Moving to Atlanta from Australia (Buckhead: apartments, rentals, credit card)

[bogan80]

G'day people - I am from sydney, Australia and relocating to Atlanta in the next few weeks !! (or so I hope; depending on when I get my visa).

Need some help to figure out how to get started. Stuff like:

1. Social Security Number - I understand this is the first thing to do. How long does this take.

2. Tax File Number - Is this easy to get. Do I go to an office or my does my employer get it for me.

3. How do I get a credit card etc as I dont have any credit history in USA.

4. Can i use my aussie driver license as we do right side drive

5. Will I have to pay high interest rates on a car loan?

5. Apartment rentals to folks who dont have any personal references

and any other things to ease into life there.

I am looking forward to living and travelling in USA ..at the same time nervous about leaving home and starting in an unfamiliar city.

[BobKovacs]

See my responses in bold below. Just my opinion, but it sounds like there's a lot of loose ends here that you should have tied up much sooner than "a few weeks" before you move 1/2 way around the world......

Bob

Originally Posted by bogan80

G'day people - I am from sydney, Australia and relocating to Atlanta in the next few weeks !! (or so I hope; depending on when I get my visa).

Need some help to figure out how to get started. Stuff like:

1. Social Security Number - I understand this is the first thing to do. How long does this take. Don't know how long it takes, but Social Security Online will give you the process you need to follow.

2. Tax File Number - Is this easy to get. Do I go to an office or my does my employer get it for me. You should file based on your social security number, so I don't think you'll need any further identifiers.

3. How do I get a credit card etc as I dont have any credit history in USA. Can you use a current card that you have from Australia? That should at least get you started. You can then get a "prepaid" card to use for a while, which will help establish some credit here in the states, or get a bank account that includes a Visa check card that pulls money directly from your checking account.

4. Can i use my aussie driver license as we do right side drive? You've got to get a Georgia license within 30 days of moving here, so you can use the Aussie license until then.

5. Will I have to pay high interest rates on a car loan? More than likely, yes, as with little/no credit, you won't get the good rates. I'm assuming you're already set with employment, as the ability to pay the loan will obviously be a factor.

5. Apartment rentals to folks who dont have any personal references. Do you have any personal references in Australia, or did you live in the bush? Phones here reach out that far, ya know...lol.

and any other things to ease into life there.

I am looking forward to living and travelling in USA ..at the same time nervous about leaving home and starting in an unfamiliar city.

[xxman777]

There are many credit cards available for people who don't have any credit, they have very high interest rates but they are a way to build credit. Getting a checking account as soon as you land will help.

Generally you shouldn't need personal references for an apartment. Some places will ask for them, but most don't care. A lack of credit could be a problem though, some places will charge you a higher deposit, others might not even rent to you.

[bogan80]

Bob, XXMan - thanks for your replies.

yes, I live in a city !!! and can provide references from Aus.. thanks for clarifying that it will work.

I had a few followup queries. My work will be at Peachtree; and expect to be travelling around the east/south within a few weeks of start. Where do I look for serviced aptmts and how much will they cost ?

[dens]

Please be far more specific..."work will be at Peachtree" does not tell us anything, there are many Peachtree streets/roads et al in this town so suggest maybe midtown, downtown, buckhead, perimeter or a specific intersection.

[atlantagreg30127]

I'll tell you now right off the bat to just not bother with any "Post Properties" apartments you come across. Post is a large builder here and has numerous apartment communities, including several in the Midtown/Buckhead Peachtree areas. Post requires residents to prove they make several times the monthly rent in income, and they have to have a pretty high credit score or else pay a huge deposit. They're overpriced anyway, but just to save you time, pick past them when you come here.

As someone else said, you need to go down your checklist quick... some of this stuff should have been taken care of long before the final few weeks before you move to the states. Are you being transfered here by a current employer there? If so, have them set you up with temporary corporate housing until you get settled.

Peachtree Street/Road is something like 45 miles long, and again as someone else posted, there are roughly 33 streets with the name "Peachtree" in them in the area. So if you mean your job will be downtown or in the Midtown area, there are plenty of places to look at. If you don't have corporate housing set up BEFORE you get here, then prior to your move contact a service like promove which a lot of people talk about on here ( Atlanta Apartments from PROMOVE - The Apartment Source ) they are apartment finders. Tell them what you are looking for, price range, etc., and they should go from there.

It probably wouldn't hurt to move close to work as well as near a MARTA station (our subway system). It's going to be hard enough for you to get the hang of driving on the "right" side of the road, much less the fact you're going to be moving to a city that has some of the worst traffic in spots in the U.S. It actually may not hurt to take a couple of driver's ed courses in a driver school to get a feel for it all, and living near MARTA would give you a way to get around until you're comfortable driving here (and safer for you and those on the road near you until you know what you're doing). MARTA's web site with "how tos" and a system map is: MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority