legally required to pay for all of your visa costs and cannot ask you to reimburse them even if your employment doesn’t work out. If you lose your job, your employer is also required to pay reasonable relocation costs to get you back to your home country.
In order to apply for an H-1B visa, here’s what you’ll need to do:
Once you’ve been approved (again, this may take months), then you’ll be ready to head to the airport.
Note: As a temporary work visa, an H-1B visa allows you to work in the US for up to three years and can be renewed once. After you’ve arrived in the US, you will also have the option to apply for what’s called a Green Card, which gives you permanent residency rights and puts you on the path to becoming a US citizen.
Be sure to research your specific circumstances and home country’s relationship with the US further before you apply for a job and a visa. You may be eligible for something other than an H-1B visa.
Some additional options include:
The USCIS offers a full list of US worker visas here.
When you step off the plane, what should you do? It will take some time to get settled in, of course, but what are the initial steps you’ll need to take to establish yourself?
Well, your first priority is making sure you have someplace to stay. While you’ll almost certainly end up renting an apartment long-term, what about when you first arrive?
If you can, we suggest trying to set up your long-term apartment rental while you’re still in your home country. We’ll go more into the rental process in more detail later on, but for now, consider that you’ll save a lot of money by signing a standard 12-month lease than by renting someplace short-term while you look for a more permanent housing solution after you arrive.
(To avoid being scammed while doing this, make sure that you rent only through an established property management company. You can also work with a professional real estate broker for additional assurance.)
However, if you can’t find a landlord willing to rent to you sight unseen (or you don’t feel comfortable making a 12-month rental commitment to an apartment without visiting it first), you’ll need to find someplace you can stay for a few weeks or months while you hunt for a long-term place to live. While you could just book a room in a hotel, the costs will probably be crushing.
Your best bet would be to crash with a friend. Of course, that only works if you already know someone living in your new city — and they’re willing to let you stay.
Another option would be to find an apartment or a room that’s offered specifically as a short-term rental:
Short-term rentals will generally cost more than a long-term lease but less than a hotel and you can rent one for two weeks, a month, even 90 days or more.
You can also ask your employer for help. Since you’re moving to a new country for your job, you’re well within your rights to ask for some financial assistance with relocation costs.
Plus your employer may also be able to connect you with other new hires who are also moving to the same city at the same time. Joining forces for even a temporary roommate situation would help lower your housing expenditures considerably.
Long gone are the days of stopping at the airport currency exchange counter to trade your cash for American dollars. If you have a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card, you’ll be able to keep using it in the US as you normally would.
(American Express and Discover cards are accepted in most places as well, but Visa and Mastercard are universal.)
You may also be able to get your paychecks directly deposited into your existing bank account. However, international ACH transfers can be complicated, so talk to your new employer's payroll department as soon as possible (ideally before you leave for the US) to determine if they are able to accommodate you.
Since you’re going to be living in the US for a while, you may also find it simpler to open a US bank account. And while not all banks will work with people who are not US citizens or legal permanent residents, some will.
Bank of America, for example, requires that you provide only the following:
Now you’re banking like a local!
Provided that it’s unlocked and at least 4G capable, your current cell phone should work just fine in the US. You’ll simply need to buy an American SIM card from a US cell service provider, swap it in for your old one, and you’ll be ready to go.
Major carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are all options (expect to pay at least $50 USD a month here, if not more). You can also use a lower-cost prepaid provider like Mint Mobile, where you’ll generally pay a lower monthly rate but won’t have the option to wrap the cost of a new phone into your monthly plan.
If you get an unlimited data plan, you can temporarily use your phone to cover all of your internet needs as well. Wherever you’re staying short-term should also offer wifi.
However, once you’re settled into your apartment, you’ll want to sign up for home-based internet through your local cable company. This will cost roughly $50 to $100 USD a month but won’t be subject to the data caps that even unlimited cell phone data often is (at least in the major cities).
If you’re already living in a developed nation, then American healthcare is probably more complicated than what you’re used to at home.
For starters, there is no universal public healthcare system. While the US does have several government-sponsored insurance programs, they generally cover only members of the military, some very poor people, or adults who are 65 or older.
As we mentioned above, most Americans receive health insurance through their employers, who contract with large health insurance carriers like Anthem or United Healthcare. These carriers typically offer insurance plans that operate on a state-by-state basis (if you live in San Francisco, for example, you would often need to visit a doctor who is also in California — accepts your specific plan — in order to feel confident that your insurance company will cover most of the bill).
