PDF - Indian Students Association
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1. IN eep your passport H1 handy S TEL T h e A rr iv a l Enjoy your flight Try to learn more about other nations from the co passengers There can be international stops on your way to the U S International Stops Generally passengers are required to get down at an international stop which might be for Security checkup or cleaning of the airplane You will be given a transit card or say transit visa Normally the halt is for a couple of hours Listen to the announcement which is always made before the international halt You will hear information about departure time gate number etc After getting down at Intl Airport you can move around in the airport But be at the gate within 45 minutes of your flight s departure for the onward journey cause they may require to check your tickets etc Once you get in you are all set to take off for the final destination hat the port of entry U S airport yes landing is the immigration estic flight to reach your final destination Before setting dowr at your po Jal international halt inside the Immigration The first thing international airport where yi On a from the plane you may as WHATEVER YOU SAY IS athe ON THE PAPER You will be given the counter foil of I 94 form Keep that very carefully And say to yourself WELCOME TO USA 3 3 Baggage Claim Try to acquire some 25 cent coins called quarters which you may need for getting a trolley cart for your2. VISA card Get an extra card for your relative in India They can take cash advance and you can cover the charges from here in the USA T o0 wards a more A m er ican C o n v er sation U don t open conversation on telephone with a Hello but with a Hi The telephone is never engaged it s always busy U don t disconnect a phone U simply hang up U never mess up things U only screw them up U never have a residence tel no U have a home no U don t stop at the signals but halt at the lights U don t accelerate U step on the gas Your tire never punctures U may have a flat The trains have coaches or bogies no more but carriages or boxes There R no petrol bunks or pumps but gas stations T don t know nothing 2 negatives don t make a positive here U no longer meet a wonderful person U meet a cool guy counties No one stays a stone s There s no Town Side soft drinks en Sa misel CRIT ne don t have a grea CEI ave a U don t sweat it out U work U r butt oft Never post a letter always mail it and glue the stamps don t stick them U no longer live in flats or blocks find an apartment U don t stand in a queue you are in a line U no longer like
3. distance 1 Area Code 555 1212 Toll Free number enquiry 1 800 555 1212 4 Toll free Most of the 1 800 numbers are toll free You will not be charged for the calls you make to such numbers e g The toll free number for Mr Ashok Agarwal DCI California is 1 800 969 1117 This is a toll free number and you can dial it from anywhere in the U S without having to pay for it even from a public phone Some telephone numbers have alphabets in them such as 1 800 COLLECT To dial this number just press the digit on the telephone pad which has the corresponding alphabet you want to dial on it simple Most people use answering machines which are connected to their telephones or some ATION kind of voice mail system It has a standard pre recorded greeting which is played when you call up and then after some beeps it records your message Initially you will feel like you were talking to a dead person but soon you realize the importance of owning an answering machine We bet you ll buy one too Using the PUBLIC pay phones The important difference is you need to insert the money first then dial the number To operate a pay phone you need 25 cents This pays for one local call If your call is not connected your money is returned in the coin return slot Collect call If you want the called party person whom you are calling to pay for the call then you make a collect call To make a collect call pick up the receiver and pre
4. stick to the Blue Book Price but usually ask more Mileage is also a consideration while purchasing a used car Lesser the better The ideal average is 10000 miles per year So a car manufactured in 1987 may have a driven mileage of about 70000 miles in 1994 and not more than 80000 These are approx figures After buying a car you need to get it insured You cannot drive a car in the U S without proper Insurance The car has to be insured against collisions etc There are various vehicle Insurance companies having various deals Look up the yellow pages and call up some of them and ask for their rates Then decide on one The Insurance coverage period and the type of Insurance chosen and your age more for less than 25 yr decide the amount to be paid The comprehensive collision are terms used by the Insurance companies to describe the type of insurance coverage Get everything explained properly There is sometimes windscreen coverage too for a nominal additional amount per month this insures your windshield against damage a windscreen replacement may cost about 200 00 approx otherwise You have to get the emission testing do the previous owner has got it doneg ne on your car before it can be registered In case alid still then there is no need to do it The local vehicle registratio1 0 meanwhile process and prepat y registration for 45 days and The documents required to get a papers After proper regist
