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Actually I want to give you a bigger picture to my situation. I am currently living in the Dominican Republic with my husband and son and we all want to relocate to the NY. My son and I will go first while my husband takes care of the house here. My husband will need to apply for a visa to live and work in NY.
So I'm thinking that if I do run into money problems we can always return to the Dom Rep and think of something else. Our reason for leaving the Dom Rep is because my son is very unhappy here, the school system is useless and I would like to maintain my professional skills as a physical therapist.
email ppl on craigslist...look under brooklyn/sublets/temporary. find something you're interested in and then send the person an email. start from there.
you don't need proof of income to rent a room. you will need proof of income to rent an apartment...thats why i suggested renting a room...getting your feet wet, hopefully securing a job and then you can think about looking for and eventually moving into an apartment.
it might be difficult like mayorofnyc said, to find a person that will rent one room to a mother and child...but if you explain your situation via an email (which might lead to a phone call, which might lead to an in person meeting when you visit), someone might be more willing to do it.
good luck and don't get discouraged.
Great advice. Sounds very practical. I understand rent depends on where in NY one chooses to live, but how much would a room cost to rent?
lol, well...it depends. =/
i'll send a link to your box...you can look for yourself. check out boroughs other than brooklyn though, just to get a full look and have all the options out there for your choosing.
the link i'm sending you is from craigslist and deals with subletting in bk.
That's pretty much the best advice someone can give you. Although you may get some initial resistance from the owners about renting a room to a mother & child, a lot of em are desperate enough that if you put down at least 3-4 months rent, they WILL budge, trust me, i've seen it. Plus w/ rooms, 90% of the time, you won't have to pay for utilities (light, gas, hot water, etc), just transportation & groceries. Just out of curiousity Haleema, have you considered moving to another state like Florida or Texas?
I was also thinking how difficult it might be to rent a room with my son. How much would a room cost? We are flexible where we live. I chose NY, because I lived there before. Off topic
We currently live in Dominican Republic, so Florida would appeal to me more, simply because of the climate. I hear Physical Therapy is in demand there too.
Last edited by Viralmd; 10-28-2009 at 03:29 PM..
Reason: If you want to know about other states, post on those forums. And this is NOT a chat board.
you won't be able to find a job without a nyc address, tho. so although you should secure a job first and then look for an apartment, you won't be able to.
its a catch 22, to be honest.
although its going against the majority (so far), move here and rent a room (use craigslist). that would be cheaper than the ymca, if your numbers are right. use the address to secure a job. the job market is complete garbage but that is probably your best bet to get a job in nyc.
good luck.
She has a 12 year old child, she's not going to be able to do a share like most people do.
I wonder if there is a Dominican community organization that works with new immigrants who could help you? I have a family member who is an immigration lawyer who works extensively with Dominicans and I will ask him for any information. If I find out anything, I will DM you.
I also do not know how it will work out for you when you need to show proof of residency when you wish to register your son for school if you are living in a rented room. Something very important for you to consider is the safety and quality of your son's potential school in NYC. The NYC middle schools in NYC do not have a good reputation for safety and quality. You have to look into where your son will go to school while you are finding a place to live, as well as how your son will get to school. Will you feel comfortable for him to take the subway or the bus alone in a strange city?
I know you chose NYC as a place to relocate because you have lived here before, but please realize that NYC is the most expensive city in the US, as well as the city with the most "hassles" for housing. It is easier to find rentals in just about any other part of the country.
Honestly I don't think you still have a Green Card. In order to maintain your status as a permanent resident you need to make your home in the USA. You may stay outside of the US for up to two years but you need to apply for a reentry permit and have it approved before you leave the country.
Chances are when you try to enter the US they will take away your card. You mentioned that your child is a US citizen. That means he can sponsor you when he turns 21 but not before. As for your husband and a work visa. Does he know that work visa are incredibly difficult to obtain and usually require at least a bachelor's degree and of course a company that is willing to spend a lot of money for visa sponsorship?
If against the odds you get to keep your green card you could sponsor your husband but the bad news is he falls into a category of family based immigration that has a waiting time of several years.
So before you contemplate a move I would go the safe route and travel to the US first to see if they let you in and keep your green card.
Wow so much to consider. That would be great if you could put us in touch with an immigration lawyer. Many thanks. Wouldn't a rented room be proof of residency in regards to my sons school? Sounds like NY may not be such a good idea after all.
I hadn't realised that NY is the most expensive city in the US. I'm going to ask you the golden question now. Which states are the most safest, cheapest and family-oriented to live?
My son and I plan to visit NY in January 2010, so fingers crossed immigrations don't retain my greencard.
I am not trying to solicit business for any particular immigration attorney, but he does work a great deal with the Dominican comminuity so I thought he might know of some local organizations that help out new Domminican immigrants.
Yes, NYC has the highest cost of living in the US and the highest cost of housing. Other places are cheaper, but also have lower salaries. The midwest has a much lower cost of living, but you must realize that some places in the US have higher unemployment than others. You must research your future areas for relocation very carefully. The NY area does have a sizable Dominican community which you will not find so readily in other cities. That is something else to consider. Someone else on this forum will have more knowledge about the requirements for NYC school registration. It may be required to have proof of a utlilty bill, a formal lease, etc. A handwritten note will not do. You will definitely need to show your son's birth certificate. The information could probably be found on the New York City Board of Education website.
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