The good news is that as a work-visa holder, you will probably be working for a major corporation. This means your employer will almost certainly offer you health insurance through a major insurance carrier at a highly subsidized rate — and sometimes even for free.
We suggest taking this option. However, you can also purchase your own insurance independently through what’s called a state health exchange (this will be more expensive).
You should be aware that, as we mentioned above, US healthcare costs are extremely high — and even a good insurance plan may not cover the full cost of your care. If you are experiencing a medical issue, you’ll usually save money by seeing a primary care doctor (you’ll choose one when you sign up for your insurance plan) or going to an urgent care clinic instead of visiting a hospital emergency room.
Save the ER for real medical emergencies only, as you may be shocked at the bill you receive for even a short visit.
If you live in a big city and can get to your job on the subway or the bus, great — you’ll save yourself some money and trouble. Some cities, like New York or Washington, DC, offer excellent public transportation that many residents use when commuting.
However, if you find yourself living in a suburb or a city that wasn’t built with mass transit in mind (like Los Angeles or Atlanta), you’ll need a car in order to function. This won’t come cheap — used car prices are up almost 50 per cent over the last three years and new vehicles are both expensive and available only in limited supply.
When you buy a car, you’ll also need to buy auto insurance and pay an annual registration fee.
Driving is largely regulated by individual states and not by the federal government. However, you can typically legally drive with an international driver's license for… a while (this will vary from state to state).
At a certain point, though, you may have to get a state-issued driver’s license. Typically, this will involve taking both a written and a practical driving test.
Before you move, check out the website for your new state’s department of motor vehicles and familiarize yourself with the driver’s license rules for foreign nationals living in the US on a work visa. Make sure you also read the rules of the road.
And depending on where you’re coming from, you may want to remember that you’ll be driving on the right side of the road, not the left!
Now, you’ll probably be living near wherever your employer is located. But what if you want to search for jobs based on where you’d like to live?
America is a huge country, so there aren’t just one or two cities that are popular with expats or young people to point you towards. We suggest researching both major cities and smaller ones and comparing cost-of-living, climate, and even looking at photos and seeing what feels good.
This is just one perspective, of course, but a ranking of the best cities for young professionals done by Rent.com factored in things like rent-to-income ratio, opportunities for fun, and demographics and came up with the following top five list:
Of course, larger cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia are large for a reason. These all have high populations of young people who are drawn to the city for work, culture, and education and are some of the most vibrant — if usually expensive — urban areas in the country.
As a general rule of thumb, American cities tend to be more culturally liberal or progressive than their surrounding suburbs, while rural areas are the most conservative of all. However, many of even the largest cities (like Houston or San Antonio) fall under the authority of conservative state governments that have significant say over local laws.
For example, abortion is legal in most developed nations. However, as of 2022, the procedure is banned, heavily restricted, or at risk in 26 of the 50 US states. If you or a partner needs an abortion, you may have to travel — sometimes, hundreds of miles and at considerable expense — in order to get help.
Gun laws are also a patchwork of federal, state, and local regulations. Overall, though, it is simple for Americans to buy guns (including semi-automatic weapons that are banned in most developed nations) and US residents own 46 per cent of all guns under civilian control worldwide.
Unfortunately, this means that the US has by far the highest rate of gun homicide of any wealthy, industrialized country.
Drug laws also vary considerably. While the federal government officially continues to ban all marijuana use, recreational cannabis has been legalized by 20 states (federal authorities essentially look the other way), while others allow doctors to prescribe the drug for certain medical conditions.
However, that also means that 30 states either restrict or outlaw marijuana use entirely. In other words, be aware that behaviour that may be seen as normal in one state could earn you jail time in another. You may also want to note that black Americans are arrested for marijuana possession at four times the rate of white Americans, despite both groups using the drug in roughly equal proportions.
Even as a non-American, politics will have some effect on your daily life. Take the time to consider how the legal and political circumstances in a given state may affect you while you’re applying for jobs.
In order to keep your housing costs manageable, you’ll want to get a 12-month lease signed on an apartment as soon as possible. As we said above, if possible, see if you can do so before you leave home (read on to review our section on scams, though, first).
To look for an apartment, we suggest using a listing site like:
You should also research the specific neighbourhoods you’re considering renting in to learn about safety, walkability, and what’s nearby.