5. the right person People enjoy their work and leisure They plan their weekends well in advance Very few people stay back late in the office or come and work during weekends Such things are not related to performance As long as you do your work well and within time nobody cares what else you do Most companies allow you to compensate by king during the weekend if you take The work hours in most comp do need to put in a minimu anytime and go anytime but you s contractors Americans are very friendly and helpful They don t make you feel like a foreigner Though you feel It is very easy to adjust with them But they don t like people getting very inquisitive or trying to get too personal in the initial phase of the acquaintance They dress casually and nobody bothers which dress you wear etc They are fun loving creatures and enjoy their free time Most of them like to keep themselves physically fit by regular outings hiking exercise biking jogging etc They love the outdoors and natural surroundings They look forward to weekends and plan their weekend activities in advance This usually consists of some outdoor activity They are frank about their opinions They respect individual views and allow everyone to voice their own ideas on a subject They have a lot of patience Especially when standing in queues or while driving nobody will try to jump before you in the queue Most of t
6. and deposits Usually there are two types of lease depending on the period of lease 6 months lease amp 12 months lease In some places they allow 3 month lease too but the rent increases in that case Most of the cases you get 1 months rent free in case you select 12 months lease and you get half months rent free if you select 6 months lease You have to pay 1 months rent as security deposit and some amount around 10 to 15 as key deposit Rent for the apartment in basements is less than other apartments Very few people prefer to stay in basements because of security reasons So when you ask about availability of apartments it is possible that the Manager will say only basement apartment is available Hence insist for apartment on first or second floor if you don t want a basement apartment Otherwise after renting a basement apartment you will realize that apartments other than in basements were also available 17 2 Utilities Check whether your rent includes utilities such as hot water Cable etc Otherwise you end up spending around 100 to 150 for electricity bill if you have to pay for hot water 17 3 Lease Terms Understand the lease terms properly because most of the times you need to break the lease in case your project terminates suddenly if you want to break the lease a You have to give 30 days notice b You lose your security deposit c In some cases they the apartment management try to find somebody who wants to ren
7. ayment by Credit card or check But it is advisable to carry about 20 00 in cash at all times to cover emergency needs Of course you will have to always carry your checkbook around The following style is used to write the amount in words on the check Say for e g the amount to be paid is 35 47 then you would write Amount in words THIRTY FIVE amp 47 100 C ard s Itis a fashion to collect cards ofa pes and store them in ones purse The cards So there are cards siteh as Credit card gt Debit card Bank ATM card Shopping Store cards in the U S Medical benefit card Telephone calling gard Public library membership cards Credit Deb s Ac card allows y ses without Ou to pay ror your exper bothering about availability of money at the time of payment The Credit Card Company pays for you and later sends you a statement every month elaborating the payments made You can then pay the credit card Company by check There are certain limits imposed on Credit cards with regard to the amount of credit available to you which vary is the name of a chain of stores VISA and MASTERCARD are the most widely accepted credit cards The other being American Express card Called Am Ex for short A Debit card is almost like a check since it allows you to spend from your available resources only no credit business The banks where you have an account after you apply for it generally issue this It is not so ea
8. baggage and also for making telephone calls etc Thereafter move toward the baggage claim carousel assigned to your flight simply follow the signs directing you to the place Collect your luggage and look for signs directing you to customs clearance At the customs clearance they may ask you to open your bags for a security check Verification 3 4 Domestic Flight Since the Port of entry may not be your final destination in the U S and you have to proceed onwards locate the counter for the domestic airline you will be taking to your final destination Above all don t hesitate or feel shy to ask for help from airport support staff at information desks or police officers if you need anything Follow signs directing you to your domestic flight because you will need a boarding pass If it is far away take the Airport shuttle bus service which is free If you don t know where to get down tell the driver in advance and he will drop you off at the proper place At the counter podium check in your baggage and get your boarding pass issued and ready On arrival at the final destination collect your baggage once again and look in A e me when the area code OW VJ ou oni e pc int ee Hout re around for that someone who may be there to receive you If you don t find anyone or you already have specific instructions follow those otherwise call up telephone the DCI area coordinator whose tel number you should be carrying Therefore reme
9. before we leave we would like to tell you about The Culture Shock that you might feel Try to position yourself on this graph The graph shows typical phases in the culture shock It just makes you feel good if you know that others are in the same boat yndet h
