Part V: In for the long haul...

Part I: The Visa
Part II: Arriving in the USA
Part III: Tax stuff
Part IV: Driving in the US
Part V: In for the long haul

Working up a credit rating – If you don't have American Express or some other international credit card, you'll want to improve your credit rating in the states. Credit cards are hard to get immediately after arrival, but getting a cell phone and a couple of store cards is fairly easy (make sure you use them, even if only to pay them off immediately). When it comes to buying cars on finance, having some sort of credit history can be vital. And you will want to buy a car if you stay more than 2 yrs in the US; you can only survive for so long on the $2000 'beater car' you bought when you first came over. Some other options are discussed here.

Changing Visa Status – The maximum length of stay for a J1 visa holder is 3 yrs and 6 months. To stay longer you will probably want to apply for an H1B, which your institution will initiate. However, there is a Two Year Home Residency clause that applies to many foreign nationals, including Brits. This clause requires that when the visitor's J1 visa status has expired, the visitor must return to their home country, for a period of at least 2 yrs, before being legible to apply for a new extended visa. That is, of course, slightly impractical. Fortunately, you can apply for a waiver. USCIS will send you the application form, part of which is sent to the British embassy, DC, where the powers of the crown decide whether or not they can do without your expertise for another couple of years. Nine times out of ten, Britain decides that it can indeed survive without you, and sends a letter to USCIS granting you leave to stay in the US. If you decide to apply for an H1B, don't panic about talk of H1B quotas getting drained quickly. Academic visitors have a separate and apparently limitless H1B pool, so if you hear that all the H1Bs have been allocated for a given year, it doesn't affect you.

Pensions - Definitely check out your institution's pension options. Usually, you need to be employed for a year before you can enroll on their pension scheme, but in many cases it's well worthwhile. Whereas in the commercial sector it's getting increasingly difficult to find employers prepared to match your contributions, many academic establishments still do. Given that you're probably about 25 yrs old at least, it's probably about time to start a pension anyway. Of course, if the dollar crashes any further... well, let's not think about that.

Becoming a Resident Alien - After two tax years you will become a Resident Alien for tax purposes. That means you usually file the standard 1040 (or 1040EZ).

Social Security and Medicare (IMPORTANT!) - You don't have to pay either of these for the first two years of your stay (i.e. from the moment you received you first monthly salary). However, when you get to the final month of that two year period, your institute will withhold social security and medicare payments - or FICA as it is referred to - from your check as of the first month of the year. Now pay attention here. That means that if you received you first paycheck in October of 2003, as I did, then although payroll will not change your FICA withholding status until October 2005, they will nevertheless conclude that you owe FICA for the previous 9 months (i.e. as of January that year)! So take that into account and make sure you inform payroll if you intend to stay longer than two years, so that they can start withholding FICA immediately.



This essentially concludes this series on embarking upon a postdoc career in the US. I decided I rather liked it here, and haven't been back to England since. Although that's partly because, what with the current exchange rate, I would be absolutely flat broke within five minutes of landing in Heathrow. If all this hasn't put you off such an endeavour, then Bon Voyage! and enjoy your stay.