Once you’ve found a place you like, you’ll go through a process that includes things like filling out an application, verifying your income, and doing a credit check. Some landlords may also want references from either a former landlord or an employer.
If you are approved for the apartment, you’ll typically be expected to put down both your first month’s rent as well as a security deposit to protect the landlord against any damage you may do to your new apartment during your stay. Security deposits tend to be regulated by state law, but are commonly equal to one to two months’ rent.
In other words, plan on writing your new landlord a check for at least double your monthly rent on the day you sign your lease. (If you’ve kept your apartment in decent shape, you’ll get your security deposit back in full when you move out.)
If you can, we highly suggest getting a roommate, at least for your first year living in the US. You’ll save money on rent (which can be essential in the more expensive housing markets), plus if you’re lucky, you’ll make a friend to help ease your transition to a new country.
Again, consider asking your employer if they can connect you with other new hires who are also moving to your new city to start work. This could help you find a roommate. You can also try sites like:
Sometimes, you can get a better deal on an apartment by renting from an individual landlord rather than a larger property management company. You may be able to find someone who owns a small apartment building or even a guesthouse on their property and might be a bit more flexible on price, especially if you can show them you’ll be a good tenant.
Use your common sense when renting. If a listing seems too good to be true — say, the price is far below market value — it usually is.
This bears repeating: If you want to move ahead with renting a US apartment before you leave your home country, be especially mindful. Make sure that you rent only through an established property company or use a licensed real estate broker as your agent on the ground.
Research your potential landlord online and confirm that any email address you’re communicating with has the same domain name as their official website. You should also ask for a virtual tour of the apartment to make sure that whoever you’re dealing with has access to the unit.
Likewise, always review your lease agreement carefully and never pay a deposit until you and your landlord have signed it.
Per Zumper, here are five other common rental scams:
We’ve already touched on this above, but it bears repeating: In order to get a work visa, you’ll first need a job offer from a US employer.
That means that you need to find your new employer before you leave home. Your employer also has to be a company, not a private individual, in order to qualify.
So then, how to get that offer? Your best place to start is using:
Explore these and you’ll find a flood of options. Remember, though, that you need to find a position that requires a bachelor's degree or higher as a condition of employment in order to qualify for an H-1B visa.
(You could also consider the backdoor approach of landing a job with your local division of a major international firm like KPMG or Capgemini and then asking for a transfer to one of their US offices through an L-1B visa after putting in a year or two of good work. If they like you, they may well try to accommodate you.)
However, job sites are used more heavily by large or established employers. What if you want to work for a startup? While they do occasionally post on job boards, a great deal of startup recruiting happens more informally — through personal networks or referrals.
Here, we recommend checking out our full guide to finding a job at a startup as a fresh grad. The short version, though, is that you’ll be best served by building relationships — joining Slack or Discord communities that cater to founders, looking up which startups have recently raised money and connecting with folks who already work there on LinkedIn, and figuring out how you can bring all these people value.
Starting salaries for entry-level positions vary considerably based on factors like your employer, role, region, previous experience, degree, and where you went to university. There’s no one rule of thumb — we’re dealing with too many variables here.
However, big picture, the average starting salary for a fresh grad in 2022 is roughly $55,000 USD. This includes:
Again, though, these salaries may vary considerably depending on things like geography (cost of living) or whether you choose to work for a startup or a more established firm. However, the truth is that very few entry-level jobs will pay enough for you to feel financially comfortable.
The application process will likely be similar to what you’d go through when looking for a job in many other countries. If you’re applying for a position you found through an online jobs board, you’ll typically either fill out an application directly on the jobs site or move over to the employer’s site to do the same thing.
Initial applications can vary considerably. Some ask for little more than your CV along with some brief background information. Others, though, may go much more in-depth, requiring you to write out thoughtful answers to questions about anything from your strengths to how you would handle a particular situation that may arise on the job.
(For more on writing a great CV, check out our guide. If you can, we also highly suggest submitting a brief cover letter — usually no more than a page — where you give specific reasons why you’re excited to apply for the role and how you could bring the company value.)
Then you’ll click submit and wait.
If your prospective employer wants to move forward with getting to know you better, you may be asked to answer some additional follow-up questions or participate in some form of testing. However, they may also simply invite you to schedule an initial interview.
This will usually be with someone from the company’s HR team, although if it’s a smaller organization or the position you’ve applied for is especially technical, you may meet directly with your potential new manager. Thankfully, companies are now used to interviewing over Zoom, so you shouldn’t have any trouble doing this from home.