10. d check is the only practical and recommended way of payment Nobody keeps cash People rally issue checks even for a small amount of less than 5 00 Checks are as good a DMV Dept of otd vehi 5 s not a S license At most places Driver s license is the only valid PHQ So rg ocial Security number Driver s license is another very impofrtan ire as soon as possible Getting driver s license is not fore appearing for a driving test behind the wheels one has to cle ducted by DMV Department of Motor Vehicles similar to RTO in Ir ala a te hi on the rules are ona al ii v er j necessary Noa by good eae state Se their own laws for driving a After understanding the contents of this book you can appear for the written exam You can appear for the test on any working day You can call up DMV and take an appointment with them or you can even go directly They will check your Passport and will give you a question paper Questions are objective type and you have to choose the best answer for each question Time is no limit for the exam After you are done with it the person on the counter will immediately check your paper and will tell you your score Upon passing this test you will get temporary driving license which is valid for two months DMV also issues an ID card The state government issues this You can use this ID card as a Photo Id till you get your driver s license At some places you are required to produce two Ph
11. d be allowed to drive the car other than those registered Unlimited mileage or fixed mileage is also a criteria which decides the hiring charges of a rental car You can make the booking over the phone But you have to go personally to pick up the car from the renting agency Generally the gas fuel tank is full and you are supposed to return it with a full tank Some rental agencies do not allow you to rent their car for travel outside the state There are various types of cars that can be booked Generally depending on the seating capacity such as small medium compact large full size premium mini van van etc One may even choose the make of the car if available The rental agencies maintain the cars in good shape and generally have new cars The renting charges vary depending on the season weekend weekday for how many etc God forbid but if something t you should know The Medical Benefit Card w di al Insurance Company is an important card and should be acq Fill up the Medical forms sent by DCI and return those immediately to D aoe that you are registered with the NOIR OOS TA BRQOCIA TION There is a 100 deductible Which means if you land into medical problems you have to pay the first 100 dollars from your pocket Thereafter the Insurance company takes over the payment depending on the coverage plan etc There are two acceptable ways of payment for the Doctor s services which depend
12. e on the safer side order a Veg Pizza that way you won t be left hungry atleast Order a small pizza if you are alone or a medium size is enough for two or three well it depends on your appetite actually You can order pizza by phone and it will be delivered at your doorstep in a few minutes Refer to the yellow pages or consult the motel receptionist you are staying in for information For breakfast have Continental breakfast which is cheap and the best To be sure about Veg items always ask for items with NO MEAT rather than WITHOUT MEAT Besure to say NO ICE if you prefer to have your drink without ice And remember that a CHEESEBURGER is a misnomer It contains meat besides cheese so be careful Here is a guide for Vegetarian Dishes Mexican Bean Burrito Enchiladas Bean Taco Cheese Taco Bean Tostadas Mexican Pizza Italian or Greek Eggplant brinjal sandwich Sphagetti with tomato sauce Lasagna pronounced Laza nya Italian Pitza Italian Pasta with tomato sauce Falafal Veg Gyro pronounced Yero Denny s Vegetable omelette with eggs Vegetable lunch dinner salad potato smash garlic sauce Broccoli soup American Restaurants Sizzler Olive Gard Best bet is salad bar amp French fries McDonald s Mac cheese sand diel Milk ic amp cream sundaes Pizza Hut Veggie Lover s delight Meggie pizza wi hoice of toppings such as Jalapenos pronounced Hala pin yos are greer ies pineapple t
13. g Tax forms or while opening a bank account or while getting a membership in the public library A person s entire credit history can be traced from this number As soon as one arrives in US he she is required to get Social Security number immediately It is a very simple procedure Every town or a city has a Social Security office You have to go there with your Passport First thing you need to do is collect the application form for new social security number These forms are available in various languages Find one in English and fill it completely It will ask you for your local postal address details besides other information The officer will check your application form and passport After checking everything you will be informed when you will be receiving your Social Security number which will be by postal mail Generally within three to four weeks time you will receive your social security number which appears printed on a small card which you should carry preserve safely Driving L i c ense Photo I D Getting Driver s License Driver s license is one of the most important documents required in United States Apart from driving needs it is required at almost all the places where you need to show your ID Mainly because this is the only valid Identity card which is required and approved at all the places Here in US most of the money transactions are done via checks or Credit cards Initially when you don t have credit car
14. gs very cheep from this source Everyone will be amazed if you have a full furnished house in a few months Garage sale is a second hand used thing sale which includes household items such as furniture like couch etc appliances such as T V stereo clothes jackets other used items This is held in people s garages or backyards generally on weekends They are a nice place to buy furniture from whicha old used things can hold a garage a sale The prices are negotia l columns S gt The early morning time on Sat_and Sun am and 11 00 a m is the best to hunt around for used things i B u y ing a Di e going to stay at a particular place for qui amp ime s We e york Ifs better to be ca uyi Cause OWnINE a Caf brines you fre and you own a vehicle but you need to maintain the car and take care of any problems The main concern while buying a car is its maintenance cost should not be high otherwise you will loose a lot So here is what experience tells us Buying a car in America is very easy there are lots of used cars for sale and there is never a shortage It is just the question of deciding the budget and type of car to be bought Most people prefer Japanese cars over American makes simply because of the easy re salability The most popular Japanese car makes are Honda and Toyota Types of models There are two categories of cars 2 door 4 door The 2 d are cheaper Then comes the type of transmi
15. hem are very disciplined drivers However this differs from State to State If they happen to come in your way or you happen to come in their way you will promptly hear an Excuse me or Excuse us They need a lot of feedback while talking You have to acknowledge nod continuously Otherwise they feel you are not interested in listening or are confused They gesture a lot and shoot some funny at least so it seems initially phrases at you It is a matter of getting used to it They are very proud of their country To them the Universe is the United States So never ever make fun of or speak lightly about them or tell them that they do not have any social cultural background You Jake moreyA merican friends that way Most Americans think of Indi a swamis etc This is due toth in Their T V only shows the p sggars snake charmers and edia coverage given to India n the streets Hope you will be able to pro INTELLIGENT people like you and not just ELEPHANTS and INDIAN SUDAN TEASSOCIATION Social Security Number details are given in this doc After arriving in USA one gets a package from DCI This package consists of different types of forms The most important one being the Medical Insurance form Don t be careless about this make sure to fill and return it soon After receiving this package one should sign all the forms and send it back to DCI as soon as possible This package consists of follow
16. ing documents Personal details In this form you need to fill up all your personal information which is required for official purposes Passport details In this form you are expected to furnish all your passport details Away from business expenses form One is supposed to fill up this form at the end of every month We get our salary in two parts One is Salary or Allowance and the other part is the reimbursement of the expenses incurred Your area coordinator will inform you about what amount you can claim etc It depends on the position and the class of city you are in Couple of memos These memos inform you about certain rules Medical insurance registration form MOST IMPORTANT FORM This form you are supposed to send to the medical insurance company It needs routine personal information In two weeks of time you will receive your medical insurance card which will cover most of your medical expenses in the U S But be sure you understand what is covered under this scheme and what is not You are supposed to send all these forms and memos asap Couples of these forms require your Social Security number If you have not yet received your social security number then leave that place tentatively blank in your forms and you can inform DCI about it later when you get one G ettin ecu rit y The way we have registration in Indiat INDIAN Sora att TION the SS number for any official paper work or eine e g while fillin
17. mber to keep phone numbers handy Get information from the DCI area coordinator on the stay arrangements made for you Finally if no one comes to pick you up try to locate the information counter from where you will get all the information regarding how to call for Also the Public Transport section of this guide will help you in understanding the travel facilities available in the U S U s ing T e I e p hones The first thing you might do when you come to USA is call someone So this is a good time to tell you about telephone usage Telephone calls within U S are considered local 2 calls o l within a short region are freedinlesswmade Aero phone which is a coin operated machine Long distan a ying rates depending on how you make the call which lor you use for how long you Each local region is assigned an code 123 4567 where 123 4 number within your area then ye outside your area you need to dial 1 a 011 91 a Gat Here AAN indicates an international call 91 is the country dode for India 22 is the area code for Bombay and 1234567 may be the actual phone number you want to dial Other important facilities provided are 1 Yellow pages Tel directory Advertisements and Telephone numbers of businesses 2 Emergency Telephone Number There is one emergency number that you can dial for any type of emergency which is 911 Fire Ambulance Police 3 Directory assistance Local telephone numbers 411 Long
