Hi Guys,

Forgive me for asking questions totally unrelated to babies in this forum but since i do not know too many ppl in the US, i am taking this liberty :-)

We are currently based in Kenya & my husband has an offer from a company in New York which he has accepted.. they have d office in New Jersey in an area called SEACAUCUS. Cant say abt the date of joning as that depends on getting the H1. Most
likely they are saying to join on B1 & once he is there they will file the H1 as the quota is over & will open in Oct now again?!

Achha i hv a few questions to ask of those of you who are living in the US .. u r likely to fall off ur chair laughing when u read my queries/doubts but hey what the hell let me ask some \";foolish\"; questions & provide u with sum entertainment .. so here goes:

1. Does anyone remember how much time it took for them to join their husbands on an H4 Visa after their husbands got the H1?

2. Do u know some sites etc where i can get reliable info on real estate - i.e flats to rent in New Jersey area ?I guess NY- NJ will be horribly mehnga? His office is in some area called Secaucus - do u know of it .. what kind of a place is it?

3. What do ppl like us (newly arriving) do abt cars there - buy new (guess not) or take 2nd hand on mortgage? What kinds of rates are prevailing for decent Honda/Nissan/Chevy cars abt 2000-02 models? Any ideas

4. Are houses rented out fully/semi furnished usually or its normal to give out 4 bare walls :-) Are things like Fridge, TV,microwave etc expensive?

5. Is it normal for people to have washing machines at home ? In movies i see ppl using laundromats???

6. Is stuff like grocery/food items reasonable - i guess we get all Indian spices there nowadays?

7. Does even admissiom to a Daycare/Creche be dependent on the locality u live in, as it is, i believe for schools?

8. Do we get good Indian channels on cable TV? Is that expensive too?

These are some of the things swirling in my mind .. i am apprehensive of my ability to manage all housework on my own .. used to as i am now of having maids uptil now.. be it in India, Dubai or Kenya :-( Once u have had ur laff reading my questions Pls DO Reply :-)


Will wait

Thanks a lot ;-)

Nidhi
sree replied. Hi Nidhi,
When I came on H-4 it took me 3 months.Don't know about the latest procedures

you can find more info about newcomers to usa at sreekulu dot tripod dot com and click on new arrivals.

NY will be very expensive.NJ is not as expensive as that but yes compared to many other states it is. But the good thing is there a huge indian community in NJ
The place you are saying about secaucus,I was there once.Its a small city and has lots of outlet malls.

You might want to think about taking apartment in a different city and commuting.

Indian community is more in NJ in Edison,Piscataway,Princeton areas.Edison has an oaktree road with more than 500 indian shops of all kinds.You will get all kinds of indian grocery and goods here.

Apartments here usually come with fridge,cooking range and dishwasher and many also come with microwave. if there is a washer dryer inside you might have to pay extra and pay water charges. Usually all apartments have laundry rooms for each building or block.

You will manage quite easily without a maid here with all the available amenities.Here maid service is too costly.

You can buy new car or take a rental car for a few months and then buy a new car or a 2nd hand car. We took rental car for couple of months and then bought a new car.You will need a car in NJ because the public transport is not much there.

You can get indian channels like zee tv in cable by paying additional for that channel.

HTH
sree Jay replied. dear Nidhi

Congratulations to u and your husband for getting a job in the US. here r the answers to your questions..these doubts r quite normal...

1. Nowadays, H4 visa needs interview...u must fix an appt thro net and it takes some time- may be 3-4months, but u can frequently check and change the date...

2. wwww dot apartments dot com / www dot rent dot com for apartment renting

3. Regarding Cars, it is better to get 2nd hand cars intially. 2000-2002 cars rates can be checked with the dealers im your locality - u can do this after arriving to US

4. You get all types of apartments, all depends on ur budget. Fridge, microwave, dishwasher - r default.

5. you will get apartments with washer-dryer in unit...others with common laundry room inside the apartment complex

6. Groceries r reasonable. dont worry abtthat.you will get everything.

7.Normal schooling starts at 5 yrs of age...

8. YEs, u get Zee TV, Asianet, etc and the rates depend on your locality.

dont worry abt household work...you will get used to every thing...

all the best,

with love,
Jay Sia replied. Hi Nidhi !!
Welcome to NJ !!
Go to following site you will get lots of info. regarding NJ.
wwwdotsulekhadotcom