The initial interview will probably be no more than an hour. You can expect to answer questions about your background, any previous work experience, skills, strengths and weaknesses, why you want to work for this employer — typical first interview stuff.
(Note: We highly suggest being honest during your interviews. Recruiters don’t expect you to have everything figured out, but they will usually be able to tell if you’re pretending to have experience that you don’t — and will find you a more appealing candidate if you don’t waste their time but are simply upfront about what you do and don’t know.)
If your initial interview goes well, you may be invited to do a test task to show your basic capabilities. You may also move forward to additional rounds of interviews, which will usually be more focused on how you would approach your work — including case studies — and will often be with the person who may become your manager or other senior figures on the specific team you’d be joining.
Most often, you’ll need to complete two to three rounds of interviews in order to get an offer. While some companies do ask for more, that’s less likely for an entry-level role. Since they already know you’ve got limited experience at best, how much is there to really talk about?
If you do receive an offer letter, you’ll then have to consider whether you want to negotiate on salary. Again, we strongly suggest that you research the cost of living in the specific city you’d be moving to for your new job — housing prices can be especially shocking — and then factor that into how you think about your salary.
Remember: An American may have the option of saving money by living at home while working their first job out of university, but you won’t. If you can’t figure out how to make the numbers work, talk to your potential employer. You know they like you enough to make you an offer (and sponsor you for a visa), so they should be sympathetic enough to your situation to be willing to have a conversation.
(See our ultimate guide to negotiating your salary as a fresh grad for more insight into talking money with your future employer.)
If you’re coming from a developed nation or region, then working for an American company will probably be a similar experience to what you could expect from a graduate job closer to home. Indeed, take a job at a large multinational corporation and you may find yourself employed by the same company as some of your school friends who stayed local.
Big shocker here: You’ll typically be showing up to work Monday through Friday (normal business hours are 9 AM to 5 PM, although these can vary depending on your firm or sector). Remote work has become increasingly popular, but a majority of companies still expect their employees to be in the office at least some of the time.
During your first weeks on the job, you’ll probably spend a good deal of your day reading company policies, learning how things work, and completing HR requirements like sexual harassment training — the same sort of thing you’d be doing when starting a new position in London, Singapore, or Sydney.
One big distinction, at least compared to some countries, is that American companies are less likely to offer specific graduate programs. In many cases, you’ll just join as an entry-level employee and not as part of a graduate cohort (although some firms do make more of an effort here).
Payday is usually twice a month (on or close to the 1st and the 15th) and almost always done via direct deposit into your bank account.
US employment contracts are generally what’s called at-will, which means that either you or your employer can terminate the contract at any time. However, federal law does protect you from being fired due to discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, as well as for reporting or refusing to participate in illegal activity.
Federal law also prohibits workplace harassment, including sexual harassment, and holds employers liable for failing to promptly deal with any instances of harassment when notified. In other words, if you’re being harassed on the job, you have the right to notify your manager or HR and then sue your employer if you aren’t swiftly protected from further harm.
Americans are not exactly known for having mastered the art of work-life balance. Most offices do close down entirely for at least seven paid holidays a year, and you should also earn paid vacation hours and sick hours you can use when you want or need.
Culturally, though, US workers are infamous for failing to make full advantage of their opportunities to take time off.
In addition, federal law does not require that your employer give you any paid leave. Individual states may have laws that say otherwise (California, for example, guarantees employees at least three paid sick days every year) but generally, PTO is largely a matter of employer policy.
When you do start work, be sure that you pay careful attention to any company policy or legal documents that you are asked to read as part of your employee onboarding process. It’s important that you know your rights!
Here, again, you’ll likely be navigating a situation much like what you’d face at home. You’ll have the opportunity to get to know your colleagues on the job, while eating lunch, or by going out for dinner or drinks after work (although situations that involve mixing alcohol and the workplace are increasingly frowned upon).
Likewise, if you’re so inclined, you can also expand your personal network within your sector by taking advantage of opportunities to go to conferences, trade shows, or other industry events. There, you can make connections that can lead to anything from bringing in new clients for your current employer to an unexpected job offer.
You should note that while romantic relationships between colleagues are common, many companies have strict policies that govern what kind of relationships are allowed. Generally speaking, a higher-ranking person getting involved with someone beneath them in the power structure is not acceptable.