18. me that though there is a delay involved from deposit to encashability Indian Banks do NOT charge a service fee 2 SBI Chicago has a provision wherein they charge you 5 00 as commission and you can get a draft made IN INDIAN RUPEES right here in the US and sent to India Takes 5 6 days Their number is 1 800 334 6342 3 Cashier s Check Certified Check or Money Order from a Local Bank May involve service charge and delay in encashability status in Rupees 4 Bank Draft Usually a 10 service fee in a US Bank is involved 5 Cable Transfer Speediest 3 5 working days However as I have noted from my local bank 25 service charge is normally invol depending where Jouis are cing US y j s A 1 in India will pay U Rupees in minutes Also if it gets lost full money inexpensive and fast method gt Leave the checkbook with your write checks and withdraw money Takes about a week Also if you send a personal check to Citibank at NY city they NDB CLT AOS ICIATION Tr LAIN ys 10 NRI a c with in D or che ale a You can have a predesignated beneficiary in India who could draw in Indian Rupees in India while U pump here in the USA 11 Morgan s Trust Hanover s Trust Cashiers Check Demand Draft You can get these in most US banks 12 Chase Manhattan Drafts from Bank of Baroda Fast Service charge present 13 SBI San Francisco Bank Draft Service Charge 7 415 956 6326 14 Credit Card Get a
19. might be beneficial in some cases such as when the monthly salary is not received on time and the house rent phone bills etc has to be paid There are various kinds of check cheque books available that one can choose from such as the kind of colored paper and printed background design on paper etc Usually a set of 200 checks bound together in books of 20 each is sufficient for 6 months But it depends on how many checks are issued by you and at what frequency The first check book is given by the bank immediately on opening an account the other 200 checks are mailed to you at the given address The next thing is to ask for an ATM card This allows you to withdraw money 24 hrs from any ATM machine of the bank or related ones Some banks charge money to issue an ATM card and the first set of check cheque books Something like 10 00 for the ATM card and another 10 00 for the first 200 checks 10 books of 20 pages each But most banks do not charge anything The whole procedure of opening an account takes about 10 15 min A few shops gas stations etc ask for a valid photo id when payment is made by check This is just for verification A photo id could be a U S driver s license or an actual ID card which is issued by the local Dept of Motor Vehicles office Small payments such as 1 25 etc too can be made by check and it is not absurd to do so People carry very little or no cash on person Most of them make their p
20. omato onions etc og Burger King Veggie cheese ofe den b Office aon d LA Wor k ore you Start yo UDEIN Po w onment 1 e T place from any PCS person there or read on for some typical environments you may find Project Leaders are very understanding and friendly And do not unduly pressurize you to perform They will definitely give you some time to come up to speed on their work environment There is a lot of individualistic approach Every person s inputs are given a lot of importance Independent views are respected Before discarding any of your ideas they will give you a good enough reason for doing so For the smallest of decisions they will sometimes hold a meeting and get the entire team s inputs comments suggestions before proceeding One feels important when this is done But sometimes it can get boring Nobody double checks what you are saying they take you for your word There are no suspicious feelings and managers don t fear subordinates Managers will openly discuss about their meetings with their bosses with the team There is no hide and seek as far as information feedback is concerned People admit if they don t know or have information about certain things They don t pretend to be all knowing People are dedicated to their area of work and develop expertise in it But they do not talk about work related topics which are not in their area of expertise they immediately refer you to
21. one connection by calling them up Most of the business takes place on the phone Surprisingly all work gets done and promptly too 17 8 Maintaining an apartment In most of the apartments you have cooking range oven dish washer refrigerator etc Use aluminum foil to cover part of the cooking range other than coils so that it remains clean and in the end you don t need to spend time in cleaning it Dish washer soap is available in liquid or in powder form Dish washer inner surface starts becoming blackish after some days The cleaning liquid can be used to clean it This can be done once in a month Clean your oven once in a month using oven cleaning liquid Use plastic garbage bags in trash cans so that you can just take the bag and dispose it in the central trash usually provided in the apartment complex 17 9 Laundry If the apartment itself does not have a washer dryer there will usually be a common laundry room in the complex where you can do your weekly washing drying Such common machines usually are coin operated machines so you ll need a few quarters and also your own favorite detergent powder Decorating Furnishing YOUR house Of course this is not an advice for interior designing but to make your APARTMENT look like a HOME Home is not a place with four walls but where you have furniture also The greatest place to get the things you need for your house is Garage Sales You can get things like Sofa sets to Wall paintin
22. ons either break pads oj shape Get 4 people to sit in the car and you can make out if n you make a sharp turn 6 Most important check for ar gives you power speed pick up when you try to accelerate 7 Last check for emission whet ack thick which means oil is also burned with fuel gt the car is beyond t e piston rings might be leaving a gap in imders because of we In that case on t bu Ask the o to gi c f the maintenanc C Also make sure you don t go beyond 3rd hand purchase There must be something seriously wrong with the car if people have changed owners drastically 9 Air filter valve etc OK Ask the owner to discount the price of the car by the amount required for the repairs suggested by the mechanic Or else ask him to get it repaired for you The rates of the used cars have some standard values which are generally not exceeded These values can be checked up in something called Blue Book which is a text available in the public library or with car dealers So car models classified as per Year of make have their value listed in the Blue B OK There is a cost deduction to be applied for the mileage that the car has been driven for which is mentioned in most Blue Books That gives a fair idea about the standard cost of any used car Moreover there is ample scope for price negotiation Generally private owners who sell through ads can give better discounts than used car dealers Generally car dealers
