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Me and my wife just won to the diversity lottery, and we want to move to USA in New York City. We are from Europe (Romania) and we decided to start a new life in NY.
We want to rent an apartment to have a starting point, but it seems that landlords are asking for credit score, proof of employment and we don't have any of this, because we are from outside USA.
We can provide reference from our relatives (they are already USA citizens) and we can pay some advance, we even are available to share an apartment with someone , but we cant provide credit score or employment.
How can we rent something in this situation?
Thank you very much. Any answer will be of great help for us.
Where do your relatives live? Can you stay with them for a while as you look for a job?
New York is a very tough place to get started. Do you have a special job skill or education to give you an advantage? Your English seems good, but immigrating anywhere is tough.
It takes time to build credit and find a job, which is why I suggest staying with relatives or looking for a different city. Most of the US does not have the tough rent restrictions that New York does. You just have to put down first month's rent and deposit and they'll give you keys. New York apartments require a lot of proof that you can pay, and as a new arrival you just may not be able to provide them the documentation they require.
The NY State comptroller's office just issued a report about immigrants and the economy in New York City. Immigrants make up 46% of NYC's work force.
It must be difficult for immigrants to come here and make things work, but people are doing it all the time. Guess they put up with the hard times to get to the good times. I suspect when they first arrive, many immigrants rely on family and networks from their countries who have come here before them.
If you don't have a large network like this, I would suggest trying to find a Romanian club or organization of NYC. Contact them and see how they can help.
1. Find a group (an internet group, a church group, a newspaper) for Romanian emigrees in NYC. I'm betting that there are already a couple of groups here, and they could provide advice.
2. Consider starting in a short-term sublet for a few months, where you come with a lot of money and pay everything in advance. That way your credit isn't so much an issue. By the end of the few months, we'll hope that you have a job.
3. The main way people in NYC find apartments these days is via the website Craig's List (craigslist classifieds: jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, events, forums). If you go to the main page, and click on New York City, at the top center there is a Housing section where there are advertisements, and at the bottom left there is a Housing forum where you can ask questions. And you'll need to be asking a lot of questions, because NYC is one of the more difficult, complicated housing markets in the country.
4. Keep in mind that maybe people don't actually live right in New York City, nor even New York State, but actually commute from nearby New Jersey.
This is a fantastic city and many feel that way which is the reason that it is so ovecrowded and expensive here. As some have already pointed out this is a very hard city to begin building a foundation....it is hard for many of us who were born here imagine the difficulty for someone from another country.
Unless you have plenty of cash I would highly recommend that you start your life in the US in a smaller city. As my family used to say all the time crawl first before you try to walk!
There are many neighborhoods in NYC where you will find large numbers of recent immigrants from Eastern Europe.My neighborhood,Pelham Parkway in The Bronx, is home to the largest group of Albanians in the US but there are also many people from Russia,Bulgaria,Serbia and Romania.Ridgewood and Woodside in Queens and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn also have large numbers of Eastern Europeans.As others have pointed out,if you gravitate to these neighborhoods you will find help.In these neighborhoods the immigrants who have established themselves seem to look out for and help recent arrivals.
Say what you want about how difficult it is to make it in NYC but my neighborhood is full of people from Eastern Europe who have only been here for 20 years or less and who barely speak English but who own thriving businesses and many large apartment buildings.
A lot of us natives have gotten soft and lazy but the immigrants seem to have no problem making it here.
Lived on Pelham Parkway (Lydig Avenue) for a few years and it definitely has a large Albanian population. However let's not forget they came to the US in droves because of major problems in their own country and as always the US government used taxpayer money fixing other peoples problems instead of using that money to fix the problems that exist here. The other problem with the assumption that natives are lazy is that unlike the Albanians and other immigrant groups that come here we cannot get the benefits that they get. The minute these immigrant groups land here they have a handout funded by the taxpayer ready and waiting for them.
Even with the handout (food stamps, welfare etc.) it is still very difficult for an immigrant to start a life here. Besides that we already have enough overcrowding and people living off of the system....why invite more people who don't have any employment and will come to this city and end up on taxpayer funded welfare....isn't the cost of living already high enough in this city!
Trying to move to the US biggest city without a job is just unrealistic....I don't care how many immigrant groups have done it......until they get their act in order and open those business's (it may take years to open a business) they are a drain on our wallets.
Last edited by NewYorkBorn; 01-23-2010 at 07:47 PM..
Lived on Pelham Parkway (Lydig Avenue) for a few years and it definitely has a large Albanian population. However let's not forget they came to the US in droves because of major problems in their own country and as always the US government used taxpayer money fixing other peoples problems instead of using that money to fix the problems that exist here. The other problem with the assumption that natives are lazy is that unlike the Albanians and other immigrant groups that come here we cannot get the benefits that they get. The minute these immigrant groups land here they have a handout funded by the taxpayer ready and waiting for them.
Even with the handout (food stamps, welfare etc.) it is still very difficult for an immigrant to start a life here. Besides that we already have enough overcrowding and people living off of the system....why invite more people who don't have any employment and will come to this city and end up on taxpayer funded welfare....isn't the cost of living already high enough in this city!
Your true colors are showing. Leave the anti-immigration comments for another thread. This thread is to help someone who has very politely and kindly (in perfect English) asked for some advice about an upcoming move.
“New York City remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for immigrants from every nation,” DiNapoli said. “Immigrants built New York City and drive its economy – in fact, foreign-born workers accounted for $215 billion in economic activity in 2008, almost a third of the gross city product. It’s clear how invaluable newcomers are to the City’s economic life. In New York City, the immigrant story is truly the American story.”
First of all Henna I am not anti immigrant....the immigrant population is one of the reasons this city is great. What I am against is BROKE UNEMPLOYED IMMIGRANTS coming here without a job, adding to the welfare rolls and all of our tax bills. It takes money and time to contribute to a city...therefore if you have no money or a job here you will be a burden....plain and simple!
This is the most expensive city in the US....it takes money and/or employment to live here. Your article is cute on paper but this is hard knock real life here!
The important info is that "immigrants are pulling their weight" in the 25 metro areas that were studied in the US in 2009. What this means is immigrants are contributing to the economy in proportion to their share of the population.
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