Most companies will also want you to disclose any ongoing relationship with a co-worker to HR.
Once you’ve started work, found your apartment, and are beginning to know your way around, what else can you do to settle in for the long run? If you’ve been granted an H-1B visa, you’ll be able to stay in the country for at least three years so long as you continue to work a job that meets the visa requirements.
How can you start making your new home feel more like, well, home?
Making friends is the best way to feel like you’re less of a stranger in a strange land. But how to do it?
The truth is, making friends once you’ve left school is not always easy. But as a young person starting a new job in a different country, you’ll have opportunities to do it anyway.
First off, if you do work with other fresh grads at your job, make an effort to get to know them. You’ll all be feeling a little lonely, at least in the office, so invite your fellow young co-workers out for lunch or for a drink after work.
And hey, if you hit it off with an older co-worker, do the same thing!
Second, practice saying yes. If you get invited to a party, go for it — you might end up making your way into a circle of friends. Likewise, if your employer asks you if you want to collaborate with a different team in your company for a little while, give it a shot. Who knows who you’ll meet?
Finally, put yourself in situations where you can join a community. Practice Buddhism? Find a mediation group, show up regularly, and help out. You’ll quickly be a part of the in-crowd.
If your passion is more motorcycles, say, buy a bike (it’s cheaper than a car!) and find a group to ride with.
You get the idea. The more you can become an active part of a community, the more you’ll make friends without even having to try too hard.
Provided you’ve grown up in a liberal society, you won’t find much in the way of significant differences between American dating and what you’re used to at home.
Most young Americans use dating apps to meet potential partners. Three of the most popular are:
If you’ve been on dating apps already — and if you’re reading this, you probably have, then you know that they can be a great way to meet people. However, many also find the process frustrating and disappointing.
Fortunately, people also still start relationships the old-fashioned way. Meeting someone at a party, taking the next step with a friend, or even dating a co-worker (again, make sure you understand your employer's rules around office romances) can all be great ways to begin either a fling or a lasting partnership.
Overall, American attitudes towards romance and sex (at least among younger adults) are largely anything goes as long as everyone involved is freely saying yes.
Like dating, you’ll probably have largely the same overall options for fun in America that you’re used to at home.
Sports are huge in the US. American football is king and both the professional National Football League and many college football teams are hugely popular.
Meanwhile, professional baseball, basketball, and ice hockey all have big followings as well.
In fact, in a country that is increasingly divided in so many ways, sports is one of the few things that Americans from all backgrounds continue to enjoy together. As a new arrival, it’s also a great way to bond with those around you — odds are, you’ll have plenty of sports fans in your new office — so if you’re at all inclined, we recommend making the effort to follow at least one local team.
And if you like to play yourself, virtually every community of any significant size will host opportunities ranging from casual pickup basketball games to more organized rec-league teams.
America is also obsessed with binge-watching television. Some of the most popular streaming services include:
You’ll probably recognize many of these names already, although you should be aware that due to different licensing agreements, they may not feature the same shows as they do in your home country.
Likewise, you’ll likely find American nightlife largely the same as what you’re used to. Many young Americans love going to bars and clubs and all the major cities, especially, have significant party scenes.
One aspect of living in America we recommend you take advantage of is travelling the country. The US is a huge landmass with a ton of geographic and cultural variety and you won’t regret exploring while you can.
Generally, you’ll travel within the US by plane, train, or car (buses can be a cheap way to move between cities as well). Flying is obviously the quickest option, at least if you’re going anywhere further than a few hours' drive, but if you want to be more environmentally conscious or just enjoy taking in the scenery, trains can be a great choice as well.
(Long-distance rail service is mostly limited to the coasts and a few cross-country lines, however.)
Meanwhile, the road trip is a classic bit of Americana. Generations of young Americans have jumped in their cars and travelled the highways and backroads of the nation — and even today, it’s still a great way to see things, especially in picturesque areas like much of the West.
Given that gas prices are hovering close to $4 a gallon as of this writing, however, it is also safe to say that making a significant trip by car is less popular than it once was.
We feel presumptuous in declaring that any one place in America is a must-see. However, if you are so inclined, we suggest visiting:
Miami, New Orleans, Myrtle Beach, and Las Vegas are all hugely popular tourist destinations as well.
If you need the help of your home government during your stay in America, your best bet is visiting your country’s closest US-based consulate. A quick Google search is all you need to find it.
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