23. oto Ids that time it is very useful to have this photo id you can even go for some driving lessons For driving lessons you can go to driving school or to a private teacher Private teachers are little cheaper as compared to driving school Once you are ready for the test again you will have to take an appointment with DMV for the driving test TION On the day of appointment you have to go there with your learning license The car in which you will give your driving test should have proper Insurance papers Also check all the controls including signal lights and brake lights If any of these is not in shape you will not be allowed to appear for the test This test will be of 100 marks After your test driving inspector will immediately tell you your result Generally they explain to you your mistakes so that you can work on them and rectify If you have passed you will get your license immediately in most places If you fail there is no minimum period required between the time you appear again So you can practice again and appear as soon as you can s e q u e Generally most peop To open an account week or more to get the s the passport and open t receive your SS number Then there are concepts like mber to inform the bank once you in balance which is either r a i MBA E ot S e minimum amount always in the account Overdraft facility Again NO or YES This allows you some amount of overdraft This
24. ou own a car in the U S so that you are independent But till you get to buy a car you can use the public transportation system or depend on your friends colleagues for a ride 5 1 Trains and Buses In most cities you may purchase Daily Tickets from the conductor or the driver on the train and buses each day For more information on routes schedules and fares see the publications and maps published by the city s local authority You can locate them in your telephone book 5 2 Taxi Companies In some area phone for a taxi and make an appointment You will not find them in the street corners but you do find them waiting in a queue at the airport Taxis a fe yellow pages under the name When you call tell the disp wre and where you want to go The dispatch operator will tell yo W e taxi to arrive at your starting point He or she will ask for th fl phone number so they can call you if the taxi driver C F F cost of the ride You enter the taxi the meter will read flat rat g finiu chafeey You i y F OOD I m hun gr Of course you must be hungry when you arrive God knows what you ate on the plane You don t remember the neither item s name nor its contents It may be one of the weirdest things you ever had for dinner or lunch So you must be apprehensive about what you will get for lunch or dinner The best thing you can try is PIZZA which is pronounced as PiTza You get both Veg and NonVeg Pizzas But to b
25. ously gains status of Resident Alien Any person who is in US for less than 183 days in that financial year is considered as Non Resident Alien Non Resident Alien will not have some Tax benefits which any US citizen or Resident Alien will have Here in particular Non resident Alien will not get Standard deduction on their income Also they have to pay Tax as per the Flat rate So basically when you file your Tax return as NR you land up paying more taxes But you have to file 1O40NR when you are having status as Non resident Alien For filing Tax return form one can get help from the government body which is know as IRS Internal Revenue Services This is same as Income Tax department in India Also one has to pay tax to the state government Each state has a different tax law for the State Tax Booklet of information on this is available on request Tax forms are available freely at the public places like Post office Public library where one can get the form that he she requires Also government gives special services for the people who needs the guidance One can get this information even on phone by calling them One can even go in person to understand the form Apart from these facilities provided S SOW ent one can even go to private Tax consultants They charge SQE whe tw Ms They take care of every detail ut an Tax you are supposed to send form to all the employees The form contains all the inform ie tl the person Al
26. ration is e you cal our car However you should have a Driver s License Actuallyve in the U S has different laws Most states others require that you get a local Driver s se The driver s license can be obtained NDIAN SFEBENTSRSSOCIATION Car is a necessity in most of the places here in U S Either you buy a car or you can rent a car You can pay either a monthly rate or daily rent Though it s expensive to rent a car for a month or so it might be required if you are going to stay at that place for a small period of time Here is some information you will need OR should know when you want to rent a car The driver co drivers need to be at least 25 years old Credit Card is required to rent a car Else a deposit of about 300 etc Most companies do not allow you to rent a car if you do not have a credit card You need a valid driver s license to drive a rental car Well known car renting companies are Hertz Avis Alamo Budget Dollar Enterprise etc Car Insurance has to be bought for the Rental car It is a separate charge or is included in the total per day renting cost Some credit card companies pay for the insurance if you use their card to book a car e g American Express Credit Card in such a case you need not buy insurance from the car rental company You have to register the other drivers too as co drivers of the rental car while booking the car They should have valid driver s licenses too Nobody else shoul
27. s on the Doctor The Doctor s receptionist is the best person to ask payment related questions Some Doctors ask you to pay them by cash check credit card etc immediately after the service The receptionist will then give you a formal bill which you must send by postal mail to the Medical Insurance Company along with the claim form supplied by DCI which comes in with the initial package soon after you land in the U S The Medical Ins Co will then send you a check after verifying your claim Other Doctors will note down the details of your Medical Insurance Company from your card They will then send the bill to the Insurance Company and receive the payment directly You need not pay the Doctor But in both the above modes remember that there are certain charges which the Insurance Company will not pay and which they don t cover such as the first 100 So find out the details from the Insurance Co about your respective coverage medical problem etc For certain kinds of medical problems where you have to visit the Doctor repeatedly ple ea N fill a ed n le ta h J t in s me ta only a fixed number of visits per year are paid by the Insurance Company and not all How to decide on the Doctor to visit Ask your colleagues or other Indian friends Otherwise check up the yellow pages phone directory Look under the Physicians heading Telephone the Doctor and fix up an appointment Only in cases of emergency do the Doctor
28. s see you immediately otherwise it is always by appointment You can claim the expenses for any Dr prescribed medicine that you have to buy from the Drug medical Store NOTE Pain in the lower back and strai common due to the kind of Spig i and one just needs to get usedjtc Beware of Dental problemi si Scheme I n c om e Income Tax return Ties is very an ei of filing the income on return is 15th of April penne year is ee from Ist of January till 31st of December US has a Tax treaty with India Under this Tax treaty one can file his tax return either in India or in US as per the convenience But you need to show your income earned in either of the country Suppose you come to US in the middle of the year You must be definitely having some income in India before you came to US in that particular financial year Also some part of salary is paid to you even when you are in US This income is taxable and hence you pay tax on that income Generally you pay tax on this income in India as in most of the cases income tax is deducted at source So one pays tax on the income in India So now you are liable only for the tax on the income that you earn in US Here there are different types of forms for different category of people For those who are US residents and who have status of Resident Aliens they have to file the what is called 1040EZ form form 1040 easy Any person who is in the US for more than 183 days continu
29. so all the taxes paid by the employer to the State e well as eral government Details about the social security taxes and the m dical axes paid by thef mployer are also included in this form E N There are three copies of this form One to be sent with the State Tax form one e me pa ch He for the loye al econdgB ime n one le chee he vai rm O ant is t ect Social CDak any f should inform the te aip Employer is pakan to send the in information to IRS and also a corrected copy to the employee which is called W2C form A A A M em b ership We wanted to mention this specially cause its very helpful for a person who is new to U S AAA read as triple A stands for American Automobile Association is an auto club which provides you with all kinds of tour and travel information It provides you with all the maps and travel guides which you will need It also has services like towing opening your car door lock in case you get locked out emergency help and so on Being a member of this club also gets you concession for motel booking and rental cars There is a yearly fee for all these services which they provide and if you believe us It s more than worth it So we think its a good idea to be a member of this club It will help you in traveling which ofcourse you will do once you get here H o w T o Send Money Here are a few ways to send money to India 1 Personal Check drawn on a US Bank A lot of letters wrote to
30. something U appreciate it is not hash it s pound U R not deaf U have impaired hearing U R not lunatic U are just mentally challenged U R not disgusting U R sick U can t get surprised U get zapped U don t schedule a meeting U skejule it U never joke U just kid U never increase the pressure U always crank it up U never ask for a pencil rubber U ask for an eraser A rubber is a condom U don t try to find a lift U find an elevator U no more ask for a route but for a RAUT U don t ask somebody How r u U say What s up dude U never go to see a game or a match U go to watch a game U never go to a theatre theatre is a place for dramatic presentations U go to the movies If U see World champions or Series read USA champions or Series There s no zero but o no Z but zee There s no FULL STOP after a statement there s a PERIOD If someone gets angry at U U get flamed You don t say How do you do you say How you doin L a Stress is a part of professional life an hen you are living in an alien cou ntry r you understand and accept it re e ERENS h this we all feel youwill be iden ur User Manual But
31. ss 0 Let the operator know that you want to make a COLLECT call the operator will connect you to the phone number you need e at the operator will check with the other INDIAN STODENTSASSSQATION 4 Pacific TZ lags Eastern TZ by three hours Example California Oregon Washington etc Day light saving As the name suggests the time is set in such a way that maximum day light could be used e g during summer the sun rises at around 4 5 o clock So the clock is set forward by one hour This forces all activities to start one hour earlier so that maximum day light is used till late in the evening Therefore The Clock is set back by one hour on the first Sunday of November 1 Fall Season at 2 00 am Clock is once again set forward by one hour on the first Sunday of April at 2 00 am Spring Season The easiest way to remember this is FALL BACK SPRING AHEAD By the way Arizona is the only state which is not affected by day light saving People there do not ever change the time in their clocks Currency Dollar 100 cents Quarter 25 cents Dime 10 cents Nickel 5 cents Penny 1 cent Initially there is some confusion since the quarter is exactly of the same size and shape as the Indian 50 paise coin P u b l i c T rans por tt All major cities have some sort of public transportation not necessarily very good or frequent or well connected Therefore most people prefer to travel by their own cars It is better that y
32. ssion gear automatic or stick shift Most people buy automatic transmission Such cars are very easy to drive Almost all Indian cars are of the stick shift variety Where to look The local newspapers carry a lot of car sale advertisement everyday You should see the paper and decide on the ones you are interested in Next call up the owner at the tel no given as early in the day as possible and fix up an appointment to visit and see the car Test drive it if you like it and the price is ok tell the owner that you d like to get it checked up by a mechanic This is the normal practice There is nothing to feel shy about asking the car to be checked up This will save you a lot of money later after purchasing the car from unforeseen problems that some used cars land up into Look up the yellow pages in the local tel directory to get the list of car mechanics or just ask colleagues to recommend one If that doesn t work out ask the local AAA American Automobile Association office to recommend someone to you For a fee of about 25 30 the mechanic will check up the car and tell you the problems or possible problems if any Some people do it for free It is good to tell the auto mechanic to check up the following things with additional care in addition to their regular 3 If it is a 4 speed never buys 4 Check for rust in bottom wadiators Ae 5 Check for vibrations when yowbi p thout downshifting If there are vibrati
33. sy to get a credit card for the first timer in U S The application is scrutinized by the Credit Organization Bank and the credit history checked up They call up the banks where you have an account to find out your balance and credit status etc Actually it seems the credit history is traced from your Social Security No Usually the period of stay is also an important criteria e g at least 6 month stay is essential to be considered eligible for a Credit card To build up a good credit history many people take loans from the bank E g to buy a car and repay it in time This increases the chances of getting a Credit Card sooner The most easiest to get is the American Express Card They ask for a letter from the employer regarding salary status etc once the initial application is verified The Gold Card is the next thing to aim for once you have at least a card The Credit limit is higher on the Gold Card apart from other benefits The most difficult to get is the DISCOVER credit card Most Credit cards offer other benefits too such as mileage accumulation for V that airline anywhere in the U S once about 20 000 miles havembee ur os rate of 1 mile per dollar Some oon Most organizations lamination too en nbership cards with neat plastic Now that you have started your wor in the motel Here is what dees th lo ba s Guide rent an apartment you a consider following points 17 1 Lease period
34. t your apartment If they don t get anybody within 30 days period You have to pay 1 month s rent extra In this situation you lose your security deposit plus one months rent Get these terms clarified before signing the lease papers 17 4 Lease Breaking If you are sharing an apartment with somebody Suppose 3 people are sharing an apartment and all three have their names on lease papers In case one of the three wants to leave before the lease period is over you need to take a letter from him saying that all further paper work can be done by the other two people This letter is required when your lease period is over or even if you want to break the lease before that period is over If you don t have such a letter you won t be able to break the lease unless all three have signed the lease break pape In such cases you also end up losing your deposit This is true even for nor understand these terms and cone y y rve if there are any types of rty Manager to make a note of 17 5 Damages After renting damages in the apartment If y it Otherwise they will deduc period is over 17 6 Downgrading and Upgrading ou ae you have to pay som vj ro te ment from 2 be 5 17 7 Electricity and HOt connection After you rent the apartment you need to inform your local Electric Supply company that you will be staying in that apartment from so and so date and that they may bill you from that date Ask your local telephone company for a teleph
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